North American B-25J

The Museum`s aircraft on display was among the last of the 1944 production run of 3,004 B-25Js produced by North American Aviation at Kansas City, Kansas. This bomber remained in the United States from its delivery in August, 1945, until it was dropped from the inventory in April, 1948.

The aircraft is now painted in the colors of B-25J, serial number 43-27676, that departed Hunter Field, Savannah, Georgia, in April, 1944, as a replacement aircraft for the 12th Air Force. B-25J, 43-27676, was delivered to the 310th Bomb Group at Ghisnaccia Gare, Corsica, where it was assigned to the 380th Bomb Squadron. It was at this base where the Group and Squadron markings were applied to the tail and the nose art was painted on the fuselage.

The "Little King" would remain in service with the 310th Bomb Group while flying 121 combat missions over targets in Italy, Southern France, Austria, Yugoslavia, and sea searches for enemy convoys in the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, and Adriatic Seas.

The "Little King" ended its combat career at Fano, Italy, at the end of the Italian Campaign in May, 1945. At the same time the 310th would end its World War II activities with the distinction of having flown the greatest number of combat missions (989) of any medium bomber in the Mediterranean Theater. In June, 1945, the "Little King" departed Naples, Italy, for assignment in the U. S.. to the 477th Bomb Group at Walterboro, South Carolina. This B-25, 43-27676, would be dropped from the USAF inventory in April, 1946.

The Museum`s aircraft arrived in 1987.