POWERGRAMS

37 WWII Tuskegee B-25 under renovation The extraordinary history of the Tuskegee Airmen continues to be told, thanks in part to a $10,000 grant from the Alabama Power Birmingham Division to renovate a Tuskegee B-25 bomber from World War II. It is part of the Tuskegee Airmen diorama at the Southern Museum of Flight near the Birmingham- Shuttlesworth International Airport, with the renovation expected to be completed next year. The black aviators and support personnel from the Tuskegee military flight training program in the early 1940s became known worldwide. The 992 pilots, deployed to military bases around the country after training, have been the subject of books, television documentaries and movies. The exhibit includes AT-6 Texan, BT-13 Valiant and PT-19 Cornell trainers. A montage of larger- than-life imagery surrounds the aircraft providing a chronological timeline. Personal items belonging to chief flight instructor Charles Alfred "Chief " Anderson, known as the "Father of Black Aviation," are on display. The B-25 is recognized as the most versatile aircraft of World War II. The twin-engine plane, distinct for its twin tails, carried 5,000 pounds of bombs and was used in the historic raid over Tokyo in 1942. The B-25 under renovation at Southern Museum is from Chanute Air Museum in Rantoul, Illinois, home of the Tuskegee-trained 99th Fighter Squadron – the first flying unit for black airmen. The transfer of the plane came via an agreement with the Air Force, said Brian Barsanti, executive director of the museum. Museum curator Wayne Novy hauled the plane in sections on a trailer to Birmingham. "The aircraft has been under restoration for about a year now, and will continue for another year," Barsanti said. Most of the work is being done by volunteers and museum staff. Alabama Soda Blasting is removing paint and corrosion to give the plane a polished and mirrored finish. "Last February, the plane was unveiled as a work in progress, and we plan to unveil the finished project at a HISTORY Ever to Soar By Gilbert Nicholson The Tuskegee Airmen exhibit at the Southern Museum of Flight honors the extraordinary African-American military pioneers. Curator Wayne Novy with Russian Mi-24 Hind helicopter. Photography by Chuck St. John

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