On the purposes of the movie a massive Cross away from Lorraine emblem was utilized on the aircraft to help you represent the newest Totally free French squadron
In Summer 1956 MH415 are marketed to help you a great Belgian business, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which in fact had a target-towing package towards Belgian and you may NATO forces. COGEA had in the past manage various light routes pulling ads and comparable, but once new armed forces target pulling offer emerged, the latest Percival Proctors these were using didn’t have this new abilities called for. The latest Belgian Sky Pushes last few Spitfires provided the ideal options, and you will COGEA purchased six of these to run due to their military price. Period photo show brand new routes when you look at the a clean aluminum livery having green nosecone and you may end. In the 1961 it was hired to have film include in Brand new Longest Big date, that was filmed on site inside France.
Towards the 14th Could possibly get MH415 showed up on the flick device during the RAF Northern Weald during the Essex, and are later oriented within Debden, Duxford and you will Hawkinge
The aircraft try decorated during the an effective camouflage strategy and flown which have 340 (Ile-de-france) Squadron rules GW-Roentgen. In Sep 1961 the newest flights triggered a blend from the lookin on the latest RAF Competition off Britain heavens screen in the Biggin Hill inside the the livery regarding the Longest Time, flown by the Pierre Laureys, a great French World war ii Spitfire airplane pilot. It is understood one MH415 are the final airworthy Spitfire so you can become marketed because of the COGEA, and is also thought that it was during the Ostend because late while the December 1964. MH415 are purchased from COGEA because of the Rousseau Aviation out-of Dinhard in France, on amount of 8, 000 francs to the ish Mahaddie try gathering together flights on the certain flick The fight away from The uk, and you will immediately following a survey because of the John Simpson, MH415 try bought to have an enthusiastic undisclosed share.
New flights are dismantled and sent because of the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd on Elstree to own a change, inserted G-AVDJ, to Mahaddie into 29th December 1966. It was shot flown and you can brought to the film tool at the RAF Henlow in early 1967 by T A beneficial Davies. The newest aircraft are kept, their Merlin 66 engine restricted, through the the majority of 1967, plus it wasn’t flown once more until November, in the event it gotten an alternative Certification away from Airworthiness, being decide to try flown towards 29th of this week by T An effective Davies within Henlow. In early 1968 filming had were only available in Spain, so that as a good Spitfire is required for venue really works, MH415 was chosen and you will waiting from the Henlow and you can Luton. A beneficial 90-gallon miss-container is suitable as well as other shot aircraft accomplished during March on Henlow, Luton and Farnborough by the saucy Appenzell Ausserrhoden escorts Lt Cdr M T Hynett.
For the later February MH415 kept the uk, traveling thru France in order to Tablada Air Ft inside Spain. Because of it a lot of time airline it absolutely was flown by the V H Bellamy. Movie location act as N3312/ AI-C observed within the Spain, flown in the primary by the Lt Cdr Hynett. Brand new Spitfire this new showed up back into The united kingdomt during the Manston towards the 11th May 1968, for the providers with a gaggle of Messerschmitts, a couple Heinkels and you can Jeff Hawke into the a b-twenty-five cam-motorboat. The current weather into the 1968 was normally Uk, and flick team was indeed not having enough go out. Loans has also been resulting in issues, it try chose to circulate the aerial equipment with the an excellent weather of Southern off France.
MH415 and you can a number of other Spitfires and many Messerschmitts had been flown over to Montpelier inside the August for three weeks, and also the called for video footage was obtained in the sunshine. MH415 wore many markings while in the shooting, together with N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-Yards, N2210/ CD-An effective, N3310/ An effectiveI-A great, Letter3322/ AI/ Letter, N3319/ DO-K and N3314/ AI-E. It Spitfire try fitting with strobe bulbs throughout the machine-gun slots and you will are flown to have all in all, 125 days through the filming. In October 1968 it absolutely was created at the Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and later one day was used inside filming bail-aside shots from the Netheravon Wiltshire. Among the film unit pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, obtained MH415 for the completion of the motion picture responsibilities plus it try dismantled on Bovingdon by Simpson’s Aeroservices to possess shipments to help you Houston, Colorado, where it found its way to January 1969.