The Gatwick airframe was the fuselage of Hermes G-ALDG which is now at Duxford.

So what happened to the Hermes fuselage that was down at the Colnbrook end of Heathrow in the 70s?

Letters in Flight 18 Sept 1976:

I always thought that it belonged to the RAF Museum and was just on long term loan.

The East Fortune Beaufighter was bought with funds raised in a public appeal, which makes its present state a bit unfortunate.

lost in English translation old boy!! Someone said that they ‘copied anything’….i.e. in terms of anything and everything….implied everything! A bit like ‘he shot anything that moved’! I am fully aware that they copied somethings!

If you say so.

After reading this thread it would also be good question to ask, what if the RR
Merlin hadn’t been available in WW2.:D

Given the reliance placed on it in 1940 and the lack of viable alternatives, (or the time to develop them) that one does not bear too much thinking about.

Beaufort.

Or maybe a Lincoln!

Anyone care to guess how land-based Hellcats and Corsairs would have done against the Luftwaffe?

Might make an interesting basis for “fantasy” models…in 8th AF FC markings.

8th May 1944 the Hellcats of 800 Squadron (HMS Emperor) claimed 2 Bf109s and 1 Fw190 near Gossen Island, Norway (acc. Osprey AOA 75) – so possibly quite well, though maybe less so at altitude?

Paul, thanks for sharing this, it was great to read. I was aware that SM had been used in some way for the making of the film but didn’t know exactly what and how. I must watch it again now. The only bit I ever recognised was at the end of the film where the camera is looking along the Camel Estuary….. E Boat beached??…as the titles role.

With the roof of the public toilets at Rock being clearly visible!! (that got a good laugh when the film was screened in Wadebridge!) Charlestown harbour was also used proporting to be somewhere in the Channel Islands.

Did they change the direction of the whole engine or just the output shaft?