To the purposes of the movie a massive Cross of Lorraine emblem was applied into routes in order to show the Totally free French squadron
During the Summer 1956 MH415 try marketed so you can a Belgian company, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which in fact had a target-pulling price to the Belgian and you can NATO forces. COGEA got in earlier times operate certain white aircraft pulling banners and you can equivalent, but when new armed forces address pulling offer emerged, new Percival Proctors they were having fun with did not have this new results expected. New Belgian Air Forces last couple of Spitfires given the best possibility, and you may COGEA ordered half dozen of these to perform because of their army package. Months photo let you know the aircraft inside a bare aluminum livery having green nosecone and you will tail. When you look at the 1961 it actually was leased for movie include in Brand new Longest Date, that was filmed on location from inside the France.
With the 14th Will get MH415 turned up into flick product on RAF Northern Weald into the Essex, and you can is afterwards based within Debden, Duxford and Hawkinge
Brand new routes is coated into the an effective camouflage system and you may flown having 340 (Ile de france) Squadron rules GW-R. Inside the September 1961 the flights brought about a stir from the looking during the the RAF Competition out-of Britain heavens monitor from the Biggin Mountain in the livery from the Longest Date, flown from the Pierre Laureys, a beneficial French The second world war Spitfire pilot. It’s know you to MH415 is actually the final airworthy Spitfire in order to end up being offered by COGEA, and it is believed that it actually was on Ostend while the late since December 1964. MH415 are purchased from COGEA of the Rousseau Aviation from Dinhard when you look at the France, into the amount of 8, 000 francs towards the ish Mahaddie was meeting along with her flights to the certain movie The fight out of Britain, and you may just after a study of the John Simpson, MH415 is ordered to own a keen undisclosed share.
This new routes was dismantled and you will shipped of the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd at Elstree for a change, inserted G-AVDJ, to Mahaddie towards 29th December 1966. It was test flown and you may delivered to the film equipment at RAF Henlow at the beginning of 1967 because of the T A Davies. The routes are kept, the Merlin 66 motor inhibited, while in the most of 1967, and it also was not flown again up to November, if it obtained a different Certificate of Airworthiness, getting test flown with the 29th of that month by the T A great Davies at Henlow. In early 1968 shooting got started in The country of spain, and also as an excellent Spitfire is you’ll need for location performs Vaud escort., MH415 was chose and you may wishing in the Henlow and you will Luton. Good ninety-gallon lose-container are suitable and other decide to try flights achieved during March within Henlow, Luton and Farnborough by Lt Cdr Yards T Hynett.
In the late March MH415 kept the uk, flying thru France in order to Tablada Sky Feet into the Spain. For this long journey it absolutely was flown from the V H Bellamy. Motion picture venue act as N3312/ AI-C adopted in The country of spain, flown however by the Lt Cdr Hynett. The latest Spitfire the fresh new turned up into England at the Manston on the 11th Can get 1968, in the providers which have a gaggle away from Messerschmitts, two Heinkels and you may Jeff Hawke in the a b-25 digital camera-boat. The elements inside the 1968 are typically Uk, and movie providers have been not having enough go out. Funds has also been resulting in troubles, so it try decided to circulate brand new aerial tool to your a weather of the Southern out of France.
MH415 and you will many other Spitfires and several Messerschmitts was indeed flown off to Montpelier in the August for a few days, plus the called for video footage is actually acquired in the sunshine. MH415 used of several scars through the filming, and N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-M, N2210/ CD-Good, N3310/ A goodI-A, Letter3322/ AI/ N, N3319/ DO-K and you may N3314/ AI-Elizabeth. This Spitfire are suitable that have strobe bulbs from the machine-gun slots and you will are flown to possess all in all, 125 occasions throughout filming. Into the Oct 1968 it was built at the Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and later one week was used in the filming bail-out photos from the Netheravon Wiltshire. One of many flick tool pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, acquired MH415 for the completion of their flick responsibilities and it also is actually dismantled on Bovingdon of the Simpson’s Aeroservices for shipment so you can Houston, Colorado, where they arrived in January 1969.