Brand new Spitfire was delivered to the fresh COGEA legs at Middlekerke, Ostend, where it actually was registered OO-ARD, and very quickly registered solution

With the reason for the film a huge Mix of Lorraine emblem was applied with the routes so you’re able to show this new 100 % free French squadron

For the Summer 1956 MH415 are marketed to help you good Belgian business, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which had a goal-towing deal to your Belgian and you may NATO pushes. COGEA got previously work some light routes towing ads and you may similar, however when brand new army address pulling contract came up, brand new Percival Proctors they certainly were having fun with did not have brand new overall performance required. The brand new Belgian Sky Forces last few Spitfires provided the perfect chance, and you may COGEA ordered half a dozen of them to run because of their armed forces offer. Several months images show the new routes within the a blank aluminum livery having environmentally friendly nosecone and you will tail. Within the 1961 it absolutely was rented getting flick use in The newest Longest Big date, that was shot on location inside France.

On the 14th Can get MH415 arrived toward motion picture device at RAF North Weald during the Essex, and you may try after depending within Debden, Duxford and Hawkinge

Brand new routes try decorated inside the a beneficial camouflage scheme and you can flown that have 340 (Ile de france) Squadron rules GW-R. Inside the Sep 1961 this new flights triggered a stir from the lookin from the the fresh new RAF Battle from Britain air display within Biggin Slope within the its livery regarding the Longest Big date, flown by the Pierre Laureys, an excellent French World war ii Spitfire airplane pilot. It’s realized one to MH415 is the very last airworthy Spitfire to help you getting sold by COGEA, and it is believed that it actually was from the Ostend just like the later once the December 1964. MH415 was purchased of COGEA by Rousseau Aviation from Dinhard into the France, into the sum of 8, 000 francs to your ish Mahaddie try gathering together aircraft into the imminent film The fight from The uk, and after a study from the John Simpson, MH415 was ordered getting a keen undisclosed sum.

The latest aircraft is actually dismantled and you will mailed because of the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd at the Elstree to possess a change, registered Grams-AVDJ, to Mahaddie on 29th December 1966. It was decide to try flown and you will delivered to the film equipment from the RAF Henlow in early 1967 by T Good Davies. The brand new flights is held, its Merlin 66 engine restricted, through the a lot of 1967, and it also was not flown once more up to November, when it obtained a unique Certification away from Airworthiness, are shot flown to your 29th of the few days of the T A beneficial Davies on Henlow. In early 1968 filming got were only available in The country of spain, so that as a beneficial Spitfire is actually needed for location work, MH415 try chose and you can waiting during the Henlow and you will Luton. A ninety-gallon miss-tank was fitted and various shot flights achieved during February during the Henlow, Luton and you can Farnborough by the Lt Cdr Meters T Hynett.

Inside later February MH415 kept the united kingdom, flying thru France in order to Tablada Sky Ft into the Spain. For it long airline it absolutely was flown of the V H Bellamy. Film area act as N3312/ AI-C used for the Spain, flown however from the Lt Cdr Hynett. The new Spitfire this new arrived back into The united kingdomt during the Manston towards the 11th Can get 1968, inside organization which have a bunch off Messerschmitts, one or two Heinkels and you may Jeff Hawke within the a-b-twenty five cam-watercraft. The weather https://escortlook.de/en/switzerland/canton-of-bern/steffisburg during the 1968 is actually generally speaking United kingdom, plus the movie business had been not having enough time. Funds has also been causing difficulties, so it was made a decision to circulate new aerial unit on the an effective climate of one’s Southern area away from France.

MH415 and you may a number of other Spitfires and some Messerschmitts was indeed flown over to Montpelier for the August for a few days, therefore the needed footage are acquired under the sun. MH415 used of many markings throughout filming, along with N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-Meters, N2210/ CD-An excellent, N3310/ A goodI-An excellent, Letter3322/ AI/ Letter, N3319/ DO-K and N3314/ AI-E. So it Spitfire are fitting with strobe bulbs on the machine-gun ports and you can are flown for a total of 125 era while in the shooting. Within the Oct 1968 it was built from the Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and later you to week was utilized from inside the filming bail-away shots at the Netheravon Wiltshire. One of many flick tool pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, acquired MH415 into conclusion of the movie requirements and it try dismantled within Bovingdon from the Simpson’s Aeroservices to have delivery to Houston, Texas, in which they arrived in January 1969.