Seriously, if the issue is that C-130 availability is down to priorities…..this job is “unimportant”.

Wholeheartedly agree with you about tasking priorities; my only, semi-serious, suggestion was that it would be possible to use the BBMF Dakota to move the spare engine to Amsterdam…..unless things are that bad that it too is freighting to Iraq! 🙁

Years ago I was told that the Dakota (then serving at Boscombe Down?) was being used to freight Tornado RB199 engines up-and-down the country as it was the most cost-effective way to do it!

Very glad that your son returned safely from Iraq.

Yes, adding insult to injury…..at 13.00 hrs German Luftwaffe Transall C-160 50+42 just delivered a spare Merlin engine at Amsterdam Airport…

Oh dear! It’ll be in all the papers tomorrow…

“Battle of Britain Memorial Flight saved by the Germans!”

A publicity triumph…..for the Luftwaffe. What price that truck now? 😮

And if the Dak did the same thing as the Lanc they would have had to truck an engine over anyway.

What if the truck breaks down! :rolleyes:

Haven’t the BBMF got a Dakota? 😉

Creaking Door, I have had dealings with Chinese sales teams, they are so keen to get business that they will offer discounts galore for bulk purchases. So do not be surprised if the numbers are correct.

Agreed, as the numbers go up the unit price will fall…

…but I’m questioning the need for ten fully-detailed accurate replicas in the first place.

No matter how cheap ten (good) replicas would be they are never going to be cheaper than three (good) replicas…..and I can’t see why you would ever need to see three (good) replicas in a close-up shot during this film. For background shots the replicas can be much more ropey, full-size, same basic moulds even but poor finish and zero detail…..so not something you’d want in a museum.

The big challenge is quality control and this is likely why this first one has been assembled.

According to the article this replica has been set up to try out camera, and presumably, special-effects techniques; notice the green-screen in the background.

However there could be another reason; publicity. Is there any reason that these techniques couldn’t have been tried out using any aircraft of suitable size painted appropriately? After all nothing like a bit of secret filming in a very public private place and a dispute with the locals to get the media interested! 😉

Nothing wrong with that, it doesn’t mean Peter Jackson isn’t a good filmmaker, it just means he’s a good businessman too, and it is a story worth telling (again). I’ll certainly see Dambusters II at the cinema.

…would be nice if one of the ‘lancs’ was donated to RAF Scampton, and set up as a ‘gate guard’.

Unfortunately this Lancaster ‘replica’ will presumably have been designed to look good for a few brief weeks of filming and will probably not fare too well if exposed to the elements for any length of time.

Also eight-to-ten ‘replicas’ have been mentioned but I don’t think it is likely that all will be to this standard. I can’t think of a film sequence that will require (or that it is even possible to get) ten Lancasters in close-up to require ten replicas on this scale. Remember the cardboard cut-out Dakotas from Band of Brothers…..aren’t these sort of replicas more likely for ground shots?

…with all this technology surely they can know how heavy the car is.

To the gram! But then almost all the teams sail pretty close to the wind when it comes to the rules and ‘accidentally’ picking up dirt isn’t against the rules…

…and if you asked any of the teams if they deliberately did this they would lie…..I mean assure the marshals it was ‘accidental’ and that their driver wasn’t following team orders! :rolleyes:

If I remember correctly cars were only originally weighed at the beginning of a race…..but then some cars mysteriously got lighter during the race…..even after fuel use was considered! 😮

Did somebody say badger?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8024136.stm