Return flight to the B-25D Mitchell " Destination Tokyo

[dewoitine]

The North American B-25D Mitchell serial number 43-3318, registered N88972, took to the skies again on September 19, 2025, after a complete restoration by The Warbird Shop in Madras (Oregon).
Acquired in September 2023 by the Swiss collector Hugo Mathis, the device now bears the name Destination Tokyo as a tribute to the 1942 Doolittle Raid. This B-25 is well known among enthusiasts as it previously flew under the name Grumpy with collector Stephen Grey and The Fighter Collection in Duxford, before being sold to American collector John Sessions.

The B-25 restored in this configuration evokes the sixteen B-25Bs launched from the USS Hornet on April 18, 1942, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Jimmy Doolittle, to bomb Tokyo and boost American morale after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Although no exact date for its delivery to Europe has been announced, the B-25D should be presented in Oshkosh in July 2026. There is today in Europe another B-25 in flight which belongs to the Austrian collection The Flying Bulls.


Translate from https://www.lecharpeblanche.fr/2025/11/24/retour-en-vol-pour-le-b-25d-mitchell-destination-tokyo/

 

[MajorMagee]

I'm part of the Raider Nation and the bearer of this commemorative coin. Mine is #57 out of 550 that were onboard for the B-21 First Flight.

I also regularly present the story behind the Raider Artifacts on display at the NMUSAF to our Unit's Distinguished Visitors.

 

[gecko]

I saw her on many occasions in her RAF livery when she and I both lived in Washington. It was a real shame when John Sessions was forced to break up what was once a fine collection to cover unrelated legal expenses. His was a very community oriented operation that often encouraged involvement from the local aviation community, not so aloof and exclusive in who they let behind the scenes as many collections are. Some of their people even helped me with technical research when I was working on the Spitfire Mk.VII/VIII project here.