Err, contrary to somewhat popular belief Bomber Command of the RAF did fly daylight raids throughout the war, and they did do them in formation. Particularly near the beginning of the war and near the end.

But also in the middle. Venturas, Mitchells, Bostons, etc at very low level in formation making raids. Welingtons too at a higher level usually. Lancasters too from about 1944 when the Luftwaffe was a little lessened.

Look at the raids on the Philips factory in Holland (487 Sqn’s first, done in daylight and below 50 feet all the way – full of huge tension an well documented). Also 487 Squadron’s more disastrous raid where Trent won the VC, and the squadron was decimated. Daylight, low level, low hard and fast, and due to a fowl up by the RAF figther boys the Germans knew they were on their way, and happened to scramble all their best aces who happened to be having an aces conference in the region! Trent pressed on when every other aircraft was shot down (except one that had turned back over the Channel with faulty engine). He hit the target and then was shot down (after he shot down a fighter himself with the Ventura’s nose guns) and parachuted to captivity, to go on to be involved in The Great Escape. Despite what the film shows, he was the man who was caught by the guard popping up out of the hole. Does this not sound like a great plot for an RAF based daylight raid story? There are no doubt thousands of others that would make great films, from the raid where the Fairey Battles were lost in the Battle of France, to Blenheims and Baufighters and Stirlings and Halifaxes. It does not have to be limited to Lancasters at night alone in a stream. There was much more to it.

“It was the first four engined jet to fly in the world”
“WHAT?!!!!!”
I think there were at least half a dozen before then so presume that is not what you meant.
(Now there will probably be a rustle of anoraks pulling out a sheaf of earlier machines from the USA, Germany , Russia etc.) 🙂

Sorry, it was very late at night after a long da’s work, and I left out the crucial word airliner. The world’s first four engined jet airliner – or according to the adverts. It first flew as early as 1948 I believe. I had previously thought the DH Comet was the first but this beats it. Maybe the latter was first into regular airline service (with four jets)?

As I suspected on reading this, sadly this rumour is more nonsense rubbish made up by the bloody British tabloid press it seems. Here’s an official word from Jackson’s assistant, from
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3661599a1870,00.html

No Dam Busters remake for Jackson
08 May 2006

New Zealand film director Peter Jackson will not be directing any remake of the World War 2 film The Dam Busters, says a spokesman.

Jackson was working on the screenplay of his next movie The Lovely Bones, said Matt Dravitzki.

He rejected any suggestion Jackson would be directing a $NZ293 million re-make of The Dam Busters, as reported by Britain’s The Mail on Sunday newspaper yesterday.

The only other film work Jackson had scheduled was as executive producer of a $100 million movie version of the video game Halo.

Filming of The Lovely Bones, based on the book by Alice Sebold, will start early next year.

The Mail on Sunday said Jackson had already done test shots in New Zealand of a Lancaster bomber, one of only two of the 617 Squadron planes still airborne, and had met RAF veterans in New Zealand to discuss the project.

But Mr Dravitzki said Jackson’s interest in planes from World Wars 1 and 2 was well known, and whenever an aviation movie from those eras came around, journalists assumed it would attract his attention.

AdvertisementAdvertisementIn fact, Jackson was working on replicas for the Aviation Heritage Centre at Omaka, near Blenheim.

Jackson and Weta workshop are undertaking the bulk of some of the exhibits.

Jackson recently cut a special deal with Te Papa to obtain a vintage Sopwith Camel airplane engine for the display at Omaka Aerodrome.

The 1954 Dam Busters film which featured Richard Todd as Wing Commander Guy Gibson and Michael Redgrave as scientist Barnes Wallis told the story of a “bouncing bomb” that skipped across the surface of lakes to destroy two hydro-electric dams.

The movie about the 1943 Operation Chastise, in which 19 Lancasters destroyed the Mohne and Eder dams in Germany’s industrial Ruhr Valley, was based on Paul Brickhill’s 1951 book about the 617 Squadron’s low-level bombing mission.

Its film rights are now owned by former TV entertainer Sir David Frost, and his company, Paradine Productions, said it had not heard of any involvement by Jackson.

Great photo Daz. There is some film with awesome sound of another on one of the US owner’s websites, not sure where now. Turbo linked it from the NZ forum. Have a search, it was a real early post before Simon joined us.

Zackerty, please do put them up. We’ll enjoy them anyway. Mine are crap photos which won’t win, but the more the merrier. Got to make the winner, whoever it is, look real good.

It’s not exactly a homebuilt as such. It is a kitset plane on the Experimental register, but was professionally assembled. The Ryan Falconer engine was built by a chap who specialises in high performance boat and car engines for the racing circuit. The build is the highest order of high tech modern materials. So not exactly a ‘made in the shed’ job. But I see what you mean.

There are only ten of these amazing aircraft in the world, and I believe the other nine are all in the USA. The fuselage is 3/4 scale while the wings are 5/8th scale, which makes it look a little more racy. In the air it’s smaller size is unnoticable, unlike most replica fighters this plane looks right. And the sound from that V-12 is simply incredible.

The display pilot is Brian Gault, Simon’s Dad. He flew real Mustangs in the RNZAF and he told me that the Thunder Mustang is actually much better than the original. Understandable as it outperforms the real thing in every way under 10,000 feet.

http://www.raf.mod.uk/news/archive/2000/tvshow.html

The above lists RAF details in the fourth series of The Air Show