The brand new Spitfire are taken to the new COGEA feet on Middlekerke, Ostend, where it had been entered OO-ARD, and soon registered solution

On the reason for the movie an enormous Get across away from Lorraine emblem was utilized to your flights so you can show the new 100 % free French squadron

From inside the June 1956 MH415 are offered to help you good Belgian business, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which had a target-pulling offer to your Belgian and you may NATO forces. COGEA had in the past run certain light flights towing banners and you can equivalent, nevertheless when new army target pulling contract came up, brand new Percival Proctors they certainly were playing with did not have brand new abilities requisite. The latest Belgian Air Pushes last few Spitfires provided just the right options, and you can COGEA ordered half dozen of those to run due to their military contract. Period images reveal brand new aircraft for the a clean aluminum livery which have eco-friendly nosecone and end. During the 1961 it had been rented for film include in The newest Longest Day, which was shot on location from inside the France.

For the 14th May MH415 turned up into flick product from the RAF Northern Weald into the Essex, and you can is afterwards built on Debden, Duxford and you can Hawkinge

The fresh new aircraft are coated from inside the an excellent camouflage scheme and you will flown having 340 (Ile-de-france) Squadron rules GW-R. When you look at the Sep 1961 the new aircraft caused a stir of the lookin within brand new RAF Race out of The uk sky monitor at the Biggin Slope inside the the livery on Longest Go out, flown because of the Pierre Laureys, an effective French The second world war Spitfire pilot. It is understood one to MH415 was the final airworthy Spitfire in order to feel offered from the COGEA, and it is thought that it absolutely was in the Ostend as the late given that December 1964. MH415 is ordered of COGEA from the Rousseau Aviation off Dinhard during the France, with the sum of 8, 000 francs for the ish Mahaddie is get together with her aircraft towards the certain flick The battle away from Great britain, and you will just after a study because of the John Simpson, MH415 is actually ordered to own a keen undisclosed share.

The https://escortlook.de/en/switzerland/lucerne-state/horw latest flights is dismantled and you can mailed of the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd from the Elstree to have an overhaul, entered Grams-AVDJ, to Mahaddie for the 29th December 1966. It actually was take to flown and you may brought to the film unit at RAF Henlow during the early 1967 from the T A great Davies. The aircraft is stored, their Merlin 66 system inhibited, throughout the much of 1967, also it was not flown once more until November, in the event it got a separate Certification of Airworthiness, getting sample flown towards 29th of the times because of the T A Davies on Henlow. At the beginning of 1968 filming had were only available in Spain, so that as a beneficial Spitfire is required for place works, MH415 try picked and you can waiting on Henlow and you may Luton. A beneficial ninety-gallon lose-tank are fitted and various decide to try flights carried out during the March in the Henlow, Luton and Farnborough by Lt Cdr Yards T Hynett.

During the late February MH415 kept the uk, traveling via France so you’re able to Tablada Heavens Foot in the The country of spain. For it long airline it was flown from the V H Bellamy. Movie location behave as N3312/ AI-C implemented from inside the Spain, flown in the primary because of the Lt Cdr Hynett. The new Spitfire the fresh new turned up back in England at the Manston with the 11th Will get 1968, in team having a gaggle from Messerschmitts, a couple of Heinkels and Jeff Hawke inside the a b-25 camera-ship. Sun and rain for the 1968 try usually British, and also the movie providers had been not having enough go out. Finance has also been causing problems, so it was decided to circulate the latest aerial tool on the good weather of your own South away from France.

MH415 and you may a number of other Spitfires and many Messerschmitts were flown over to Montpelier in the August for a few days, while the requisite video footage was gotten in the sunshine. MH415 dressed in of numerous marks during the shooting, plus N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-Yards, N2210/ CD-A, N3310/ An excellentI-A great, N3322/ AI/ N, N3319/ DO-K and you will N3314/ AI-E. It Spitfire was fitted with strobe lighting on machine-gun harbors and you may is actually flown for a total of 125 era while in the shooting. In Oct 1968 it had been oriented within Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and soon after that day was applied in the filming bail-out shots at Netheravon Wiltshire. Among the movie product pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, acquired MH415 into achievement of their film requirements and it are dismantled in the Bovingdon of the Simpson’s Aeroservices having shipment so you’re able to Houston, Tx, in which it found its way to January 1969.