Huricanes in Battle of Britain film

The Li2 to Wellington conversion was covered in Aeroplane Monthly* some time ago; I think in their Database on the Wellington. It had slots in the fuselage sides to allow the props to turn.

LF363 is alive and well and coming to a UK airshow near you… Thanks to a LOT of TLC by Historic Flying.

Cheers

*Note spelling of ‘Aeroplane’. Just because you are paranoid doesn’t mean they are out to get you.

The film company built several Buchon replicas for use on the French airfield scenes – presumably the Museum’s replica Bf109s are some of those, with much modification? :confused:

Originally posted by Dave Homewood
Thanks Daz, great picture.

Question is, where are the six replicas now (well, we’ve established one is in Omaka, NZ).

The Kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge has some Spitfire Hurricane & Bf 109 replicas.
Wrecks & Relics gives 3 Hurris listed as from the film. 3 109s and 1 Spitfire. In addition there are several Hurris and 2 Spitfires listed as ‘new build’ presumably made for the museum.
mmitch.

I’ve read about this pseudo-Wellington elsewhere, and there were pics of it, too.

And it was recent, too!

Re the Me110 in ‘Angles One Five’, the book ‘War prizes’ by Phil Butler (Midland Counties Publications) states that the Me 110 used was Me 110G Werk Nr 180850. It was one of four German aircraft brought to this country for museum display. Two survive, one was ‘lost’ and this Me 110 was scrapped after use in the film. There is a photo of the Me110 in ‘War Prizes’ though it isn’t great.

Geoff.

Cheers Eddie, I didn’t think that serial had sounded right for the BBMF.

Here’s an interesting-sounding film, and an interesting replica. Perhaps this is the daddy of Dark Blue World. Anyone seen it?

“The Sky Raiders”
1969
RAF- Czech-made movie about the Czech pilots that flew with RAF Bomber Command during WWII. A Czech Air Force Lisunov Li-2 (C-47) was converted to a remarkable taxing Wellington replica. It had ex-Luftwaffe MG 17 machine guns, found in a Czech AF store! Also the usual stock footage of 149 Squad. Wellingtons.”

I have a curious feeling I’ve seen something else with a C47 mocked up as a Wellington, maybe the same plane? It wasn’t this Czech film. Unless I read about it in one of Dad’s really old Aeroplane Monthly mags.

:confused:

Originally posted by Dave Homewood

“2 RAF Hurricanes Mk.I … P2617 (“US/B”, now BoB Flt),

This Hurricane is actually in the BoB Museum at Hendon, not in the BBMF.

The Bf110 was a real wartime hulk – no idea what happened to that or the Hurricanes.

The film is quite good, forgiving the typical “stiff upper lip” acting, and it has some good flying sequences and peel-offs in it 🙂

On the subject of film Hurricanes, that film list site I linked to lists the following Hurris used in Angels One Five:

“2 RAF Hurricanes Mk.I L1592 (Now Science Mus. “U S/N”) and P2617 (“US/B”, now BoB Flt), and one Hurricane Mk.IIc LF363 (BoB Flt-burnt out) 5 flyable Portugese AF Mk.II Hurricanes . Avro Anson as camera plane. Actual Bf 110 hulk from a dump. Models. “

Questions: What became of the five flyable Hurricanes from Portugal? And how many had Portugal operated and when did they finish using them? Have they still got any in that country?

Aren’t both BBMF Hurris Mk II models, not one of each as listed above?

What became of the Bf110 too? And what sort of state was it in?

Finally, what is the film like? Any good?

Ahh, now that I don’t know!

Here’s the three flyers.

Both images from Battle of Britain – The Movie

Thanks Daz, great picture.

Question is, where are the six replicas now (well, we’ve established one is in Omaka, NZ).

Hurricane replica line-up – I hope!

Well, I’ll give it a shot anyways…

Hurricane replicas – BoB Film

The trouble with the Hurricane replicas was that they were so damn good that you could not tell they were fake until you got right up close and touched them. Period ‘ on set’ photographs therfore can be very misleading.

Unlike the Spitfires, where an ‘average eye’ from 300 yards could see the Vampire main wheels, the saggy fuselage, the spindly tail strut, the wing wash out, the droopy cant of the main undercarriage and even the two dimensional props on some. :rolleyes:

Mark

Aha! Then he pulls one up of the six Hurricane replicas from the “Battle of France” sequence at the start of the movie! 😀

And then the three flyers!

I’ll attempt to scan them.

There are certainly one or two of a couple of the aircraft, and even one of two of the replicas, but that’s as far as I know.

Your real man for this is probably Septic or Mark12 – I’m sure their knowledge of the movie is far greater.

Cheers Daz.

I guess if there are no group Hurri photos in the Rudhall books, there are no group photos. Am I right?

Hurricanes:

Mark & ID/Pre-film location and status/Film status/Present location & Status

I P2617/RAF Bicester, Exhibition Flight/Taxiing/RAF Museum, static

Sea Ib Z7015/Shuttleworth Collection, Static/Taxiing/Shuttleworth Collection, airworthy

IIc LF571/RAF Bentley Priory, Gate Guard/Mould for film replicas/RAF Manston History Museum, static

All from the usual source – Robert Rudhall’s book Battle of Britain – The Movie

I assume so. I just read that they built a full scale replica. I wonder if that was the same crashed Heinkel replica used in Adolf Hitler – My Part In His Downfall. Or did they blow up a real airframe in that.

Back to the Hurricanes, which were the three non-flying ones? Were they all from museums like Hendon?

I take it that would be the one that is seen a bit banged up after you see it coming back over the Channel with two smoking engines, right?