On the reason for the movie a giant Mix off Lorraine emblem was utilized to your flights to depict the brand new Free French squadron
Inside the Summer 1956 MH415 is marketed so you can a good Belgian business, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which had a goal-towing contract with the Belgian and you can NATO pushes. COGEA had prior to now operate various light flights towing banners and you will comparable, nevertheless when brand new army target pulling price came up, the Percival Proctors these people were playing with did not have brand new abilities expected. The new Belgian Sky Forces last few Spitfires considering the best chance, and you will COGEA bought six of them to operate due to their army price. Period pictures tell you the newest flights from inside the a bare aluminium livery which have environmentally friendly nosecone and you may tail. In the 1961 it actually was hired to have film include in Brand new Longest Go out, which had been recorded on location within the France.
With the 14th Get MH415 turned up for the film product in the RAF North Weald inside the Essex, and you can was later created within Debden, Duxford and you may Hawkinge
This new aircraft was decorated when you look at the an excellent camouflage plan and you will flown which have 340 (Ile-de-france) Squadron rules GW-Roentgen. For the Sep 1961 the fresh aircraft caused a blend by the appearing from the the newest RAF Battle out of The uk heavens display on Biggin Mountain in the the livery on the Longest Time, flown because of the Pierre Laureys, an excellent French The second world war Spitfire airplane pilot. It’s understood one MH415 was the past airworthy Spitfire so you can be ended up selling by the COGEA, and it is believed that it actually was in the Ostend since late once the December 1964. MH415 is purchased away from COGEA of the Rousseau Aviation regarding Dinhard in the France, into the amount of 8, 000 francs into ish Mahaddie is actually meeting with her flights for the imminent film The battle out-of Great britain, and you can just after a study of the John Simpson, MH415 is bought for a keen undisclosed share.
The fresh new flights was dismantled and you may shipped by the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd during the Elstree getting a change, inserted G-AVDJ, so you can Mahaddie for the 29th December 1966. It actually was test flown and you can taken to the movie unit at the RAF Henlow during the early 1967 by T A good Davies. The brand new routes is stored, their Merlin 66 motor inhibited, during the most of 1967, therefore was not flown once again up to November escorts in Ostermundigen, when it was given a special Certificate of Airworthiness, becoming sample flown to the 29th of these week of the T A Davies from the Henlow. At the beginning of 1968 filming got were only available in Spain, so that as an effective Spitfire is necessary for location work, MH415 try picked and you will prepared at Henlow and you may Luton. A great ninety-gallon shed-container are suitable as well as other sample routes accomplished during the March from the Henlow, Luton and you can Farnborough by the Lt Cdr Meters T Hynett.
When you look at the later March MH415 leftover the uk, traveling via France to help you Tablada Heavens Legs in Spain. For this enough time journey it actually was flown from the V H Bellamy. Movie venue become N3312/ AI-C then followed in Spain, flown in the primary from the Lt Cdr Hynett. The new Spitfire the latest turned up into England in the Manston towards the 11th Can get 1968, during the business having a bunch from Messerschmitts, a couple of Heinkels and you may Jeff Hawke for the a-b-twenty five cam-boat. The elements from inside the 1968 is actually usually Uk, and movie business was in fact running out of day. Money was also ultimately causing dilemmas, that it are made a decision to move the latest aerial unit to the a great climate of your Southern area from France.
MH415 and you may many other Spitfires and some Messerschmitts was indeed flown over to Montpelier inside the August for three months, and also the expected footage try acquired in the sun. MH415 dressed in of numerous marks during the filming, including N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-M, N2210/ CD-Good, N3310/ An excellentI-An effective, N3322/ AI/ Letter, N3319/ DO-K and you will N3314/ AI-Elizabeth. This Spitfire are fitting that have strobe bulbs in the machine-gun harbors and is actually flown having a maximum of 125 era while in the shooting. Into the October 1968 it had been mainly based during the Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and soon after one week was applied into the filming bail-aside shots at the Netheravon Wiltshire. One of the flick unit pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, received MH415 towards the conclusion of their movie obligations and it is actually dismantled during the Bovingdon of the Simpson’s Aeroservices to possess shipment to Houston, Colorado, where they found its way to January 1969.
