“Thunderball” movie questions on that Vulcan…

p51 · **Posted:** Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:40 pm

I watched this classic James Bond movie the other day, for the first time in a few years. I’d always focused on the B-17 at the end (and the C-97 doing the airborne drop) and never thought about the earlier aircraft scenes. I wondered how the RAF allowed them to use Vulcan bombers for a plot that shows the bad guys stealing a nuke from them. Was the fact that the SPECTRE agent representing a NATO crewman and not a RAF one the reason that the RAF agreed to taking part? Also, the Vulcan underwater scenes were pretty impressive. I know little about that kind of aircraft but the one in the underwater scenes (the full sized one, NOT the model) looked like a real one to me. Was it a full sized mockup or was it something the RAF loaned the use of, like maybe a ditching simulator?

JBoyle · **Posted:** Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:53 pm

I've read the underwater Vulcan was a purpose built mock up...and it remains at the filming location where sport divers still dive on what's left of it.

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 12:10 am

My favourite film quote:
"Switch on the underwater landing lights..."

I mean, how cool is that?

In the novel, it's a fictitious type; the landing and the 'sinking' are models - I've seen the model for the landing at an auction. The full size under water stuff was a real nose only, IIRC, with a metal frame rest of the aircraft. The framework's still 'there' where the filming was done.

There's a bit on the web about it, IIRC. And here: http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1508

HTH

James D · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 3:53 am

It´s a "Villiers Vindicator" in the book.

JDK · **Posted:** Sat Oct 10, 2009 4:16 am

James D wrote:

It´s a "Villiers Vindicator" in the book.

Thanks for saving me the walk to the next room where my copy is!

Warbird Information Exchange

“Thunderball” movie questions on that Vulcan…

Who is online