Most absurd aircraft stand ins

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Wed Aug 23, 2017 8:32 am

In films involving aviation what is the most absurd aircraft used to represent a legit aircraft? (ie. I saw one film using T-28 Trojans as Japanese zeroes)

bdk · **Joined:** Sun May 02, 2004 1:16 am **Posts:** 10720

Besides T-6/Zeroes, there were P-51/Buchons and Hurricane/Buchons.

Scott Rose · **Posted:** Wed Aug 23, 2017 10:32 am

One of my favs is the C-130 in Midway

JohnB · **Posted:** Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:22 pm

Cessna T-50/AT-8/AT-17/UC-78 as a Japanese bomber in PT-109.

The burning Spitfire replica at the end of Dunkirk with a broomstick attached to the prop. Come on guys, you could have put a scrap Jag V-12 in it.

On the Key Forum they often mention a European film that I've never seen with Buchons in RAF colors and (IIRC) Hurricanes as German fighters.

Pet film peaves: Round tail PT-13/17/N2S Stearmans as 20s-30s mail planes. At least get a square tail Stearman...or even a Travel Air or WACO would be more period correct.

However, I'd prefer to see a Bf-108 in a film than a Buchon. It looks better in profile than the Spanish Messerschmitts.

As a kid in the 60s-70s on countless TV series when they wanted to show an airliner, they'd use a cut away shot of landing gear being raised...usually it was B-52 gear.

Also on TV series they show a Lear or some other small bizjet, yet they'd have an interior mockup the size of a 707...or at least a JetStar.

Overall, I'm pretty tolerant of the usual stuff T-6/Zeros or the HU-16 subbing for a PBY in In Harm's Way, F-84Fs subbing for MiG-15s in The Hunters (that film has been used in many other films like Airwolf)...and similar instances where close was really good enough.

Kyleb · **Posted:** Mon Oct 30, 2017 10:43 pm

Skyraiders as P-47's in The Longest Day.

martin_sam_2000 · **Joined:** Sun Jan 08, 2012 10:05 am **Posts:** 320

in the 1969 movie Eagles over London ( Italian production) they used Buchons as Spitfires and a single Spitfire as a Me-109.

Horrible Horrible movie

Oh, and the Hurricane as a 109 in Iron Eagle III

Sean

Ernie_D · **Joined:** Mon Mar 13, 2017 9:24 am **Posts:** 126

F-5's as Migs in Top Gun.

Tom Cruise as someone stable enough to be a pilot (sarcasm).

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 930

How about F-86s as MiGs in Sabre Jet, and then, erm, F-86s as F-86s!

Chris Brame · **Posted:** Thu Jul 18, 2019 3:55 pm

Ryan SCWs as Japanese something-or-others and a P-36/P-40 as a Wildcat in Wake Island.

Martin B-26 forward fuselage used as a B-25 and a B-24 (with two extra throttle levers tacked on) for cockpit shots, and C-47s mixed in with B-24s at Ploesti in Sky Commando.

Consolidated (accent on dated!) PB-2As as Fairey Battles in To Be or Not to Be.

B-47 (I think) contrails as... Rodan. :lol:

JohnB · **Posted:** Wed Aug 05, 2020 4:38 pm

Ernie_D wrote:

F-5's as Migs in Top Gun.

Tom Cruise as someone stable enough to be a pilot (sarcasm).

Well, F-5s were good enough for the Navy and Air Force to use them as Aggressors...not physically correct, but about the same size as MiG -21s I guess.

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Thu Aug 06, 2020 11:18 am

JohnB wrote:

not physically correct, but about the same size as MiG -21s I guess.

More importantly, the F-5 has similar turn performance and energy bleed as the Fishbed.

p51 · **Posted:** Fri Nov 20, 2020 4:11 pm

I saw one with Dirk Benedict a few years ago where he's supposed to be flying a F-16 and instead straps into a MIG-29. Talk about irony, think of all the movies made during the cold war who would have loved to had a Fulcrum to use!

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