Great website – I find it very interesting to learn of the post-war service of combat aircraft – and I’d be fascinated to see the Qantas aircraft !!!

I have had a quick glance through ‘War Prizes’ by PHIL BUTLER and have a possibility for you.
191060 ??? – RAF reg VF241:- is mentioned as being flight tested, towed behind a spitfire to altitude and released. Landings were made at RAF Wittering until 15th November 1947 the skid collapsed and the 163 scrapped.

Any chance this is werk no. 191660? That aircraft is not scrapped – now in Paul Allen’s hands if this website accurate
http://www.preservedaxisaircraft.com/

edit … I guess not – have looked at Flying Heritage Collection website and no such aircraft listed in their possession – was this true at some stage but moved on?

There are two sides to every story. The truth is usually somewhere between the two.

Yes, you’d want to be careful with casting … and script (not being too revisionist, I can almost hear some PC-type say…”Lets be sure and show the effects of the floods on a poor German family”) …

I agree 100% with J Boyle, there are two (or more) sides to all stories. It would be good, and not at all revisionist, if the remake provided an objective view of the raid – its preparation, its conduct and its effect.

On the one [English] hand we have an exceptionally daring and bravely delivered strike, and a tremendous public relations success. King George awarded Guy Gibson the Victoria Cross, headlines hailed a “decisive blow.” Britain was justifiably proud of its accomplishment even if 40% (53 of 133) of the aircrew were killed. On the other [German] hand we have a relatively minor source of disruption, soon remedied.

I quote from Wikipedia (IIRC recently said to be a fairly reliable source on things encyclopaedic) …

Effect on the war ~ The tactical view

The Moehne and Eder lakes poured around 330 million tons of water into the western Ruhr region. Mines were flooded and houses, factories, roads, railways and bridges destroyed as the flood waters spread for around 50 miles (80 km) from the source. Estimates show that before 15 May 1943 water production on the Ruhr was 1 million tonnes, which dropped to a quarter of that level after the raid. In terms of deaths: 1,294 people were killed, 749 of them Ukrainian POWs from a camp just below the Eder Dam. After the operation Barnes Wallis wrote, “I feel a blow has been struck at Germany from which she cannot recover for several years”.

However, on closer inspection, Operation Chastise did not have the military effect that was at the time believed. By 27 June, full water output was restored, thanks to an emergency pumping scheme inaugurated only the previous year, and the electricity grid was again producing power at full capacity. The raid proved to be costly in lives (more than half the lives lost belonging to allied POWs), but in fact no more than a minor inconvenience to the Ruhr’s industrial output. However, the pictures of the broken dams proved to be an immense morale boost to the Allies, especially to the British, still suffering under German bombing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dambuster_Raids#After_the_Raid

BLOC PARTY

re. the Dambusters – well said Dave. I’m 100% with you ~ I find the original stilted and boring – rather like 12 o’clock high (egos and drama – oh dear). But remakes are tricky when the reviewer is knowledgeable on the topic – I much prefer the original Memphis Belle (1940’s documentary), and loath Pearl Harbor (vs Tora Tora and standalone). So if this goes ahead it had better be well done or I’ll be up there on my own soap box. As to actors, I’d like to see 20’somethings all through (for realism), don’t care how famous they are provided they’re good actors.

LOL – they’d have been based in the USA.