NASM IMAX Film Corsair crash

[John Dupre]

Does anyone remember the NASM film that featured a Corsair crashing on a flight deck? It was filmed in IMAX and I saw it one of the times I visited. It certainly looked like the really crashed a Corsair on a real flight deck. I know that it wasn't manipulated wartime film since that size film didn't really translate to IMAX format. I suppose it was typical movie trickery but who did it and how?

[Jerry O'Neill]

Does anyone remember the NASM film that featured a Corsair crashing on a flight deck? It was filmed in IMAX and I saw it one of the times I visited. It certainly looked like the really crashed a Corsair on a real flight deck. I know that it wasn't manipulated wartime film since that size film didn't really translate to IMAX format. I suppose it was typical movie trickery but who did it and how?

It is from the movie "Flyers" about a stunt flying family, The Corsair crash was a combination of a full size flying Corsair, and a large scale miniature Corsair. with careful editing, it's a great crash sequence. They even put the full-sized Corsair on little dolly wheels so they could pull it across the deck and make it look as though it was belling in with a collapsed gear.
I'm sure there is someone out there with better info than I have.
Jerry

[P51Mstg]

Not to steal Jerry's Thunder, but there was a post on WIX somewhere, maybe years ago about it. I do rememeber that. I did see the movie somewhere at an IMAX and the shots were really good. For some reason I seem to think that John or Bill Muszala had something to do with it.

Mar H

[Jack Cook]

EVG's FG N67HP

[rwdfresno]

We may be taking about 2 films. One is a Lucky Strike cigarette commercial in which has a scene of a Corsair crashing. It was filmed in the USS Lexington using a real Corsair form Evergreen Aviation flown by Bill Muszula. The crash scene was acheived using a 1:1 scale fiberglass over steel frame corsair mockup bult by a team including myself down in Ontario California, 2 1:6 scale Corsairs we also built along with a full scale corsair cockpit and upper fuselage built for the water scene.

The commercial was actually modeled after the IMAX film for the NASM. The IMAX film crash scene as mentioned was done using a real Corsair fusleage on a dolly system, One of the poeople who worked on this was a very talented man named Tim Cruz. Time also engineered the crash scene for the Lucky Strile Commercial.

Ryan

[DanteC]

Here's the LS/MFT commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCK0VQKSfwc

[P51Mstg]

We are definately talking about 2 films here. The IMAX movie has some father/son thing going on about family flying and fixing planes and restoring the Corsair to do this commerical........

The Cigarette Ad is nice. Of course we all knew it was Bill flying, not carrier qualified and landing from the wrong end, no wonder he over shot it.......... (Sorry Bill, maybe it was the Japanese chasing you)...........

Mark H

[Rob Mears]

The original IMAX film featured F4U-5N BuNo.124447 as the disassembled Corsair on the back of the father's semi-trailer at the first of the film. I believe Angel of Okinawa (F4U-4 BuNo.97286) was the plane used for the approach sequence and the flight deck sequence, although it had been temporarily repainted for the scene if I remember correctly. It's been years an years since I've seen it. Cool show though!

[michaelvoight]

I was on the Lexington during the filming of the IMAX movie
I was assigned to the USS Robert A Owens, a reserve destroyer, and the only other ship assigned to Naval AIR Station Pensacola
The reservists had gone off for a South American exercise for the summer, and I wanted to go to sea, so I volunteered for 2 weeks on Lexington.
I was an OSSN (Operations Specialist Seaman, E3) at the time, having just finished A school at Dam Neck (Virginia Beach)
It was an interesting experience watching the old planes fly around compared to the normal aircraft
s

[zorro9]

Mike:

Hi! Do you have any photos of the event?? Tks in advance.

[JohnB]

I saw Flyers several times in the IMAX format....great film.

The cigarette commercial was filmed for the UK market since American tobacco TV ads were banned in the early-mid 70s.