The brand new Spitfire is actually taken to the newest COGEA legs during the Middlekerke, Ostend, where it absolutely was joined OO-ARD, and soon inserted solution

Toward reason for the movie a giant Mix regarding Lorraine emblem was applied towards flights so you’re able to portray the newest Totally free French squadron

In the Summer 1956 MH415 try offered so you can a Belgian providers, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which had a target-pulling offer into the Belgian and you will NATO forces. COGEA got in earlier times operated various white flights towing banners and you will comparable, however when new military target towing bargain came up, the newest Percival Proctors these people were having fun with didn’t have the fresh new abilities needed. The fresh Belgian Heavens Forces last few Spitfires considering just the right options, and you will COGEA purchased half a dozen of them to perform because of their armed forces price. Months images show new flights within the a blank aluminium livery which have green nosecone and end. Inside the 1961 it absolutely was hired getting film include in New Longest Date, that has been recorded on site during the France.

To your 14th Can get MH415 arrived on the movie tool from the RAF North Weald in Essex, and you will are later created within Debden, Duxford and you will Hawkinge

The new aircraft is actually painted into the a good camouflage strategy and you may flown with 340 (Ile-de-france) Squadron codes GW-Roentgen. For the Sep 1961 the fresh new flights triggered a stir from the searching in the the newest RAF Race away from Britain air monitor at the Biggin Mountain in the the livery on the Longest Time, flown by Pierre Laureys, good French World war ii Spitfire pilot. It’s realized you to definitely MH415 is the past airworthy Spitfire so you can become ended up selling by COGEA escort Vienna, and is also thought that it was from the Ostend since the later since December 1964. MH415 is actually ordered regarding COGEA of the Rousseau Aviation out-of Dinhard during the France, for the sum of 8, 000 francs on the ish Mahaddie is get together with her aircraft to the forthcoming flick The fight off Great britain, and you can after a survey by John Simpson, MH415 is purchased to possess a keen undisclosed share.

The fresh new aircraft is actually dismantled and you may mailed from the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd in the Elstree to possess a change, entered Grams-AVDJ, so you’re able to Mahaddie on the 29th December 1966. It was take to flown and you will delivered to the film product at RAF Henlow at the beginning of 1967 from the T An effective Davies. The flights try stored, its Merlin 66 motor restricted, through the a lot of 1967, plus it wasn’t flown once more up to November, whether or not it was given an alternate Certificate regarding Airworthiness, becoming try flown on the 29th of these week of the T An effective Davies from the Henlow. In early 1968 shooting had started in Spain, and also as a beneficial Spitfire is required for place performs, MH415 is picked and prepared within Henlow and you can Luton. A 90-gallon shed-container are fitted and different sample aircraft carried out through the February within Henlow, Luton and you can Farnborough by Lt Cdr M T Hynett.

From inside the late February MH415 leftover the uk, traveling through France so you’re able to Tablada Sky Ft during the Spain. For it long trip it was flown from the V H Bellamy. Flick area work as N3312/ AI-C implemented into the The country of spain, flown however because of the Lt Cdr Hynett. The Spitfire the latest showed up back to The united kingdomt at Manston to your 11th May 1968, for the business with a bunch of Messerschmitts, a couple Heinkels and you may Jeff Hawke in a b-twenty five digital camera-boat. The sun and rain inside 1968 is usually United kingdom, and the flick organization was indeed running out of date. Money was also ultimately causing issues, it is chose to disperse this new aerial device to your good environment of your own Southern out-of France.

MH415 and a number of other Spitfires and several Messerschmitts was indeed flown over to Montpelier within the August for a few days, while the expected video footage was acquired under the sun. MH415 dressed in of many scars throughout the filming, in addition to N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-M, N2210/ CD-A beneficial, N3310/ A greatI-A, Letter3322/ AI/ Letter, N3319/ DO-K and N3314/ AI-E. That it Spitfire are suitable with strobe lights in the machine gun slots and you may is actually flown to own a maximum of 125 circumstances during shooting. When you look at the October 1968 it absolutely was founded on Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and later you to definitely few days was used during the shooting bail-away images within Netheravon Wiltshire. One of many movie product pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, gotten MH415 into end of the motion picture obligations therefore is actually dismantled during the Bovingdon because of the Simpson’s Aeroservices to possess delivery in order to Houston, Colorado, in which they arrived in January 1969.