The newest Spitfire was delivered to brand new COGEA ft from the Middlekerke, Ostend, in which it was joined OO-ARD, and very quickly joined services

Toward reason for the movie a large Get across out-of Lorraine emblem was utilized on the flights to help you show this new 100 % free French squadron

During the Summer 1956 MH415 was offered so you can an excellent Belgian providers, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which had an objective-towing deal towards Belgian and you may NATO pushes. COGEA had in past times work certain white flights pulling ads and you will comparable, but once new army address towing deal emerged, the new Percival Proctors they certainly were using didn’t have the fresh new show called for. The fresh Belgian Heavens Pushes last couple of Spitfires provided the best chance, and you may COGEA bought six of them to perform due to their army package. Several months photo inform you the fresh new aircraft from inside the a bare aluminum livery with eco-friendly nosecone and you will end. In the 1961 it absolutely was hired to own flick use in New Longest Day, which had been shot on location for the France.

Toward 14th Get MH415 arrived towards the film device at RAF Northern Weald in the Essex, and you will is actually after established on Debden, Duxford and Hawkinge

Brand new flights are coated during the a beneficial camouflage scheme and you can flown that have 340 (Ile de france) Squadron requirements GW-R. When you look at the Sep 1961 the fresh aircraft brought about a stir by the appearing at the brand new RAF Race away from The uk sky screen during the Biggin Slope inside the livery in the Longest Big date, flown by Pierre Laureys, an effective French World war ii Spitfire pilot. It is realized one MH415 are the final airworthy Spitfire in order to feel marketed by COGEA, and is also thought that it absolutely was within Ostend due to the fact later since the December 1964. MH415 is bought out-of COGEA of the Rousseau Aviation away from Dinhard during the France, to your amount of 8, 000 francs into ish Mahaddie try get together with her routes into imminent movie The fight off Britain, and just after a survey from the John Simpson, MH415 is purchased having an undisclosed sum.

New aircraft was dismantled and mailed of the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd at Elstree getting a change, joined Grams-AVDJ, to help you Mahaddie to the 29th December 1966. It absolutely was take to flown and you can brought to the film product at the RAF Henlow during the early 1967 by the T Good Davies. The brand new aircraft was held, its Merlin 66 engine restricted, through the most of 1967, and it also was not flown again until November, whether or not it was given another Certification out of Airworthiness, being test flown toward 29th of these month by T Good Davies in the Henlow. During the early 1968 filming got were only available in The country of spain, and also as a Spitfire is you’ll need for location works, MH415 was chosen and you may waiting at the Henlow and you can Luton. Good 90-gallon shed-container is actually fitting and other try flights achieved throughout March in the Henlow, Luton and you will Farnborough by the Lt Cdr Meters T Hynett.

When you look at the later March MH415 remaining the united kingdom, flying thru France in order to Tablada Air Legs from inside the The country of spain. Because of it enough time trip it had been flown by V H Bellamy. Flick area behave as N3312/ AI-C followed inside the Spain, flown however because of the Lt Cdr Hynett. The Spitfire this new turned up back in England at Manston toward 11th Can get 1968, in team having a gaggle of Messerschmitts, a few Heinkels and you may Jeff Hawke inside the a-b-twenty five digital camera-vessel. Sun and rain inside the 1968 try generally speaking United kingdom, and the film organization have been running out of time. Money has also been leading to trouble, it try made a decision to disperse the newest aerial device on a great weather of the Southern area from France.

MH415 and you will a number of other Spitfires and many Messerschmitts were flown out to Montpelier in August for a few days, therefore the required video footage is actually gotten under the sun. MH415 wore of several scars during filming, plus N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-Meters, N2210/ CD-Good, N3310/ An excellentI-An effective, N3322/ AI/ Letter, N3319/ DO-K and you can N3314/ AI-E. Which Spitfire was fitted with strobe bulbs throughout the machine-gun slots and you will is flown to own all in all, 125 occasions through the filming. Inside the Oct 1968 it absolutely was centered on Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and soon after you to definitely times was applied in the filming bail-aside images within Netheravon Wiltshire. One of https://escortlook.de/en/switzerland/uri many movie tool pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, gotten MH415 on the end of the film obligations and it also try dismantled during the Bovingdon by Simpson’s Aeroservices for shipping to help you Houston, Tx, where they arrived in January 1969.