Worst movie for aircraft accuracy?

[turbo_NZ]

Hi all--



One of the weirdest "stand-ins" for filming that I've heard about involved a Lisunov Li2 (Soviet C-47) converted for a Czech TV-movie back in the 80s...into a replica Vickers Wellington! Needless to say the resulting beast was not required to fly...


S.

This was actually discussed in the Flypast forum. The fuselage was built up thicker to the point where the props needed grooves in the fuselage for clearance !!!

Actually looks very convincing and they did a great job.
Pity the wings are in the wrong position....



TNZ

[Dave Homewood]

I love that Wellington replica. I'd like to see the TV drama it was used it. It was about a Czech crew member (gunner) on Wellingtons and Liberators.

As for accuracy, I think they have got the Wellington looking pretty good. Along with this, and the Zeroes, Vals and Kates made for Tora Tora Tora, what other movie planes have been 'recronstructed' to represent another type? I don't just mean Harvards and Buchons painted with different colour schemes, but actual re-engineering of the plane to look like something else? Has it been done outside of Tora and this Czech programme?

[JBoyle]

First...unlike most people, I liked the film "Fate is the Hunter" even though it has nothing to do wiuth Ernie Gann's great book.

But it's neat fun to see a DC-6 turned into a DC-9 -type twin jet....you have to see it to believe it. I'm a bit surprised they could find a junked 6 in 1964.

[Chris Brame]

I liked this movie too, especially the airfield scenes shot at Whiteman Airpark in Pacoima, which included a B-25, an A-26, a T-6, and the slowly crumbling Mosquito PZ474 N9909F. I read somewhere long ago that the C-54 freighter they used had been the personal mount of Gen. Douglas MacArthur - any confirmation? Its nose gear door had 25V on it - last three of the N number?

[JBoyle]

How about "PT-109" based on JFK's wartime exploits....?
Yellow Cessna T-50s (UC-78/At-17) "Bamboo Bombers" as Japanese warplanes.

BTW:
Reminded me of the old 1950s Aurora kits...
Yellow=Zero
Black="ME-109"
Metallic blue= Spitfire
something else was a metallic red..
USN stuff were dark blue
USAAF planes (P-51H, P-40) were OD or silver.

[planecrazy]

anyone remember the TV show "Airwolf" . Heres an armor plated helicopter with supersonic capablities, an unlimited supply of 20mm ammo for its chain gun , more rockets than a flight of Apaches carry and enough electronics for an AWACS . All in a Bell 222 (if I remember right)

[JBoyle]

anyone remember the TV show "Airwolf" . Heres an armor plated helicopter with supersonic capablities, an unlimited supply of 20mm ammo for its chain gun , more rockets than a flight of Apaches carry and enough electronics for an AWACS . All in a Bell 222 (if I remember right)

You mean it wasn't real?
What part about a stealth, supersonic helicopter don't you believe?

BTW: In the pilot film they made it clear that as a helicopter it wasn't supersonic...something aboyt the rotor freewheeling when the jets were used, the fuselage acted like a lifting body to provide lift.
So it shows they knew they were sort of out there technically....anyway they tried.

BTWII: The show's creator was invoved in "Black Sheep Squadron", and later did "Magnum PI", "Quantam leap" and "JAG"...all have something to do with planes/helicopters...remember the X-2 episode in "Quantum leap"?

[JDK]

Hi BDK,

Ektually, the Hispano Buchon has been just about everything. In acting terms it's been the no.1 W.W.II fighter Stand in, including:
109 B/C - Hindenberg
109 E, F, G & K - You name it, including Battle of Britain
Hawker Hurricane - Battle of Britain
Supermarine Spitfire - From Hell to Victory
P-51D - Patton - did not feature, though flew.
but never itself!
Cheers!

[tom d. friedman]

i've got 1 that nobody has thought of!!!! & it has been used repeatedly since ww 2!! am i provoking anybody's curiosity yet?? watch just about any original ww 2 pacific theater related propaganda or training film, even some wartime hollywood movies, or the old 1950's victory at sea tv documentary series, or the wings documentary series from the 50's & again remember it has to pertain to the south pacific or japan. i am describing the real aerial film shot in black & white of a gaggle of dauntless dive bombers in japanese meatball markings, & they are just starting a dive from high altitude. these dauntlesses have usually been portayed as japanese zeros countless times in many documentaries for decades, & it still is used in newer documentaries. i laugh every time i see it. look for it, your bound to see the film clip at any given time of day on the boob tube. you'd think that clip was a worn out piece of celluloid by now!! regards, tom

[JBoyle]

i am describing the real aerial film shot in black & white of a gaggle of dauntless dive bombers in japanese meatball markings, & they are just starting a dive from high altitude. these dauntlesses have usually been portayed as japanese zeros countless times in many documentaries for decades, & it still is used in newer documentaries.

I belive that was shot for the Frank Capra U.S. government sponsored 7-part documentary series "Why we fight" a series of propaganda/information (you choose your own word!) designed to explain to the GI's exactly what they were doing far from home.
One of the segments was a recreation of the attack on Pearl Harbor...and was shot not long after the real attack by the orignal cast. The attack sequences were done with first rate special effects and military cooperation. As you note, parts of them have been used for years by film makers and news people to illustrate the December 7, attack. A few years ago i did a TV news story on a Pearl harbor survivor,and when I asked ABC for film footage, that shot was included.
For years the series was not availabe , now it's on DVD.
PS...These SBDs are real Navy planes, as few were available for rent by studios later on...

[tom d. friedman]

wow, thanks for the enlightenment & fyi's!!

[Chris Brame]

The documentary was "December 7th", which airs once in awhile on TCM. Also oft-repeated are the shots of strafing Zeros played by P-36s, a burned-out O-47 on its nose, and a shot that pans from a burning biplane (not sure what it is but not an SOC or Stearman), across to a B-18 missing its stabilizer and nose turret - boneyard stuff they torched for the film?

[agent86]

*Quote-ive got 1 that nobody has thought of!!!! & it has been used repeatedly since ww 2!! am i provoking anybody's curiosity yet?? watch just about any original ww 2 pacific theater related propaganda or training film, even some wartime hollywood movies, or the old 1950's victory at sea tv documentary series, or the wings documentary series from the 50's & again remember it has to pertain to the south pacific or japan. i am describing the real aerial film shot in black & white of a gaggle of dauntless dive bombers in japanese meatball markings, & they are just starting a di______________
tom d. friedman - if we all had as much foresight as we do hindsight we'd all be alot better off

I was gonna mention this one but I got beaten to it.another shot that you see again and again in numerous documentaries and movies .its a shot of a perfect spread of bombs taking out some kind of Orchard.you see a perfect,tight string of bombs just obliterating a bunch of enemy trees.I'm sure Curtis Lemay was proud of this bit of film. Tim

[Mudge]

I was stationed in ABQ with the 34th AD(D) in the late 50's when they were filming "The Hunters" (Korean War flick with Robert Wagner and Robert Mitchum). They did the filming down in Arizona and had F-84's painted up as MiG's. Every day they were filming air "combat" we'd get NOTAMS that said: Movie filming in area "whatever". Do not fire upon. We had to keep track of all the "action" on the big board.
The radar sites down there, obviously, got to watch it. They said it was really cool.

Mudge the geezer

[Paddy]

American Naval A4 Pilot escaping from Burning Aircraft.

He was wearing British Flight Gear and escaping from a British Bristol? Buccaneer