The B25J-25-NC Serial Number 44-30734 now flying as "Panchito" was delivered to the US Army Air Force on February 16, 1945. She was accepted as 'surplus' to military needs, she was stored in Garden City, Kansas then moved to South Plains, Texas. She was then moved to storage in Pyote, Texas in July 1947. Her first assignment was to Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma in November 1948. She spent 4 years at Vance AFB as a pilot trainer before being assigned to James Connally AFB, Texas in December 1952. Here she was used for navigator and bombardier training. In August 1954, she was transferred to the New York Air National Guard and stationed at Westchester County AFB. She was used by the 102nd Radar Calibration Flight until 1955, where she was assigned to an Air National Guard unit at Van Nuys, California for proficiency ratings until August 1958, when she was flown back to storage. On December 14, 1959 she was sold to Donair Sales of Phoenix, Arazona. In March 1960, she had a spray tank installed and operated under a forest service contract as Tanker #32 until 1962. She sat idle for 4 years until she was sold in March 1966 and again in January 1968 to Howe Aviation. Operating as an insect sprayer called "Big Bertha," she was then donated to the S.S.T. Museum in Kissimmee, Florida in 1974. She was flown to the museum and landed on a strip of highway blocked off by the police. After the museum closed, she was sold to a group in Wichita Falls, Texas, where they were given the task of restoring her to her former glory. Her first flight after restoration was in March 1986. She was then used in the filming of the movie "Pancho Barnes." In September 1988, she was damaged when her landing gear collapsed during a roll-out. When she was repaired, she was sold again in 1991 and again in April 1992 to Aero Classics of Lewiston, New york. In September 1997 she was purchased by Rag Wings and Radials. She now resides at the Delaware Aviation Museum in Georgetown, Delaware.
