Film stars

not quite related, but does anyone know what the turboprop was that u see taking off in Moonraker. Sounds like its got Rolls Royce Darts, its confused me for ages?

Yes it was a Lockheed Electra (Allison turboprops not RR Darts). However when you see Bond’s view (through the telescope) of the aircraft with “Drax Air Cargo” written on the side it is actually a large model. I have seen the model in question at an exhibition.

Colin

I have a picture somewhere of the Tiger at Booker with the five polystyrene dummys in place.

I’ll say it before Blue Max or Propstrike does…….

“Yes I’m G-ANFM’s resident dummy now!!”

It’s a lovely aeroplane though!!

We have got a Maule, but ours didn’t appear in the Cannonball Run.

[QUOTE=Propstrike]The Reading flying Group at White Waltham operates Tiger G-ANFM, which attained star -status for its appearance in Thunderbirds (It was Thunderbird 6).

Now there’s a funny thing, GASML’s got a share in G-ANFM as well!!!

Lookheed Electra, wasn’t it?

not quite related, but does anyone know what the turboprop was that u see taking off in Moonraker. Sounds like its got Rolls Royce Darts, its confused me for ages?

I intervewed Joan about this back in in about 1990. She told me it was definitely safer to fly through than to land and taxi. The problem was that a policeman was watching and he prosecuted. In court it was revealed that he had wanted to be a pilot and so had a chip on his shoulder. She told me she felt quite sorry for him as the defence tore into him. In the end it came down to expert witnesses who testified that it was best lef tot the pilot’s discretion and she was a bit good.

I have a picture somewhere of the Tiger at Booker with the five polystyrene dummys in place.

The Reading flying Group at White Waltham operates Tiger G-ANFM, which attained star -status for its appearance in Thunderbirds (It was Thunderbird 6).

The use of real footage with the puppets worked suprisingly well, and as has been discussed here recently, included Joan Hughes flying under a bridge on the recently-built M40 motorway, before the central barriers were built. The plan had been to fast taxi, with the tail up, but it was a gusty day, and in the end it seemed safer to fly through- At least that is what she said at Beaconsfield Magistrates Court!

Myself and other forumite GASML own BE2c replica G-AWYI, this A/C was built for a feature film based on the Biggles books “Biggles Sweeps The Skies” by my father in 1969. The film was never completed and the BE2 was sold off to a private owner in the USA. During this time it was filmed by the BBC and used in their TV series “Wings” in the second series ir appears in the tittle sequence.
It was crashed in 1977 and lanquised at thew back of a shed at Old Rhinebeck untill retrived and brought back to Sywell in May of last year. She is currently undergoing a full rebuild to flying condition. You can see somthing on this on BBC east “Inside Out” programe on Monday 23rd Sept at 7.30. that this coming Monday.

Has it got the legs?

Er..let me think…

Messie has a 36 gallon fuel capacity and the Cirrus Major 3 burns IRO 7 gallons per hour….. but portrayed an earlier Messie with a Gipsy engine…

So…… Working on 6 gallons per hour the range @ say 115 miles an hour = 690 miles to dry tanks.

Allowing for half an hour reserves, and assuming that any headwind one way will be directly cancelled in the other direction, thats IRO 630 miles.

The shortest route looks like Wick-Sandnessjoen-Stokka @ 629NM = 723 Statute, so it will have needed refueling on arrival.

I’m not sure if there was an auxilliary fuel tank fitted to the military Messie. However, if you leaned the mixture and flew at best range speed, which I would guess IRO 80 MPH ( I’ve literally just given away my Messie pilots handbook so can’t check) I reckon its just do-able. Add another ten gallons of gas in an auxilliary fuel tank and its a breeze.

What the heck anyway, no point in having loads of gas to spare, this was a nailbiting epic from start to finish!

All the best

Hairyplane

Perhaps you can answer a query about the Miles Messenger and “633 Squadron”. In the opening sequence we are supposed to believe that this Messenger has flown from the UK to Norway,picked up Lt Bergman (George Chakiris) and then flown back to the UK. Would the Miles Messenger actually have had the range / fuel capacity to do this?

Best Wishes,

Colin