Battle of Britain Film
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It's my birthday tomorrow 
...and, as a special treat, I'm going to watch the video! 
The family are even pretending they want to watch it too!!! My daughter speaks fluent German so she'll be able to verify the subtitles. I like the German interludes - the atmosphere is convincingly different from the RAF side.
Great film. It deserves a long, vibrant thread like this; even after 38 years!
Kev
...and, as a special treat, I'm going to watch the video! The family are even pretending they want to watch it too!!! My daughter speaks fluent German so she'll be able to verify the subtitles. I like the German interludes - the atmosphere is convincingly different from the RAF side.Great film. It deserves a long, vibrant thread like this; even after 38 years!
Kev
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Originally Posted by kevmusic
My daughter speaks fluent German so she'll be able to verify the subtitles.
Great DVD, particularly with the additional material.
"For the benefit of the uneducated I shall translate..."
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Originally Posted by chiglet
Aviate1138
Late reply [sorry] Surely the Mk5 Spit had 3 exhaust ports, not 6?
watp,iktch
Late reply [sorry] Surely the Mk5 Spit had 3 exhaust ports, not 6?
watp,iktch
One underwing radiator on MK V's but 2 on MK IX's and 4 blades - and I am confused now because I can see pics of MK V with one Rad and Four bladed 6 port exhausts. Knit one Perl one.
Sleep - perchance to dream!
Aviate1138
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Hate to get all serious but I would urge every one to get the "Special Edition" Double DVD. One of the sound options is to have the original William Walton score. This looses the familiar theme so beloved by Royal Marine Bands(Honest!). Changes the atmosphere of the film completely. Don't worry the rest of the sound track is still the same and none of your favorite quotes are lost.
Also a little bit suprised that no one has mentioned the tv series "Piece Of Cake". Filmed in the early 80s. Had the Spitfire under the bridge sceen. I know a lot of vets did not like it but some how the characters seemed a little bit more real. Can't remember who the totty were in that though, so they obviously were nothing on Ms York!
Also a little bit suprised that no one has mentioned the tv series "Piece Of Cake". Filmed in the early 80s. Had the Spitfire under the bridge sceen. I know a lot of vets did not like it but some how the characters seemed a little bit more real. Can't remember who the totty were in that though, so they obviously were nothing on Ms York!
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Glad Piece of Cake was filmed, but in the original book they are a Hurri sqn known ony as 'Hornet sqn'. Every time I see the stock footage of the pilots sitting around in dispersal deck chairs, or even the appropriate bits in BoB, I still can't help remembering the description of one of the pilots vomiting quietly when the phone in the dispersal hut clicked before ringing. I couldn't help thinking how more likely that was... 
Oh come on, how could I not use it?!
Oh come on, how could I not use it?!
Well, according to the papers today the Battle of Britain was won by the Navy anyway!
Read on . . .
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../nbattle24.xml
Tin hats on Ladies and Gentlemen please!
Read on . . .
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../nbattle24.xml
Tin hats on Ladies and Gentlemen please!
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Aviate 1138
The BBMF MkV has a later Merlin fitted along with a four bladed Rotol propellor. No original production MkV aircraft had four bladers but some later aircraft did have the twelve ejector exhaust stubs. These angled stubs contributed an extra 7 mph at full power due to jet propulsion effect on the Mk9!
The early fish tailed exhaust system was nothing to do with flame damping for night flying. No damping of any kind was ever fitted to the spit. Night fighter Hurricanes with the same exhaust system were fitted with two glare shields on either side of the cowling.
The BBMF MkV has a later Merlin fitted along with a four bladed Rotol propellor. No original production MkV aircraft had four bladers but some later aircraft did have the twelve ejector exhaust stubs. These angled stubs contributed an extra 7 mph at full power due to jet propulsion effect on the Mk9!
The early fish tailed exhaust system was nothing to do with flame damping for night flying. No damping of any kind was ever fitted to the spit. Night fighter Hurricanes with the same exhaust system were fitted with two glare shields on either side of the cowling.
Reg Hallam - Black 6.
Reg was one of the best COEF's we had at Farnborough. He also flew in 'A Piece of Cake'. During his tenure, he officiated at one Farnborough Airshow; commuted in to work some days using Charles Churches Mustang!
Reg was one of the best COEF's we had at Farnborough. He also flew in 'A Piece of Cake'. During his tenure, he officiated at one Farnborough Airshow; commuted in to work some days using Charles Churches Mustang!
Just remebered, I joined 223 Sqd ATC 1975 (Halesowen, West Midlands) and we had one of the Heinkel 111 models used in the film. I believe it was a flying model that was towed behind a full size aircraft for some of the formation scenes. It was imaculately detailed and I guess would have been about 1/4 or 1/5th scale as it was around 15 ft long (?).
My dad was a journo and he had quite a lot of the PR stuff for the film including many black and white stills from the film and from the IWM of actual shots.
The double DVD version mentioned by a number of posters is well worth buying. As for Ms York and her webbing, she caused an awakening in this 11 year old (at the time) that I shall forever be thankful for!!!
My dad was a journo and he had quite a lot of the PR stuff for the film including many black and white stills from the film and from the IWM of actual shots.
The double DVD version mentioned by a number of posters is well worth buying. As for Ms York and her webbing, she caused an awakening in this 11 year old (at the time) that I shall forever be thankful for!!!
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Originally Posted by SASless
Now don't leave out Lefty Gardner and his bunch.....loved watching him fly his P-38!
http://warbird.com/lefty.html
http://warbird.com/lefty.html
What blew me away on his resume (CV to you Europeans) was his flight time and types of aircraft. Just about every WW2 airplane there was and finally on the list was the P-38.
Turns out that he was Lefty Gardners step-son. Very nice guy and he could pretty much fly the box that the plane was shipped in. He grew up flying on Dads lap in just about every type WW2 airplane around. Course being a young kid and your Father being one of the co-founders of the Confederate Air Force, he was taken under everyone's wing and did things that we can only dream of.
Fast forward and Lefty's P-38 is not in very good shape now. Darren's brother Ladd, was flying the aircraft back from an airshow 4-5 years ago and the right engine turbo-supercharger let go in flight, and then caught fire. He landed the bird in a field and saved the plane but its in bad shape. Was trucked back to Texas and is currently undergoing restoration but its going to take a long time and lot of money.
More on his P-38 here: http://p38whitelightnin.com/story/Ladd_Interview/
All this talk about Americans going undercover to the UK before WW2 brings back some very good memories. My instructor in the 70's and early 80's for my commercial pilots license was done by one of these gents who went to Canada, then onto England and was one of those pilots. I saw his logbook and some photos of the period. Very nice guy and sorry to say that he headed "West" a few years ago.
Oncemore....
Looking at them....or wearing them?
Looking at them....or wearing them?
Originally Posted by chandlers dad
Fast forward and Lefty's P-38 is not in very good shape now. Darren's brother Ladd, was flying the aircraft back from an airshow 4-5 years ago and the right engine turbo-supercharger let go in flight, and then caught fire. He landed the bird in a field and saved the plane but its in bad shape. Was trucked back to Texas and is currently undergoing restoration but its going to take a long time and lot of money.
And err, money is not something Dietrich Mateschitz is really that short of.....
See here for updates....http://ezellaviation.com/p38.htm
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Originally Posted by GeeRam
The ex-Lefty Gardner P-38 is begining to look pretty good now in the hands of Nelson Ezell's restoration shop, and it won't be that long before it takes to the air again, there was a projection of it returning to the air before the end of this year, but whether they will make that who knows.
And err, money is not something Dietrich Mateschitz is really that short of.....
See here for updates....http://ezellaviation.com/p38.htm
And err, money is not something Dietrich Mateschitz is really that short of.....
See here for updates....http://ezellaviation.com/p38.htm
http://ezellaviation.com/Photos/P38/...C_0322_jpg.jpg
Daron is the one in the leather flight jacket, second from the left.
