View Full Version : The RAF - A Model Air Force
The Times: Spitfires and Messerschmitts will battle over southern England again this summer (writes Matthew Moore).
Teams of young German and British model enthusiasts will recreate the dogfights and dive-bombing raids of the Battle of Britain with remote-controlled aircraft, in an attempt to bring the heroic achievements of The Few to a new generation.
The re-enactment is being filmed from the perspective of the pilots in the three-part Channel 4 series Battle of Britain: Model Squadron and is part of the RAF centenary celebrations.
MPN11
26th May 2018, 08:46
Will it also feature a miniature Generalfeldmarschall Model?
Nige321
26th May 2018, 10:06
C4 and Love Productions recreate Battle of Britain like never before21 May 2018Churchill called it ‘Our Finest Hour’. Now as part of the RAF’s centenary, the Battle of Britain is going to be brought to life as the nation’s top model airplane pilots gather together to recreate the days that changed history, in a new three=part series Battle of Britain: Model Squadron (w/t).
This summer the skies will be filled with the buzz of model Spitfires and Hurricanes as Britain’s elite modellers recreate dive bombing, aerial encounters and dog fights above the south coast. They will uncover the strategy, tactics and history of those key moments of the summer of 1940 when the future of the country hung in the balance.
They will be joined in this epic endeavour by pilots from Germany - which has one of the biggest model aircraft communities in the world – who are bringing Messerschmitts: Bf 109 and 110, Heinkel 111 and Stuka dive bombers to Britain. The skills of British and German model flyers will be pitted against each other. By unpicking the complexities of the greatest aerial engagements in military history they will shed fresh understanding on the skills of the pilots of 1940.
Taking three iconic days from the Summer of 1940 as inspiration, the model aircraft enthusiasts will push themselves and their miniature flying machines to the limit to commemorate the sacrifices of the past and celebrate the bravery of the ‘few’.
Sara Ramsden, Executive Producer at Love Productions said: ‘The average age of a Battle of Britain pilot in 1940 was 20 years old. I hope we can bring the story of their achievement to a whole new generation of younger TV viewers. Their stories will be illustrated by the many young modellers of the same age that are coming to take part in this audacious TV experiment.’Rob Coldstream, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 said: ‘It’s thrilling to be bringing this iconic and important story back to life for a new generation. These aircraft are truly spectacular and thanks to innovative camera technology viewers will be able to experience the battle for themselves in a way that’s entirely new.’
The average age of a Battle of Britain pilot in 1940 was 20 years old
The average age of a member of a UK model flying club is about 80...
charliegolf
26th May 2018, 12:16
Do they mean our air force can now fit in Legoland?
CG
MPN11
26th May 2018, 13:24
Bags I build the Lego Control Tower ;)
With tables with golf umbrellas on the roof?
MPN11
26th May 2018, 14:07
With tables with golf umbrellas on the roof?
Comfy chairs and a couple of parasols on firm stands would suffice for those rare sunny days ... along with long extension leads (does Lego do those?) for the comms bits.
reds & greens
26th May 2018, 14:53
Looking forward to seeing the netball court for the fire section...
MPN11
26th May 2018, 16:44
Looking forward to seeing the netball court for the fire section...I defer to others for that. I know my place ;)
Pontius Navigator
26th May 2018, 17:00
Narrated by Dan Snow?
Not a patch on Raymond Baxter.
Onceapilot
26th May 2018, 18:47
Narrated by Dan Snow?
Not a patch on Raymond Baxter.
Quite. Raymond Baxter was a decorated WW2 Spitfire pilot, twice mentioned in despatches.:D I doubt he would have narrated an aero-model re-enactment of the BoB.
OAP
CAEBr
26th May 2018, 21:11
Narrated by Dan Snow?
Dan Snow will only do it if there are female modellers involved, so as not to upset his daughter's sensitivities
Pontius Navigator
27th May 2018, 06:11
Dan Snow will only do it if there are female modellers involved, so as not to upset his daughter's sensitivities
Or bob around on his boat in the Channel pretending to be an Air Sea Rescuer (arse).
Pontius Navigator
27th May 2018, 06:14
For true realism will they shoot a number of pilots each day?