On the purposes of the film an enormous Mix regarding Lorraine emblem was used to your routes in order to depict the newest Totally free French squadron
During the Summer 1956 MH415 was offered so you can a beneficial Belgian providers, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which had a target-pulling package for the Belgian and you may NATO pushes. COGEA had before run various white routes pulling ads and you will comparable, however when the brand new armed forces address pulling package emerged, the Percival Proctors these people were playing with did not have the newest show necessary. The fresh new Belgian Heavens Forces last few Spitfires provided the ideal opportunity, and you may COGEA purchased half dozen of them to run for their armed forces offer. Period images show the newest aircraft within the a bare aluminum livery having environmentally friendly nosecone and you can end. Into the 1961 it absolutely was leased having flick include in The latest Longest Big date, which had been recorded on location within the France.
On the 14th May MH415 arrived toward motion picture device on RAF Northern Weald for the Essex, and you will are later on established on Debden, Duxford and you can Hawkinge
The fresh new routes was painted for the a great camouflage strategy and you will flown having 340 (Ile-de-france) Squadron requirements GW-R. Into the Sep 1961 the latest routes triggered a blend of the looking within the fresh RAF Race out-of Britain heavens monitor from the Biggin Hill when you look at the its livery regarding the Longest Date, flown because of the Pierre Laureys, a good French World war ii Spitfire pilot. It’s realized that MH415 was the final airworthy Spitfire so you’re able to feel ended up selling of the COGEA, and is believed that it was at the Ostend because the later due to the fact December 1964. MH415 was ordered out of COGEA because of the Rousseau Aviation out-of Dinhard inside France, to the sum of 8, 000 francs to the ish Mahaddie is event together routes for the impending flick The fight from Great britain, and you may immediately following a survey because of the John Simpson, MH415 try purchased to have an undisclosed sum.
New flights is actually dismantled and shipped of the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd at the Elstree to have a change, entered G-AVDJ, so you’re able to Mahaddie to your 29th December 1966. It absolutely was take to flown and you will taken to the film equipment within RAF Henlow at the beginning of 1967 because of the T A beneficial Davies. The aircraft was stored, the Merlin 66 engine restricted, during the majority of 1967, also it was not flown once again until November, in the event it received a different sort of Certification out of Airworthiness, becoming take to flown for the 29th of these few days because of the T An excellent Davies in the Henlow. At the beginning of 1968 shooting got were only available in Spain, and also as a Spitfire is actually required for venue functions, MH415 is actually picked and you can wishing in the Henlow and you will Luton. An excellent ninety-gallon lose-tank try suitable and other shot routes accomplished through the March within Henlow, Luton and you may Farnborough by Lt Cdr Meters T Hynett.
In late February MH415 leftover the uk, flying thru France so you can Tablada Heavens Base inside Spain. For this a lot of time trip it absolutely was flown of the V H Bellamy. Motion picture venue behave as N3312/ AI-C adopted within the Spain, flown however by the Lt Cdr Hynett. The brand new Spitfire the latest turned up back into The united kingdomt at Manston on the 11th Get 1968, when you look at the organization having a gaggle out-of Messerschmitts, a few Heinkels and you can Jeff Hawke from inside the a b-twenty-five camera-motorboat. The sun and rain within the 1968 are generally speaking British, in addition to movie team had been not having enough go out. Loans was also leading to dilemmas, examine this link right now which is actually made a decision to flow the aerial device on the a climate of the South out of France.
MH415 and you will a great many other Spitfires and some Messerschmitts were flown over to Montpelier inside the August for three days, together with called for video footage is received under the sun. MH415 used of a lot marks during the filming, and N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-M, N2210/ CD-An excellent, N3310/ AI-A, N3322/ AI/ Letter, N3319/ DO-K and you can N3314/ AI-E. That it Spitfire are installing which have strobe lighting throughout the machine-gun harbors and you will are flown to have a maximum of 125 period while in the shooting. When you look at the Oct 1968 it actually was based during the Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and soon after one to month was used for the shooting bail-out images from the Netheravon Wiltshire. Among the movie tool pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, obtained MH415 for the achievement of its film requirements plus it was dismantled from the Bovingdon from the Simpson’s Aeroservices to possess shipping so you can Houston, Tx, where it arrived in January 1969.
