Thunderball(2001 Zombie)

I recently watched the documentaries on a DVD of Thunderball, and they definitely did have a full size mock-up, but only of the forward fuselage. It was shown on location rather than in a studio tank, but I can’t remember exactly where.

Various books on the “Bond” movies have published photos of the fibreglass Vulcan mock up. When complete it comprised a whole fuselage but did not have full wings. It incorporated a real Vulcan cockpit taken from a scrapped example.

The mock up was lowered into the sea off Nassau. After filming was completed it was left in situ but partially demolished for some reason.

By the way the aviation advisor on all these early Bond movies was Hamish Mahaddie.

Colin

Know a guy who was on the station at which the footage of the Vulcans on the ground was taken. He told me that the Film producers asked the RAF if was possiable to use a Valiant and actually stage a real ditching of it. No guess required on what the MoD’s reply was.

They submerged a real Vulcan? I’ve always read they build a full scale model on the ocean floor in the Bahama’s. The corroded remains can still be seen.

I recently watched the documentaries on a DVD of Thunderball, and they definitely did have a full size mock-up, but only of the forward fuselage. It was shown on location rather than in a studio tank, but I can’t remember exactly where.

IIRC the Vulcan was “borrowed” from Halton and immersed in a tank on the James Bond set at Pinewood. If you look closely you will see that the vertical tail is missing. I’m sure somebody knows the serial.

They submerged a real Vulcan? I’ve always read they build a full scale model on the ocean floor in the Bahama’s. The corroded remains can still be seen.

Don’t know if it was true or just instructor b*llsh*t but we were told on our mechanics course at RAF Halton in 1973 that the white Vulcan that we were being shown around had been used in Thunderball.

IIRC the Vulcan was “borrowed” from Halton and immersed in a tank on the James Bond set at Pinewood. If you look closely you will see that the vertical tail is missing. I’m sure somebody knows the serial.

love the idea of borrowing one

“…john im just popping down to the local RAF store to borrow a vulcan for the afternoon…”

“wot the bl00dy ell for?!”

“i need it for the groceries, you know what its like carrying the pork back from the butchers”

😀

IIRC the Vulcan was “borrowed” from Halton and immersed in a tank on the James Bond set at Pinewood. If you look closely you will see that the vertical tail is missing. I’m sure somebody knows the serial.

Why was water filling up the cockpit when is is pressurised and watertight??

I can’t speak for the Vulcan, but it wouldn’t have cabin pressurisation selected at low level and certainly on a Jag the canopy (and door seals for the Vulcan) would no longer be pressurised with the engines shut down so therefore doors etc would no longer be watertight.

Was wathcing the Bond movie ‘Thunderball’ on telly last night,and it prompted a few queeries.
Firstly,does anyone know anything about the Flying Fortress which appears in the final scene of the film?It appeared to have some sort of strange contraption on the nose,was this added for the movie or is there a more practical reason?Where is this Fort now?
Secondly,I was noticing that the underwater close-ups of the Vulcon nose looked very realistic.Presumably this was a real Vulcan nose submerged for the film.Anyone know how and where this was done?

there is an article in a recent flypast about the fulton skyhook, and to do with two rather “shady” CIA B17’s, makes for a cracking read

Ben

The model used is at Bruntingthorpe. My brother – in-law’s father was a sqn ldr at RAF Waddington and actually flew the one in the film. He always used to laugh at the way they walked into the cockpit.