North American B-25J-25-NC Mitchell (N8195H, serial 44-30748) was delivered on February 20, 1945, and wears the markings of the 390th Bombardment Squadron, 42nd Bombardment Group, 13th Air Force. Before becoming a warbird icon, she earned Hollywood credentials: in 1969 she flew in the film Catch-22 under the names 'M&M' and 'Miss Renee,' part of a fleet of B-25s assembled for what became one of the most expensive aerial film productions in history.
In 1972, Milan 'Mike' Pupich of Van Nuys, California bought her for the price of a fully loaded Cadillac — which was, by warbird standards, a bargain even then. Pupich was a South Los Angeles native who had grown up dreaming of the Mitchell bomber, famously 'flying' one from his parents' couch as a child with a silver platter as his yoke. He spent the next four decades restoring her to the most complete B-25 configuration flying, including a fully functional upper gun turret and tail gun assembly by 1997. The centerpiece of the cockpit was a framed photo of Rita Hayworth surrounded by fourteen machine guns — a tribute to the nose art traditions of the men who flew these aircraft in combat.
In 1992, Heavenly Body made history when she flew off the deck of USS Ranger to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Doolittle Raid — replicating the moment when sixteen B-25s launched from USS Hornet in 1942 on a mission considered impossible. Pupich owned and flew her longer than any other private individual in the aircraft's post-service life. He passed away in 2012, and his family honored his wishes by keeping her flying. She is now with the Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon.