Aviation films theatrical firearms

Ohhhhhh – anybody have anything further on this, ie supplier of these units, or alternatively, how it all worked?

FB

Before you part with your hard-earned, you need to speak to Graham Adlam. He fitted a set to his Spitfire and (his words) they were crap. They are weather dependent on how well they work, they require setting up each time before use and they’re just plain fussy.

ZRX61

acetylene guns?

yes

Baz

Heinkels – real guns firing blanks.

Spitfires – MH415 was fitted with strobe lights in the eight machine-gun positions, though I don’t think these are ever seen in the finished film (not even as a model effect).

Hurricanes – model work.

Buchons – model work and strobes. There was a good article in Flypast (I think) a couple of years ago which mentioned these, and said that the strobe-firing Buchon never made it into the final film. However, you can definitely see it in one shot towards the end of the film.

I have seen photos of a Spitfire from the film fitted with strobe lamps ( light bulbs essentially) which protruded from the eight gun ports. However no footage of these being used appears in the film. There is one scene in the film (Polish Hurricane attack sequence) where there is a close up head on shot of a Hurricane firing its eight Brownings and you can see flames protruding from the gun ports. I am not sure whether this was done with a real Hurricane in the air or with a replica or even a model in the studio. There is also a similar shot in the film of a Buchon firing its guns – same comments apply.

The shots of the Heinkels firing their nose and dorsal guns appear to employ actual weapons loaded with blanks.

Colin

I’m pretty sure the Hurricane with flaming guns is a model.

I have seen photos of a Spitfire from the film fitted with strobe lamps ( light bulbs essentially) which protruded from the eight gun ports. However no footage of these being used appears in the film. There is one scene in the film (Polish Hurricane attack sequence) where there is a close up head on shot of a Hurricane firing its eight Brownings and you can see flames protruding from the gun ports. I am not sure whether this was done with a real Hurricane in the air or with a replica or even a model in the studio. There is also a similar shot in the film of a Buchon firing its guns – same comments apply.

The shots of the Heinkels firing their nose and dorsal guns appear to employ actual weapons loaded with blanks.

Colin

acetylene guns?

Ohhhhhh – anybody have anything further on this, ie supplier of these units, or alternatively, how it all worked?

FB

I’m sure they made a noise.
I was working close to Southend Airport when a Spitfire, B-25 camera ship, and He-III flew in.
I seem to remember the Spitfire firing his guns off while taxiing ?