What disappoints me is that in the past, movie makers were happy to make a film set in wartime without the need to introduce too many “love story” compromises. What has obviously happened is that the perceived target audience has changed. In other words, current audiences are not expected to be able to cope with a realistic story line and must have a fake, over melodramatic shedload of tosh inserted to maintain their interest.

That is the worrying aspect of modern film making to me.

One became a temporary resident at Dublin in 1974 doing some geophysical survey work for the Irish Government. I also saw one at the 1985 IAT.

Are there any still flying?

That’s the documentary I mentiioned earlier. It was made by BBC North in 1983. I still have my VHS recording of it (not the best quality).

Greenham Common 1976 – 25th Anniversary Hunter line up, ANG KC-97, F-14 from the USS America in the flying display and much more.

Thanks for clarifying the replica/reproduction points on “The Blue Max” and “Darling Lily”. DL was also shot in Ireland as was another WW! flying film, “The Red Baron”. At that time, the Irish government gave very good tax breaks to film companies so, for about ten years, there was a thriving film industry in the country. It petered out in the 70s as the tax rules changed.

The bulk of the film was shot in the Irish Republic (as it says in the end credits). Weston Aerodrome and Baldonnel were the two airfields used.

I didn’t watch much of it today but did see the bit where Bruno is summoned back to Berlin after being Court Martialled. Some of the famous “Berlin” sights spotted were Christchurch and St Patricks Cathedral, the Four Courts and Trinity College. In fact, the car in which George Peppard was being carried performed a neat trick by driving through the gates of the Four Courts and appearing instantly in the Quadrangle of Trinity College. Given that they are over one mile apart, that was some pretty fast driving.

These are, of course, famous Dublin landmarks.

There is no Hart in this film. The replicas used were based on Stampe SV4s, Tiger Moths and Currie Wots. I think that a Caudron was used and that may be what was mistaken for a Hart.The plane in which Bruno meets his end is a 1930s Morane MS230.

By coincidence I am making the Airfix kit right now. It was re-issued a month or so ago (it originally dates from 1973).

I saw the CAF aircraft in semi-rebuilt coindition at Aiorshow ’81 and even bought a baseball cap from the team who were doing the rebuilding. They werre selling regalia to raise funds. I still have the cap.