When the 1970 film adaption of Catch-22 began preliminary production, Paramount made a decision to hire the Tallmantz Aviation organization to obtain sufficient North American B-25 Mitchellbomber aircraft to recreate a Mediterranean wartime base as depicted in the Joseph Heller novel of the same name. Tallmantz president, Frank G. Tallman found the war-surplus aircraft. He also gathered aircrew to fly the aircraft and ground support crew to maintain the fleet.
Aircraft
Catch-22s budget could accommodate 17 flyable B-25s, and an additional non-flyable hulk was acquired in Mexico, made barely ferry-able and flown with landing gear down to the Guaymas, Sonora, Mexico filming location, only to be burned and destroyed in the landing crash scene. The wreck was then buried in the ground next to the runway, where it remains. Paramount planned to film the Catch-22 aerial sequences for six weeks, but the production required three months to shoot and the bombers flew a total of about 1,500 hours. They appeared on screen for 12 minutes. Fifteen of the 18 bombers used in the film still remain intact, including one housed at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. ;6A:B-25H-1NA 43-4643, " The Bug Smasher ", Olive Drab B-25C - Destroyed in a crash in 1978. Used as a camera ship during filming. ;6B:B-25J-30NC 44-86843, " Passionette Paulette 03507G " - presently displayed at the Grissom Air Museum at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana, ;6C:B-25J-25NC 44-29939, 09456Z ", Camouflage B-25J - airworthy with the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, Pennsylvania. Flies as Briefing Time. ;6D:B-25J-30NC 44-31032, " Free, Fast and Ready 13174G ", Olive Drab B-25J - on display at the March Field Air Museum at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, California. Marked as Problem Child. ;6F:B-25J-15NC 44-28925, " Tokyo Express " - airworthy with the Cavanaugh Flight Museum in Addison, Texas. Flies as How 'Boot That!? ;6G:B-25J-5NC 43-28204, " Booby Trap 39856C ", Olive Drab B-25J - airworthy with Aero Trader in Chino, California. Flies as Pacific Princess. ;6H:B-25J-25NC 44-30748, Camouflage B-25J - airworthy with the in Madras, Oregon. Flies as Heavenly Body. ;6I:B-25J-30NC 44-30925, " Laden Maiden ", Desert Tan B-25J - under restoration with the Belgian Aviation Preservation Association, Belgium, ;6J:B-25J-30NC 44-86701, " Annzas " - 25 missions, Camouflage B-25J - destroyed in a hangar fire at Musee de l'Air in Paris, France. ;6K:B-25J-25NC 44-30801, " Vestal Virgin 13699G ", Olive Drab B-25J - airworthy with the American Aeronautical Foundation in Camarillo, California. Flies as Executive Sweet. ;6M:B-25J-20NC 44-29366, " aBominable Snowman ", Olive Drab B-25J - displayed at the Royal Air Force Museum London at the former Hendon Aerodrome in London, United Kingdom. ;6N:B-25H-1NA 43-4432, " Berlin Express 410V ", Camouflage B-25J - airworthy with the Experimental Aircraft Association Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Flies as Berlin Express. ;6Q:B-25J-25NC 44-30077, " The Denver Dumper ", Olive Drab B-25J - presently displayed at the Pacific Aviation Museum on Ford Island in Honolulu, Hawaii, ;6S:B-25J-35NC 44-8843, Camouflage B-25C - Destroyed during filming. ;6V:B-25J-25NC 44-30493, " Dumbo 39451Z ", Olive Drab B-25C - displayed at Malmstrom AFB in Great Falls, Montana. ;6W:B-25J-25NC 44-30649, " Hot Pants 32452Z ", B-25C - displayed at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery, Alabama. ;6Y:B-25J-20NC 44-29887, " 6Y Luscious Lulu, Olive Drab - in storage at the NationalAir and Space Museum. Marked as Carol Jean. ;6?:B-25J-25NC 44-30823, Olive Drab - airworthy with the in Mount Pleasant, Texas. Flies as God and Country'. Used as a camera ship during filming. ;Dumbo:B-25J, nose section, Tennessee Air Museum, Sevierville, Tennessee, All the B-25s had the tip of the vertical stabilizer painted blue. For the film, mock upper turrets were installed. To represent different models several aircraft had the turrets installed behind the wings representing early aircraft. Initially, the camera ships also had the mock turrets installed, but problems with buffeting required their removal.
