I’ve just translated what it says in the document, the official term is RPAS of course…;)

According to an article in last weekend’s newspaper, a (replica) Spitfire might be launched by a catapult to portray a ditching.

Edit: According to the paperwork the movie is called ‘Bodega Bay’. Nothing for us to get excited about then…:highly_amused:

If only…. (runs off to buy a lottery ticket)

The Spit is actually a Mk.IX, MK732. Nice footage indeed!

Great photo Jur! I did hear a rumour at some point that although Fokker used the original drawings, they may have used the wrong ones for some bits. One thing that always struck me was that the undercarriage legs looked somewhat more spindly in period photos. Does anyone know more about this?

There are some photos in this thread as well: http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?65873-Harvard-film-roles but as they are in black & white I cannot tell if the fin flashes are the right way round!

A quick search found this history for BAF SG-25 on a Belgian forum:

Spitfire FR.14e RM927 c/n 6S.381758
Supermarine Aviation (Vickers) Ltd. – Contract B980385/39 (tenth order for 406 Spitfire Mk.VIII dated 231043, but built as Spitfire Mk.XIV in november 44 with a Griffon 65 engine)
211144 RAF N° 30 MU Sealand
021244 RAF N° 39 MU Colerne
060145 RAF N° 83 Group Support Unit of 2nd TAF, Westhampnett, Suxxes
250145 RAF N° 403 (RCAF) Sqn
090345 Cat.B damage during operations
150345 RAF N° 409 R&SU (repairs, but damage was beyond their capabilities)
040545 Air Service Training Ltd, Hamble for repairs
180945 repairs completed
011145 RAF N° 29 MU, High Ercall for storage
141147 selected for BAF and flown to ARS/Wevelgem still wearing RAF c/s OI-C of n° 2 Squadron.
141147 Taken on Charge
1147 Delivered to 161W-351Sqn
010248 To 2W-1Sqn, Florennes (3R-D)
0248 To Ecole de Chasse, Koksijde (IQ-)
280749 Major inspection
210450 To 2W-3Sqn (YL-)
170550 Minor inspection
110550 Cat.1 at Florennes (16h45): Taxi collision with parked SG-60. Sgt. Victor Depauw unhurt.
160650 To 2W-1Sqn (3R-A)
200650 Cat.3 at Koksijde (3R-A) (15h45): Blown tire on landing. Aircraft got off runway. Left wing
and u/c leg to be replaced. Maj. Léon Vandercruyssen (CO 3Sqn/2 Wing) unhurt.
(411:10 hrs)
240851 Cat.2 at …
290851 Transferred from 2 Wing to ARS/Wevelgem. (529:50 hrs)
170652 Transferred from ARS/Wevelgem to Fairey (530:15 hrs)
110554 Transferred from ARS/Wevelgem to JVS/ECh (IQ-W) (532:45 hrs)
210954 Struck of Charge (629:05 hrs.) with engine Griffon 65 n° 4750.
181054 written-off
57 To scrapdealer Dewachter at Oostende, it was placed on the roof of his premises (together
with SG108) with its wings sawn off.
030367 shipped to J.Denis Kay/Manchester Tankers Ltd, Charnock Richard, Lancashire,
England (UK) (transported by road via Zeebrugge-Dover) where it arrived the next day.
(stored)
220369 sold to A.W.Francis, Southend Airport (transported by road and placed in open storage)
9-78 John Lowe&Larry Matt, Riverside, Illinois, USA, stored in Victory Air Museum,
Mundelein, Illinois.
Early80s The museum closed and John Lowe took ownership of another Spitfire and full
ownership of SG25 passed on to Larry Matt.
82-85 Larry Matt, Chicago, Illinois, started with the restauration
(wings of Mk.XVIII HS649 Indian Air Force were used)
87 sold to Don L.Knapp/DK Precision, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA.
91 To Lone Star Museum, Galvestone, Texas
000300 stored High Wycombe (or Walter’s Ash, north-west of Naphill (Buckinghamshire)
000102 noted stored High Wycombe
000304 l/n stored High Wycombe
000405 departed High Wycombe for Airframe Assemblies, Sandown, Isle of Wight, stored pending restoration to flying condition
000306 l/n stored Sandown
300309 registered G-JNMA, Paul Marcus Andrews, 17 Queen Street, Londonw W1J5PH

That suggests that this was a Mk.XIV and as such perhaps not the best candidate for a two-seat conversion. Also the c/n appears to be different from the one you saw. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this of course.

For those of you who don’t read Dutch: The F-5 that landed was missing 70% of its righthand horizontal stabiliser. The other aircraft came down in a small lake while the pilot ended up in a glasshouse, he was transported to the local hospital and is doing well considering the circumstances.