Towards purposes of the movie an enormous Mix out-of Lorraine emblem was utilized on the flights so you can portray the new 100 % free French squadron
Inside Summer 1956 MH415 is actually ended up selling to an effective Belgian team, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which had an objective-towing offer on the Belgian and NATO pushes. COGEA got prior to now run some white flights pulling banners and you may comparable, but once the new military address pulling package came up, the new Percival Proctors they certainly were playing with did not have brand new performance required. The new Belgian Heavens Forces last few Spitfires considering the ideal possibility, and you will COGEA ordered half dozen of them to operate due to their army contract. Period photo tell you the newest flights inside a bare aluminum livery with environmentally friendly nosecone and you can tail. During the 1961 it was leased to have motion picture use in The new Longest Date, which whores in Grisons had been shot on location inside the France.
Into the 14th Could possibly get MH415 showed up on film device from the RAF North Weald within the Essex, and you can is actually later on mainly based within Debden, Duxford and you can Hawkinge
New aircraft was coated inside a beneficial camouflage scheme and you will flown that have 340 (Ile-de-france) Squadron requirements GW-Roentgen. Into the Sep 1961 the flights brought about a blend of the lookin at the new RAF Competition of Britain sky display screen on Biggin Hill when you look at the its livery in the Longest Big date, flown by Pierre Laureys, an excellent French World war ii Spitfire airplane pilot. It is understood you to definitely MH415 is actually the past airworthy Spitfire so you can end up being marketed from the COGEA, and it is considered that it had been on Ostend since the late once the December 1964. MH415 was purchased off COGEA from the Rousseau Aviation away from Dinhard within the France, to the sum of 8, 000 francs on the ish Mahaddie was gathering together with her routes into imminent film The battle from Britain, and you will once a study because of the John Simpson, MH415 was ordered getting a keen undisclosed share.
The latest routes try dismantled and you may sent because of the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd on Elstree for a change, registered Grams-AVDJ, so you’re able to Mahaddie with the 29th December 1966. It actually was try flown and you will taken to the film product within RAF Henlow during the early 1967 from the T Good Davies. This new flights is stored, their Merlin 66 engine restricted, throughout the a lot of 1967, therefore wasn’t flown once more up to November, if this got a special Certificate regarding Airworthiness, are shot flown toward 29th of the week by T Good Davies during the Henlow. In early 1968 shooting had were only available in Spain, so that as a good Spitfire was you’ll need for place performs, MH415 was chosen and you can prepared during the Henlow and you can Luton. A beneficial 90-gallon get rid of-tank are fitted and various shot flights achieved throughout March on Henlow, Luton and you can Farnborough because of the Lt Cdr Yards T Hynett.
From inside the late March MH415 left the united kingdom, traveling thru France so you’re able to Tablada Air Foot in the The country of spain. For this much time airline it absolutely was flown because of the V H Bellamy. Film place become N3312/ AI-C observed when you look at the Spain, flown in the primary by the Lt Cdr Hynett. The fresh Spitfire the fresh arrived back to England within Manston on the 11th Could possibly get 1968, in the team that have a gaggle away from Messerschmitts, one or two Heinkels and you will Jeff Hawke during the a b-twenty-five camera-motorboat. The sun and rain in the 1968 was generally speaking Uk, therefore the motion picture providers was in fact running out of big date. Funds was also leading to problems, it is chose to disperse brand new aerial product towards a environment of the Southern out-of France.
MH415 and you may a number of other Spitfires and several Messerschmitts have been flown out to Montpelier within the August for a few days, plus the expected video footage is actually gotten in the sun. MH415 wore of a lot marks during filming, and additionally N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-M, N2210/ CD-Good, N3310/ A beneficialI-A great, Letter3322/ AI/ N, N3319/ DO-K and you can N3314/ AI-Elizabeth. Which Spitfire are installing which have strobe bulbs throughout the machine-gun harbors and try flown having a maximum of 125 circumstances throughout the shooting. Into the October 1968 it was dependent at Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and soon after one few days was utilized inside the shooting bail-out shots at the Netheravon Wiltshire. Among the many flick device pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, obtained MH415 to your completion of the movie requirements and it also are dismantled during the Bovingdon because of the Simpson’s Aeroservices getting shipment so you can Houston, Colorado, where it found its way to January 1969.