In the Jan 1995 Flypast a photo appears of Bf109G “Black 6 in temporary colours of grey/dark grey and yellow under the nose European scheme, apparently for a Lucky Strike cigarette advert that featured the Scandanavian P51D too.
There is no lettering or numbers on the Bf109 and I wondered if any were applied for the advert or was the scheme left anonymous?
Was anyone present during the making and if so do you have photos?
Would a Government-owned aircraft be used today to advertise ciggies? It does say the money raised by the appearance was to pay for a complete new repaint, so it was well spent. But I doubt they’d get away with it now (not in NZ anyway, not sure about the UK.)
By: Dave Homewood - 21st January 2005 at 12:45
Ah, I vaguely recall hearing about that series, I think it came here but I missed it. Doh.
By: Ant.H - 21st January 2005 at 12:39
I think it was a joint production between Channel 4 and the Discovery channel.There was also an episode about jet engines which featured a rather large Robbie squeezing himself into the back seat of AW Meteor NF.11 G-LOSM for a flight-must’ve had a considerable effect on the CofG! 😀
By: DazDaMan - 21st January 2005 at 12:30
I think it was Channel 4 – I’m sure it’s been on one of the satellite channels, too.
By: blueyonder - 21st January 2005 at 12:16
The filming was for “Coltrane’s Planes And Automobiles”. I’m not sure what UK channel produced the show, but the Spitfire and 109 episode contained some great air to air of the aircraft.
It was a very good series. It followed Robbie Coltrane’s interest in engineering.
By: Dave Homewood - 21st January 2005 at 11:22
Thanks for making this such an interesting thread everyone. 🙂
I have just picked up FlyPast from May 1997 for a flick through, and there’s aphoto of Gunther Rall sitting in Black 6’s cockpit. It says he was there for some TV filming on March 9th 1997. Anyone know what this was? It seems it was a documentary series (6 parts) on supercharged engines and Spitfire TE566 also took part. Rall even got to do a ground run, first time since the war. It says the series was to air on Channel 4 in September. Was it a British series? Or German?
By: APG - 20th January 2005 at 09:19
Another shot of PL983
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/696316/L
By: DazDaMan - 19th January 2005 at 22:01
I had a feeling there were no numbers on the aircraft, which is why the “Blue-8” pic always puzzled me!
By: Fluffy - 19th January 2005 at 21:53
From what I can remember no numbers were applied as the film company were going to make the ad so that there appeared to be 3 or 4 Bf 109’s and then they would apply the numbers later We applied the blue 8 for air to air photo’s I have the pictures plus many of her from the moment of capture to the move to Hendon but no scanner to post them.
By: Eddie - 19th January 2005 at 21:52
Given the UK Gov’t raise considerable taxes from PB* smokers…
Goes some way to covering their cost to the NHS 😉
By: LAHARVE - 19th January 2005 at 21:50
Two pics of ‘Lucky Strike’ aircraft,
1. G-USTV 1st October 1995
2. N167F unsure of date.
By: Smith - 19th January 2005 at 21:09
Not like you to bring a thread back on topic JDK :p
By: JDK - 19th January 2005 at 17:57
Bac to Dave’s original topic.
Given the UK Gov’t raise considerable taxes from PB* smokers, while labelling the boxes with ‘don’t blame us you are gonna die’ stickers, another level of hypocricy wouldn’t be much.
Good question though Dave.
*Poor Bl@@dy
By: DazDaMan - 19th January 2005 at 17:50
Thanks Mark. What was the reason for painting her up this way?
By: Mark12 - 19th January 2005 at 17:38
Briefly in the Free French scheme in 1995.
RC – Photo by Robert Rudhall.
Mark
By: Arabella-Cox - 19th January 2005 at 14:52
ML407 – she wore her 341 Sqn markings NL-D for a wee while, I think on one side only. These were still basically RAF markings, but with French codes and badges. The pilot of the aircraft during French service (can’t recall his name) had a “wailing baby” painted ahead of the windscreen. Dave, I’m sure in one of the Aeroplane Monthly articles from 1996 you can see this – if not, I’ll see if I can scan the profile out of Hugh Smallwood’s book tonight.
I sit corrected! 😀
By: DazDaMan - 19th January 2005 at 14:45
Here’s PL983 – don’t know who took the pic, but it was taken at Sion, according to the filename.
You can just make out the Cross De Lorraine, name and kill markings beneath the windshield.
By: DazDaMan - 19th January 2005 at 14:40
Ahhh, that was his name! I couldn’t remember it for the life of me!
By: Dave Homewood - 19th January 2005 at 14:39
Yep, standard RAF roundels, camouflage, etc with a screaming baby nose art, and the Free French Cross of Loraine thing, plus codes NL-D with ML407. Photos on page 2 Aeroplane MonthlyJuly 1995, plus pic of Caroline Grace with the pilot Jean Dabos of No. 314 (Free French) Sqn who probably shot down his last kill in this spit.
By: DazDaMan - 19th January 2005 at 14:37
French Spit colour schemes worn have been:
ML407 – she wore her 341 Sqn markings NL-D for a wee while, I think on one side only. These were still basically RAF markings, but with French codes and badges. The pilot of the aircraft during French service (can’t recall his name) had a “wailing baby” painted ahead of the windscreen. Dave, I’m sure in one of the Aeroplane Monthly articles from 1996 you can see this – if not, I’ll see if I can scan the profile out of Hugh Smallwood’s book tonight.
PL983 – when she had her PRU markings (before 1988), she had something like “Cddt R Mouchotte” and a Cross De Lorraine painted just beneath the windscreen.
TE184 – still painted in her French markings. 
By: blueyonder - 19th January 2005 at 14:37
but I was under the impression that ML407 has always worn OU-V codes? Happy to be proved wrong though…
Apart from when it wore 341 (Alsace) Squadron (Free French Air Force) codes for a season. NL-D I believe.
Does anyone have photos of this?
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January 19, 2005 at 1:29 pm