This is a repaint only for the Flight Replicas B-24J Liberator. This repaint depicts the restored Consolidated Fort Worth built B-24J-85-CF 44-44052 owned and operated by The Collings Foundation, registered as N224J, one of only two B-24's still flying. This aircraft was originally delivered to the RAF as a Liberator GR.VI, serial KH191, in October 1944 and flew anti-shipping, bombing and re-supply missions in the Pacific Theatre. After WWII it was one of 36 B-24's to actively serve in the Indian Air Force until 1968. In 1981 the aircraft was acquired by Doug Arnold and airfreighted to the UK where it was stored until the Collings Foundation acquired it in 1984. The restoration to return the aircraft to flight took place at Tom Reilly's Vintage Aircraft company in Kissimmee, Florida, which after more than 5 years and 97,000+ man hours, resulted in the aircraft flying again for the first time on Sept. 10, 1989. It was initially painted as "The All American", and then as "The Dragon and His Tail" for several years. In 2005, the aircraft was completely repainted as it appears now as 'Witchcraft'. The original 'Witchcraft' was a Ford-built B-24H assigned to the 790th BS, 467th BG, 8th Air Force, based at Rackheath, England, known as the "Rackheath Aggies". The original 'Witchcraft' flew an incredible 130 combat missions with various crews between April 1944 and April 1945 with no serious injuries or casualties to any of its crew members.
Original 467th BG artist and 'Witchcraft' crewman Bob Dekerf re-applied the nose art on the Collings aircraft just as he had on the original in 1944.
