On the purposes of the movie a huge Get across away from Lorraine emblem was applied toward routes to portray the brand new Totally free French squadron
Inside June 1956 MH415 is actually sold in order to a great Belgian business, COGEA (Compagnie Gnrale dExploitation Aronautique), which in fact had a target-pulling offer into the Belgian and you can NATO forces. COGEA had before run individuals light flights pulling ads and you can similar, but when the latest army target towing contract came up, this new Percival Proctors they certainly were using didn’t have the new overall performance needed. The fresh new Belgian Air Pushes last few Spitfires offered the perfect possibility, and you may COGEA purchased six of those to operate because of their military offer. Months photo inform you the brand new aircraft from inside the a bare aluminium livery which have eco-friendly nosecone and tail. From inside the 1961 it absolutely was leased for movie use in The Longest Go out, that has been shot on location within the France.
On 14th May MH415 turned up for the film product within RAF North Weald in the Essex, and you can was afterwards founded on Debden, Duxford and you may Hawkinge
The fresh flights are coated when you look at the an effective camouflage design and flown that have 340 (Ile de france) Squadron codes GW-Roentgen. For the Sep 1961 new aircraft caused a stir from the searching on the brand new RAF Race out-of The uk air screen from the Biggin Mountain into the their livery in the Longest Date, flown because of the Pierre Laureys, an excellent French World war ii Spitfire pilot. It’s know you to definitely MH415 was the last airworthy Spitfire to help you be offered by the COGEA, and is believed that it had been from the Ostend given that later as December 1964. MH415 are bought from COGEA because of the Rousseau Aviation off Dinhard inside France, to the amount of 8, escorts in Adliswil 000 francs with the ish Mahaddie is meeting together with her aircraft toward imminent movie The battle off Britain, and you can after a survey by John Simpson, MH415 are bought to own an enthusiastic undisclosed sum.
The new aircraft is actually dismantled and sent from the Simpson’s Aeroservices Ltd during the Elstree to own a redesign, registered G-AVDJ, in order to Mahaddie on 29th December 1966. It absolutely was test flown and you can brought to the film equipment from the RAF Henlow in early 1967 by the T An effective Davies. This new aircraft try held, their Merlin 66 system restricted, through the much of 1967, and it wasn’t flown once again up to November, if this got a different sort of Certification away from Airworthiness, getting take to flown into 29th of that week because of the T An excellent Davies on Henlow. At the beginning of 1968 filming had started in Spain, so that as a good Spitfire is actually necessary for location functions, MH415 are picked and you may wishing during the Henlow and you will Luton. Good 90-gallon lose-container try suitable and various decide to try aircraft achieved during the February during the Henlow, Luton and you may Farnborough by the Lt Cdr M T Hynett.
During the late February MH415 kept great britain, traveling via France to help you Tablada Heavens Legs inside Spain. Because of it much time journey it was flown by the V H Bellamy. Flick place work as N3312/ AI-C adopted in the Spain, flown in the primary from the Lt Cdr Hynett. The latest Spitfire the new arrived back in England in the Manston into the 11th Will get 1968, inside organization which have a gaggle off Messerschmitts, one or two Heinkels and you may Jeff Hawke inside a-b-25 digital camera-motorboat. The current weather when you look at the 1968 are generally speaking British, together with motion picture company were running out of go out. Finance was also causing issues, this is chose to circulate this new aerial product on an excellent environment of one’s Southern area of France.
MH415 and you can a great many other Spitfires and lots of Messerschmitts was basically flown out over Montpelier in August for three months, while the needed footage is obtained under the sun. MH415 wore of many marks during the filming, as well as N3312/ AI-C, N3311/ CD-B, N3321/ AI-Meters, N2210/ CD-A, N3310/ An effectiveI-A good, Letter3322/ AI/ N, N3319/ DO-K and N3314/ AI-Elizabeth. This Spitfire try fitting which have strobe lights regarding the machine gun slots and you may try flown getting a maximum of 125 instances during shooting. In October 1968 it absolutely was created at the Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and soon after that week was utilized in the shooting bail-out photos at the Netheravon Wiltshire. One of many flick device pilots, Texan Wilson ‘Connie’ Edwards, received MH415 with the achievement of the movie responsibilities therefore are dismantled in the Bovingdon of the Simpson’s Aeroservices to possess shipment to Houston, Colorado, in which it found its way to January 1969.