Battle of Britain Film Buchons in dual side to side British/German livery.
Steve,
I do not know if Earl Reinert was on the sets of the BoB film in 1968 or just relating hearsay about dual marked Buchons.
I spent a good deal of time that and the previous year monitoring and recording events, but focusing on the Spitfires.
The fully marked RAF Buchons, appeared 'on the scene' at the latter end of filming and made a public appearance at a static public show at RAF Bovingdon at the end of filming.
All aircraft during the filming were subject to livery changes, sometimes on a daily basis. Code letters on the Spitfires for instance were decal appliques and I have shots of one particular Mk IX flying Spitfire with no less than nineteen different variations.
The full size replica aircraft varied in quality. The Spitfires were so-so but the Hurricanes defied recognition until right up and touching them, they were so good.
With the detail accuracy sought by the directors there is no way that a Hurricane could be used as back drop in the ground Hurricane scenes in France and these shots were more than catered for using the three flying Hurricanes, one static and a number of the quality replicas.
It has always been the considered opinion of the UK BoB film 'buffs', including the late Robert Rudhall author of two books on the film, that the Buchons in RAF markings were used purely to be at the rear of the airborne Hurricane formation head on shots to make up the Hurricane numbers...and an eagle eye can just spot this at high resolution.
The risks of just painting half a Buchon for an air to air sequence do not seem credible to me.
I happily stand to be corrected.
PeterA
Replica Hurricanes at the 'Battle of France' Duxford set: Image Ray Wood.
