On reason for the movie a massive Mix out-of Lorraine emblem was used on the flights to depict the brand new 100 % free French squadron
Within the Summer 1956 MH415 is actually marketed to help you a good Belgian business, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which had a target-pulling offer into the Belgian and you may NATO forces. COGEA got before work various white routes towing ads and you may equivalent, but when the fresh military target pulling bargain emerged, the latest Percival Proctors they certainly were playing with didn’t have new performance required. The brand new Belgian Sky Forces last few Spitfires considering the perfect options, and you will COGEA purchased half a dozen of these to perform for their army offer. Period photographs reveal the newest flights for the a bare aluminum livery with environmentally friendly nosecone and you may end. From inside the 1961 it had been rented to own motion picture include in The newest Longest Day, which had been recorded on site in France.
On the 14th Can get MH415 arrived on flick device at the RAF North Weald from inside the Essex, and you can is afterwards centered during the Debden, Duxford and Hawkinge
The latest aircraft is actually painted during the an excellent camouflage plan and flown having 340 (Ile de france) Squadron rules GW-Roentgen. From inside the September 1961 new routes caused a stir by the lookin in the new RAF Race out-of The uk heavens monitor on Biggin Mountain inside their livery from the Longest Date, flown because of the Pierre Laureys, an effective French World war ii Spitfire airplane pilot. It’s knew you to definitely MH415 are the last airworthy Spitfire so you can getting offered because of the COGEA, and is thought that it was at Ostend just like the later since the December 1964. MH415 try bought regarding COGEA by Rousseau Aviation away from Dinhard for the France, to the sum of 8, 000 francs with the ish Mahaddie is actually collecting along with her routes towards certain motion picture The fight regarding Britain, and you can shortly after a survey by the John Simpson, MH415 are purchased to own a keen undisclosed contribution.
The latest aircraft is dismantled and you will mailed of the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd at Elstree to own a change, inserted G-AVDJ, in order to Mahaddie to the 29th December 1966. It actually was try flown and delivered to the movie product within RAF Henlow during the early 1967 by T Good Davies. New aircraft try stored, its Merlin 66 motor inhibited, during the most of 1967, plus it was not flown once more until November, if it received another type of Certificate out-of Airworthiness, are decide to try flown on 29th of this week by the T A beneficial Davies in the Henlow. In early 1968 filming had were only available in Spain, so when an effective Spitfire is required for place performs, MH415 is actually selected and prepared from the Henlow and you may Luton. A 90-gallon get rid of-tank was installing and differing sample aircraft achieved during March from the Henlow, Luton and Farnborough because of the Lt Cdr M T Hynett.
Within the later March MH415 kept great britain, traveling via France so you can Tablada Heavens Base into the The country of spain. For it long flight it was flown from the V H Bellamy. Motion picture area work as N3312/ AI-C followed when you look at the Spain, flown however from the Lt Cdr Hynett. The brand new Spitfire this new arrived back in England at the Manston with the 11th Will get 1968, into the company which have a bunch of Messerschmitts, one or two Heinkels and you may Jeff Hawke when you look at the a-b-25 digital camera-ship. The elements inside 1968 is actually normally British, as well as the motion picture company have been running out of date. Financing was also causing trouble, that it is actually decided to move the fresh new aerial device to your an excellent environment of your own South out-of France.
MH415 and a great many other Spitfires and some Messerschmitts was flown over to Montpelier from inside the August for three months, additionally the expected footage was obtained under the sun. MH415 used many marks during filming, including N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-Meters, N2210/ CD-A beneficial, N3310/ AI-A, N3322/ AI/ N, N3319/ DO-K and N3314/ AI-Elizabeth. Which Spitfire was suitable having strobe lighting from the machine-gun ports and you may is flown getting a maximum of 125 period during the filming. From inside the October 1968 it had been based at the Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and soon after you to definitely week was utilized in filming bail-aside images during the Netheravon Wiltshire. One of several flick device pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, received MH415 into achievement of the motion escort downtown Canton of Schwyz picture commitments and it was dismantled within Bovingdon because of the Simpson’s Aeroservices to possess delivery so you can Houston, Tx, in which it found its way to January 1969.