Author Topic: Aviation Movie Question (Read 372 times)

SKJohn · « **on:** June 21, 2007, 11:35:21 PM »

Yesterday I saw an old movie made in 1941 called "Dive Bomber" with, IIRC, Errol Flynn in it. Was about developing pressurized flying suits and cockpits, etc.
Anyway, during the movie, one of the USN pilots is told he can't fly anymore, so he goes and joins the RAF. He shows up back at the field flying some type of an "RAF Fighter". It was an open cockpit, radial engine, sort of reminded me of some type of Italian plane, but I couldn't recall.
Does anybody who has seen that movie know what type of aircraft that mysterious "RAF Fighter was?

BTW, lots of good shots of F3F's, TBD's and other early WWII USN aircraft - I enjoyd it just for getting to see those old a/c fly!

Guppy35 · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2007, 11:53:06 PM »

Just a modified civie plane. Not RAF or anything else.

Had wheel pants if I remember right.

Traveler · « **Reply #2 on:** June 22, 2007, 12:44:20 PM »

Errol Flynn and Fred McMurry, Flynn plays a doctor trying to figure out why pilots black out during high G pull outs and how to combat it. I think it was earlier then 41, as I remember there were a lot of shinny new 39 Packards running around the airbase.

Shifty · « **Reply #3 on:** June 22, 2007, 01:03:05 PM »

Seen the movie a couple of times. The plane they were passing off as some Hot Job from the RAF was pretty funny, considering the movie was made post Battle of Britain. I think the plane may have been a Northrop model.

SlapShot · « **Reply #4 on:** June 22, 2007, 01:17:58 PM »

The real "stars" of this movie are the actual aircraft the US Navy had in 1940, both old and new. Those aircraft are all in their original markings and complicated paint schemes, during the time the Navy was converting from colorful to subdued colors. Every color was part of a complicated plan to identify each aircrafts place in squadron formations allowing quick identifications of exactly where each aircraft "belongs". All the planes are here, Vought Vindicators, Helldivers, Buffalos, F4Fs, PBY's, and even the little used and known Northrup dive bomber competitor of the Vindicator. The US Navy went all out with massed formations in the air and on the ground, close ups, long shots, all of it the most impressive I've seen on the screen, and every foot of it in living glorious color. No attempt to censor or exclude anything, almost as if the US Navy was saying, "Don't underestimate us".

SKJohn · « **Reply #5 on:** June 22, 2007, 11:53:23 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SlapShot
The real "stars" of this movie are the actual aircraft the US Navy had in 1940, both old and new. Those aircraft are all in their original markings and complicated paint schemes, during the time the Navy was converting from colorful to subdued colors. Every color was part of a complicated plan to identify each aircrafts place in squadron formations allowing quick identifications of exactly where each aircraft "belongs". All the planes are here, Vought Vindicators, Helldivers, Buffalos, F4Fs, PBY's, and even the little used and known Northrup dive bomber competitor of the Vindicator. The US Navy went all out with massed formations in the air and on the ground, close ups, long shots, all of it the most impressive I've seen on the screen, and every foot of it in living glorious color. No attempt to censor or exclude anything, almost as if the US Navy was saying, "Don't underestimate us".

Couldn't agree more - I'd watch it again just for the in-flight sequences. It's also cool seing the rows and rows of F3F's lined up, the formation flights, etc. Maybe I'll have to pick this one up for my collection as well . . .