What was the result of the aircraft in the hangar that was blown up for Tora, Tora, Tora? They ‘flew’ a Zero replica into the genuine hangar and blew the lot up. Wasn’t there a Privateer or something similar inside?

Other movie abuses – former RNZAF WWII veteran C47 Dakota NZ3518 being sunk into a lake for the film “Race For The Yankee Zephyr”. Once the film was complete they then beached it and broke up the airframe. What a waste!

I recall an ex-RNZAF Hudson had a similar role in a 1970’s NZ television series (I think it was called The Sea Urchins and was Kiwi actress Rebecca Gibney’s first role). The hulk of the Hudson was submerged in the sea. I think that this was the one that later went to the RNZAF Museum for a second airframe to help restore NZ2013. So it had a happier ending.

I guess referring to footage often repeated, it all comes down to costs. Some archives housing rarer film stock will charge an arm and a leg for their stock footage. A lot of doco makers will go for the cheapest option I’m afraid, which is usually the piece of stock footage seen over and over.

An example of ridiculous costs, I read that for any news maker or documentary maker wishing to use the footage that TVNZ took of the Americas Cup races within NZ a few years back it will cost $200 per second. If an archive thinks they have something rare and usable, they sometimes feel they can charge like a raging bull for the privilege of using it.

Well one you mention, Hellzapoppin, seems to have been used on many aircraft. I don’t know if the name comes directly from the film of that title
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033704/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHx0dD1vbnxwbj0wfHE9SGVsemFwb3BwaW58aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=1;ft=2;fm=1

Here in New Zealand there were a few double ups on names. The RNZAF’s first Dakota (NZ3501) was dubbed ‘Popeye’ with noseart of the character after the No. 40 Sqn commander Fred “Popeye” Lucas. Lucas got the nickname because he looked just like Popeye. Funnily enough he’d previously flown ‘Wimpys’ in No. 75 (NZ) Sqn. Anyway, I have a photo of another C47 in the same squadron called “Popeye III” with similar noseart, so I assume there was probably also a “Popeye II” and maybe others.

Also, a series of RNZAF P40’s were named ‘Gloria Lyons’. The first one was dubbed this because two members of No. 4 Servicing Unit, RNZAF, based at Ondonga, struck up a penpal called Gloria Lyons from Christchurch. She was a TB patient. 4SU adopted her as their mascot and P40 NZ3148 ‘G’ was soon emblazened with her name. The aircraft was lost so the name was then painted onto P40 NZ3188. Two weeks later the second one was lost, so NZ3220 became the third “Gloria Lyons”. This aircraft still exists in the John Smith collection at Mapua. After it returned to NZ a Corsair, NZ5233, got the name, but it too was lost. Each in turn did not receive a number, like the Popeyes did, they were simply known as “Gloria Lyons.”

I’m sure there are loads of examples of doubled up names, especially after cartoons and films, etc.