Brand new Spitfire is taken to the latest COGEA feet at the Middlekerke, Ostend, where it actually was registered OO-ARD, and very quickly joined provider
On purposes of the film a large Cross off Lorraine emblem was applied towards aircraft so you can represent the brand new Totally free French squadron
During the Summer 1956 MH415 is marketed so you can an excellent Belgian organization, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which in fact had an objective-towing contract on the Belgian and you will NATO forces. COGEA had previously work certain white flights pulling ads and you will similar, nevertheless when the army address towing contract emerged, this new Percival Proctors these people were playing with didn’t have the fresh new efficiency expected. New Belgian Sky Forces last few Spitfires offered the ideal options, and you can COGEA bought half dozen of those to run because of their armed forces contract. Period images inform you the newest routes in a bare aluminium livery that have environmentally friendly nosecone and you will tail. Inside the 1961 it absolutely was rented to have motion picture include in The new Longest Big date, which was filmed on location during the France.
On the 14th Get MH415 arrived towards the movie unit in the RAF North Weald during the Essex, and you may are later on founded in the Debden, Duxford and you may Hawkinge
New routes was coated within the a good camouflage design and you may flown which have 340 (Ile-de-france) Squadron requirements GW-R. In the September 1961 the latest aircraft triggered a blend by the looking at new RAF Race from The uk heavens monitor at Biggin Slope from inside the the livery about Longest Go out, flown because of the Pierre Laureys, an excellent French World war ii Spitfire pilot. It’s understood you to definitely MH415 is actually the last airworthy Spitfire to help you become sold by COGEA, and is thought that it actually was within Ostend because the late as the December 1964. MH415 is ordered out-of COGEA by the Rousseau Aviation regarding Dinhard for the France, toward sum of 8, 000 francs on the ish Mahaddie was collecting along with her flights towards certain flick The fight off Great britain, and you will once a study from the John Simpson, MH415 is actually bought for an undisclosed sum.
The latest aircraft are dismantled and shipped of the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd during the Elstree to possess an overhaul, entered G-AVDJ, so you’re able to Mahaddie on 29th December 1966. It was try flown and you will taken to the film device at the RAF Henlow during the early 1967 from the T Good Davies. The brand new aircraft is stored, their Merlin 66 motor restricted, throughout the most of 1967, and it also wasn’t flown once again up to November, whether it obtained a different Certificate out-of Airworthiness, becoming sample flown to the 29th of this few days from the T A Davies at Henlow. In early 1968 filming had started in The country of spain, and as a good Spitfire is necessary for venue functions, MH415 is actually picked and prepared within Henlow and Luton. A good ninety-gallon shed-container is fitting and different decide to try flights carried out during the March on Henlow, Luton and you may Farnborough from the Lt Cdr Yards T Hynett.
In late February MH415 left the united kingdom, flying via France in order to Tablada Heavens Foot when you look at the The country of spain. Because of it a lot of time airline it absolutely was flown because of the V H Bellamy. Film place work as N3312/ AI-C accompanied within the Spain, flown in the main because of the Lt Cdr Hynett. The newest Spitfire the fresh new showed up back in The united kingdomt within Manston to your 11th May 1968, inside organization which have a gaggle off Messerschmitts, a few Heinkels and Jeff Hawke inside the a-b-twenty five digital camera-vessel. The elements in the 1968 is actually usually Uk, plus the film business was basically running out of go out. Finance was also ultimately causing problems, which is actually chose to disperse brand new aerial best Canton of Bern escorts tool with the an excellent environment of your Southern off France.
MH415 and many other Spitfires and lots of Messerschmitts was indeed flown off to Montpelier from inside the August for a few weeks, as well as the needed video footage are gotten in the sun. MH415 wore of numerous marks during filming, and N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-Yards, N2210/ CD-An excellent, N3310/ A greatI-A beneficial, N3322/ AI/ N, N3319/ DO-K and you will N3314/ AI-Age. So it Spitfire are suitable which have strobe lighting on machine-gun harbors and you can is actually flown to own a total of 125 occasions throughout shooting. During the Oct 1968 it was established at Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and later you to definitely week was utilized into the filming bail-aside photos at the Netheravon Wiltshire. Among the many motion picture tool pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, gotten MH415 on the achievement of their film requirements and it also are dismantled within Bovingdon by the Simpson’s Aeroservices for shipments to Houston, Texas, in which they found its way to January 1969.