The rear fuselage and centre section of North American B-25J Mitchell 44-30861, nicknamed the Bedsheet Bomber, was transported by road to the Wings Aviation Museum near Balcombe, West Sussex, on May 3 to continue a thorough refurbishment.
The move was accomplished with the help of Swaine Lifting Solutions of Gatwick.
Kevin and Daniel Hunt acquired the cockpit, nose, wings, engines and tail a few years ago from private collector Darren Speechley, who had negotiated its transfer from Booker, Wycombe Air Park. The restoration will see the Mitchell returned to static display condition – and possibly even to ground-running status. The airframe is likely to be displayed at Dunsfold in Surrey, formerly home to 90, 180 and 320 Squadrons, which operated B-25s during World War Two.
Volunteers will now begin separating the centre section from the rear fuselage so that a full inspection can be carried out. Significant corrosion has already been repaired in the cockpit and maintenance has been carried out on the nose section, which suffered an unfortunate mishap when it slid out of a lifting mechanism and struck concrete. A second team of volunteers has been working on the outer wings, replacing and repairing corroded wing ribs. It’s hoped that the port wing will be completed later this year, with work on the starboard wing progressing at the same time.
Several smaller parts, such as the cockpit throttles and centre pilot’s console, have been restored off-site and are ready for installation. The group has also acquired a B-25 pilot’s seat from an aircraft lost in Papua New Guinea during the war, which it also plans to incorporate. It’s believed that while the airframe was sitting in largely derelict condition at North Weald, various parts were removed by collectors, casting Bedsheet’s future into doubt. The project would be most grateful to be reunited with any of their charge’s missing parts. WITH THANKS TO KEVIN AND DANIEL HUNT