Dave HomewoodOriginally posted by DazDaMan
Let’s not forget Spitfire TE384 tipping up on her nose at North Weald during the filming of Battle after the application of a bit to much brake…
Did they get that one on film? Would have been great to use in the movie.
Dave HomewoodCheers Mark, excellent story. It is also thanks to you for following up the leads in the first place. Well done to all three of you for rescuing them.
I vaguely recall an article in Flypast years ago (early 1990’s?) about a guy who was rstoring a Tempest Mk II to get it airborne, and he also restored cars (Jaguar I think). This isn’t Ted is it? Can’t recall more details sorry. I’m sure there are very few Tempests left, and less Typhoons for that matter.
Dave HomewoodAgreed Chris.
Not only faster than a regular Halibag, but with only two engines. Is this a possibility? Any steam engineers out there who know about the power of steam?
It would have been great at an airshow though, blowing the old steam whistle as flew went past and pooring on the white smoke for the photographers like the train drivers do. 🙂
The thing that surprises me is the home page of the website is a very serious and plausible one.
Dave HomewoodThis seems a little fishy, if they were so effective and could outfly the Luftwaffe, why were more squadrons not converted to save the crews who were being slaughtered?
A few things don’t add up – if so secret why would the hand out unique brevets such as FES for Flight Engineer Stoker – surely that would attract attention in the pub.
Why on earth would a bomber persue a fighter in a 600mph dive? And is the author intimating that the Hlifax broke the sound barrier?
If so little is know, how has he idscovered what the USAAF crews thought? Is he assuming they assumeed the Halifaxes to be P38s? Same goes for the Observer Corps, if its in the recrds that they observed high altitude B17 formations, why should we now assune they were seeing Halifax Mk IV’s.
Can you possibly extract water from clouds in flight?
Wouldn’t the steam engines produce smoke – not seen in the photo.
If this is indeed true, it is a great untold story. But I wonder if it’s purely a work of fiction.
Dave HomewoodRe: NZ Hurricane Replica
Originally posted by Mark12
Ted Sinclair in the UK, he of two Tempests and two Typhoons, built/acquired/orchestrated a full size Hurricane replica, non BoB film, and shipped it, from distant memory, about twenty five years plus ago.Mark
Mark, I was meaning to ask, can you tell me anything about the Tempests and Typhoons please? Are they real and still extant?
Dave
Dave HomewoodChris,
I wasn’t dismissing anything a s a hoax, just as a myth. There is big difference. As I said, for the size of the area and its known weather conditions, it’s nothing special compared with any other track of ocean as far as accidents.
Crazy, it was made by the BBC with the Discovery Channel so no doubt will air/has aired in the USA. Maybe someone local to you has recorded it. I didn’t unfortunately.
Dave HomewoodIndeed Duxfordhawk, but I meant that there were no ‘unnatural causes’ behind the area, as Hollywood would have you believe.
Those exact same conditions that lead to spacial disorientation happen over the Pacific or any ocean. Read “Too Young To Die” by Bryan Cox and you’ll see it happened near Green Island in the Pacific to a flight of 11 Corsairs, and 8 were lost, a worse tragedy than the BT one. But explained, simply because three made it home and told the story (including Bryan).
They talked about the gas pockets in the doco and even scientifically re-enacted it for the first time proving the theory. The first time they filmed and realised the phenominon was not in the BT but in the North Sea. It’s totally a natural thing, and not exclusive. It happens on every coastline.
As for the Mariner, this was not unexplained. It was seen by a ship’s crew to explode, which was a common occurrence in Mariners – hence their nickname of the flying gas-tank.
Dave HomewoodGreat stuff. So at least five of the six Hurricane replicas are still around. One in NZ, one at Gloucester Airport and three at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum. I guess the sixth one is the one they burnt and blew up?
Septic, that article on Angels One Five will be one to look forward to. Where is it being published?
And that photo of the six looks fantastic. Imagine, this ‘could’ have been a scene from Piece of Cake if it were made today.
Wouldn’t it be nice to see that many real Hurricanes together. What is the highest number that have gotten together for an airshow in the modern era? Has it exceeded three?
I remember the days when there were just three flying Hurris, and just 20 flying Spits. Modern technology is brilliant, and it makes me sick that so many airframes were thrown away because they assumed nothing could be done with them – like that Bf110 and the Portugese Hurricanes. I still wonder if Portugal kept any in a museum.
Snapper, I assume Humphrey Gilbert would have been forced to use his middle name as a stage name by Equity. Often actors had to do that if another was already listed with that name. You probably now this already though I guess.
Dave HomewoodThe BBC documentary I watched last night showed brand new crystal clear film of the planes, as they went back in a submarine. Previously they’d never been down and had only used a remote camera. They managed to identify at least two of the planes and whom their crew had been, etc. One had gone missing in 1943, so predated the ‘five’ by two years. Another was in the records as crashing after a collision and losing its tail – and yes, it has no tail. This is real I belive, not a hoax.
Also, a British researcher decided to look into the records and determine what had happened to the real flight of five Avengers. His calculations seemed to be very logical and he pinpointed that they were on the opposite side of the Florida Key from what they thought, and were heading out to sea. He marked a spot where they would have crashed and it was at least 100 miles off shore, nowhere near where the other five were found.
The Bermuda Trinangle as a whole is just a huge myth. There are no special forces swallowing planes and ships. Apparently for the size of the area, it has lost no more ships or planes than any other aarea of cean on the planet. It is a place of bad weather, so often the remains are not found. That’s why the myth evolved. There is a logical explanation for everything. The BT is just something Hollywood has enjoyed scaring kids with.
Dave HomewoodCheers Eddie, I didn’t think that serial had sounded right for the BBMF.
Here’s an interesting-sounding film, and an interesting replica. Perhaps this is the daddy of Dark Blue World. Anyone seen it?
“The Sky Raiders”
1969
RAF- Czech-made movie about the Czech pilots that flew with RAF Bomber Command during WWII. A Czech Air Force Lisunov Li-2 (C-47) was converted to a remarkable taxing Wellington replica. It had ex-Luftwaffe MG 17 machine guns, found in a Czech AF store! Also the usual stock footage of 149 Squad. Wellingtons.”
I have a curious feeling I’ve seen something else with a C47 mocked up as a Wellington, maybe the same plane? It wasn’t this Czech film. Unless I read about it in one of Dad’s really old Aeroplane Monthly mags.
:confused:
Dave HomewoodOn the subject of film Hurricanes, that film list site I linked to lists the following Hurris used in Angels One Five:
“2 RAF Hurricanes Mk.I L1592 (Now Science Mus. “U S/N”) and P2617 (“US/B”, now BoB Flt), and one Hurricane Mk.IIc LF363 (BoB Flt-burnt out) 5 flyable Portugese AF Mk.II Hurricanes . Avro Anson as camera plane. Actual Bf 110 hulk from a dump. Models. “
Questions: What became of the five flyable Hurricanes from Portugal? And how many had Portugal operated and when did they finish using them? Have they still got any in that country?
Aren’t both BBMF Hurris Mk II models, not one of each as listed above?
What became of the Bf110 too? And what sort of state was it in?
Finally, what is the film like? Any good?
Dave HomewoodThanks Daz, great picture.
Question is, where are the six replicas now (well, we’ve established one is in Omaka, NZ).
Dave HomewoodHas anyone else noticed that there seems to have been more films made about Americans in the RAF than there were Americans in the RAF?
I’m pleased to see one or two RCAF films have been made, Their contribution to World War Two was huge, but is often understated, like so many of the Empire countries who fought alongside Britain from the first day of the wat till the last.
Only one RAAF film mentioned on the list. I know of another one.
Still no RNZAF films made yet. I’ll have to make one and corner the market. 🙂
Dave HomewoodDo you feel history is going to repeat itself there Snapper? 😉
Now here’s one that sounds great – not quite Air Bud, but this dog flies in combat! Cool…
Son of Lassie
1945 *v
RAF- Peter Lawford; actually the RCAF. Dog owner flies WWII Bristol Blenhiem strikes against Norway along with his collie.
Filmed in *colour* in Canada, during Aug.-Sept. 1944 at RCAF Stn. Patrica Bay in British Columbia, probably with 8 (BR) Squad RCAF.
Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk.Ia’s, Fairchild Bolingbroke Mk.IV (Canadian built Blenheims) Lockheed Ventura V. The Venturas are still in their USN Navy scheme with the USN markings painted out with darker paint. Also used a Bolingbroke cockpit section (which was still on the MGM backlot in 1969).
Dave HomewoodCheers Daz.
I guess if there are no group Hurri photos in the Rudhall books, there are no group photos. Am I right?
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