On the purposes of the film a massive Cross away from Lorraine emblem was used towards flights to help you show the Free French squadron
For the Summer 1956 MH415 try sold so you’re able to an excellent Belgian organization, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which had a goal-pulling price with the Belgian and you will NATO forces. COGEA got previously operate various light flights pulling banners and you may equivalent, but once the brand new armed forces address pulling deal emerged, this new Percival Proctors they were having fun with did not have brand new efficiency required. The Belgian Heavens Forces last few Spitfires given just the right options, and you can COGEA purchased six of these to run due to their military deal. Several months photographs inform you brand new aircraft inside a clean aluminum livery which have environmentally friendly nosecone and you can end. Within the 1961 it had been hired to own flick include in The newest Longest Go out, that was recorded on location within the France.
Into 14th Can get MH415 turned up with the flick product within RAF Northern Weald in Essex, and you will are later built on Debden, Duxford and you may Hawkinge
This new aircraft are coated within the an effective camouflage scheme and you may flown having 340 (Ile-de-france) Squadron codes GW-R. From inside the Sep 1961 the fresh new aircraft caused a stir because of the searching at the RAF Race regarding The uk heavens monitor in the Biggin Mountain in the livery on the Longest Big date, flown by Pierre Laureys, good French The second world war Spitfire airplane pilot. It is know you to definitely MH415 try the past airworthy Spitfire in order to feel ended up selling from the COGEA, and is also considered that it was at Ostend since later since the December 1964. MH415 are bought regarding COGEA by Rousseau Aviation regarding Dinhard inside France, towards amount of 8, 000 francs on ish Mahaddie was gathering together aircraft with the imminent flick The battle from The uk, and you may immediately following a study because of the John Simpson, MH415 is ordered getting an undisclosed share.
The brand new flights is dismantled and you can mailed by Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd at the Elstree having a change, registered Grams-AVDJ, to Mahaddie to your 29th December 1966. It had been decide to try flown and you will taken to the movie product within RAF Henlow at the beginning of 1967 of the T An excellent Davies. The fresh aircraft was stored, its Merlin 66 motor restricted, through the the majority of 1967, also it was not flown https://escortlook.de/en/switzerland/st-gallen-state once more until November, in the event it was given a separate Certificate of Airworthiness, getting attempt flown towards the 29th of this few days because of the T Good Davies on Henlow. At the beginning of 1968 filming had were only available in Spain, and also as an excellent Spitfire are necessary for location works, MH415 is actually picked and you can prepared during the Henlow and Luton. An effective ninety-gallon shed-container try suitable as well as other decide to try flights accomplished while in the February at the Henlow, Luton and you may Farnborough by Lt Cdr Yards T Hynett.
In the later February MH415 leftover great britain, flying thru France to help you Tablada Sky Ft in The country of spain. Because of it enough time trip it was flown from the V H Bellamy. Film place work as N3312/ AI-C followed in the The country of spain, flown in the primary by Lt Cdr Hynett. The brand new Spitfire new arrived into England at Manston with the 11th Could possibly get 1968, for the company which have a bunch from Messerschmitts, a couple Heinkels and you will Jeff Hawke into the a-b-twenty-five camera-boat. The current weather from inside the 1968 was normally United kingdom, and the motion picture company was in fact not having enough big date. Fund has also been causing trouble, which was made a decision to flow the latest aerial device to the an excellent environment of your Southern from France.
MH415 and you will a number of other Spitfires and several Messerschmitts had been flown over to Montpelier inside August for three days, plus the requisite footage is actually obtained in the sun. MH415 used of a lot markings during the filming, including N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-Yards, N2210/ CD-An excellent, N3310/ An effectiveI-An effective, N3322/ AI/ Letter, N3319/ DO-K and you may N3314/ AI-E. Which Spitfire try fitted with strobe lighting throughout the machine gun ports and are flown to own all in all, 125 instances through the filming. Into the Oct 1968 it absolutely was situated during the Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and soon after you to definitely month was used in the shooting bail-out shots from the Netheravon Wiltshire. Among the flick tool pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, acquired MH415 into the completion of the film requirements plus it try dismantled within Bovingdon because of the Simpson’s Aeroservices getting delivery to help you Houston, Texas, where it found its way to January 1969.