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SSNBuff
July 11th 03, 03:15 PM
Just saw the movie 633 Squadron and was wondering: Were those all genuine
Mosquitos? Or were some actually models? Some of the attack schemes seemed to
be models since they flew a little strangely.

How many Mosquitos are still flying?

Dean

Alan Dicey
July 11th 03, 03:33 PM
SSNBuff wrote:
> Just saw the movie 633 Squadron and was wondering: Were those all genuine
> Mosquitos? Or were some actually models? Some of the attack schemes seemed to
> be models since they flew a little strangely.
>
> How many Mosquitos are still flying?
>
> Dean


From B. Fillery's Mosquito page

http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bfillery/mossie.htm

There is a page with the following movie information on it:

633 Squadron. - 1964
RAF- Cliff Robertson; Mosquito bombers attack heavy water plant. Filmed
at ex-RAF Bovingdon, with 3 CAACU DH Mosquito TT.Mk.35's

Total of 11 Mossies, 5 were flyable, including:

* T.Mk.3 TW117 (Calif.)
* T.Mk.3 TV954 (Duxford)
* T.Mk.3 TJ118 ground scenes (cockpit Moss Mus.)
* TT.Mk.35 RS709 (USAFM)
* TT.Mk.35 RS712 (Weeks-N35MK)
* TT.Mk.35 RS715 (Being rebuilt from pieces)
* TT.Mk.35 TA639 (RAF Cosford)
* TT.Mk.35 TA719 (Duxford) Badly damaged in crash landing at
Staverton during the filming.

Bf 108's (as "Bf 109's"), models. TB-25J Mitchell 44-30861 camera ship
and playing an RAF transport. Directed by Walter Grauman, ex-RAF
Mitchell pilot.


On flying Mosquito's, Andy Dawsons excellent Mosquito page has the
following in its FAQ:

http://www.mossie.org/faq/faq.htm

Q. Are there any Mosquitos still flying?
Q. When will the next Mosquito fly?

A. Unfortunately at the moment there are no Mosquitos left in flying
condition. The last example, a T.III, RR299, crashed at Barton in the UK
on 21st July 1996 killing both aboard. For images of RR299 before she
crashed, please see the 'donated images' page.

The Mosquito which appears to be the next is line to fly is Bob Jens's
B.35 VR796/CF-HML located in Canada.

Kyle Boatright
July 11th 03, 05:08 PM
Both models and the real thing were used in the filming of 633 Squadron.

There are currently no flying Mosquitos, but there are a couple of
restoration projects that may get off the ground.

Someone might claim flying status for Kermit Week's Mossie that is at
Oshkosh. It flew to Wittman Field several years ago, and has been on
display ever since. I do not think it has flown in several years.

KB
"SSNBuff" > wrote in message
...
> Just saw the movie 633 Squadron and was wondering: Were those all genuine
> Mosquitos? Or were some actually models? Some of the attack schemes
seemed to
> be models since they flew a little strangely.
>
> How many Mosquitos are still flying?
>
> Dean

Richard Brooks
July 11th 03, 08:45 PM
"Alan Dicey" > wrote in message
...
> SSNBuff wrote:
> > Just saw the movie 633 Squadron and was wondering: Were those all
genuine
> > Mosquitos? Or were some actually models? Some of the attack schemes
seemed to
> > be models since they flew a little strangely.
> >
> > How many Mosquitos are still flying?
> >
> > Dean
>
>
> From B. Fillery's Mosquito page
>
> http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bfillery/mossie.htm
>
> There is a page with the following movie information on it:
>
> 633 Squadron. - 1964
> RAF- Cliff Robertson; Mosquito bombers attack heavy water plant. Filmed
> at ex-RAF Bovingdon, with 3 CAACU DH Mosquito TT.Mk.35's
>
> Total of 11 Mossies, 5 were flyable, including:
>
> * T.Mk.3 TW117 (Calif.)
> * T.Mk.3 TV954 (Duxford)
> * T.Mk.3 TJ118 ground scenes (cockpit Moss Mus.)

The rear fuselage section might still be with a guy I knew who was building
a spitfire and who lived in Kidlington, Oxon. Can't remember his name as
I'm getting drunk right now!

[snipped]

>
> Q. Are there any Mosquitos still flying?
> Q. When will the next Mosquito fly?
>
> A. Unfortunately at the moment there are no Mosquitos left in flying
> condition. The last example, a T.III, RR299, crashed at Barton in the UK
> on 21st July 1996 killing both aboard. For images of RR299 before she
> crashed, please see the 'donated images' page.

What happened to the Mosquito that Kermit Weeks acquired as I remember it
flying over my flat in Oxford, it having been fitted with wing tanks after
the RAF Abingdon air show and on its ferry flight ?

Richard.

Richard Brooks
July 15th 03, 03:04 AM
"Richard Brooks" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Alan Dicey" > wrote in
message
> ...
> > SSNBuff wrote:
> > > Just saw the movie 633 Squadron and was wondering: Were those all
> genuine
> > > Mosquitos? Or were some actually models? Some of the attack schemes
> seemed to
> > > be models since they flew a little strangely.
> > >
> > > How many Mosquitos are still flying?
> > >
> > > Dean
> >
> >
> > From B. Fillery's Mosquito page
> >
> > http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bfillery/mossie.htm
> >
> > There is a page with the following movie information on it:
> >
> > 633 Squadron. - 1964
> > RAF- Cliff Robertson; Mosquito bombers attack heavy water plant. Filmed
> > at ex-RAF Bovingdon, with 3 CAACU DH Mosquito TT.Mk.35's
> >
> > Total of 11 Mossies, 5 were flyable, including:
> >
> > * T.Mk.3 TW117 (Calif.)
> > * T.Mk.3 TV954 (Duxford)
> > * T.Mk.3 TJ118 ground scenes (cockpit Moss Mus.)
>
> The rear fuselage section might still be with a guy I knew who was
building
> a spitfire and who lived in Kidlington, Oxon. Can't remember his name as
> I'm getting drunk right now!

Remembered the guys names. Julian Mitchell and Steven Arnold who were
rebuilding a Spitfire in Kidlington, Oxfordshire the last time I saw them.

Richard.

Kyle Boatright
July 18th 03, 02:28 AM
"The Blue Max" > wrote in message
s.com...
>
> "Alan Dicey" > wrote
>
> > Bf 108's (as "Bf 109's"), models.
>
> Since they were building models anyway, why didn't they build models of
the
> correct aircraft type?
>

Because they used actual ME-108's to stand in for 109's in the flying
scenes. At least they had continuity between the models and the actual
aircraft they flew...

KB

Peter Stickney
July 18th 03, 02:45 AM
In article >,
"The Blue Max" > writes:
>
> "Alan Dicey" > wrote
>
>> Bf 108's (as "Bf 109's"), models.
>
> Since they were building models anyway, why didn't they build models of the
> correct aircraft type?

He's talking about real, flying Bf 108s, used for Air-Air photography,
and models that were used for teh crash scenes.

--
Pete Stickney
A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many
bad measures. -- Daniel Webster

Richard Brooks
July 19th 03, 02:01 AM
"The Blue Max" > wrote in message
s.com...
>
> "Alan Dicey" > wrote
>
> > Bf 108's (as "Bf 109's"), models.
>
> Since they were building models anyway, why didn't they build models of
the
> correct aircraft type?
>

They did that for the Mossies! That's why they waggeled side to side before
the props andspiiners shot out the front when hit.

The Bf108 trainers were also used for that bloody film I now forget where
the train is stuck in the mountains and ole Blue Eyes almost makes it but
gets shot in the back and lies dying on the tracks. Ahhhh Von Ryan's
Express methinks!




Richard.

Steve Hix
July 19th 03, 03:41 AM
In article >,
"Richard Brooks" > wrote:

> "The Blue Max" > wrote in message
> s.com...
> >
> > "Alan Dicey" > wrote
> >
> > > Bf 108's (as "Bf 109's"), models.
> >
> > Since they were building models anyway, why didn't they build models of
> the
> > correct aircraft type?
> >
>
> They did that for the Mossies! That's why they waggeled side to side before
> the props andspiiners shot out the front when hit.
>
> The Bf108 trainers were also used for that bloody film I now forget where
> the train is stuck in the mountains and ole Blue Eyes almost makes it but
> gets shot in the back and lies dying on the tracks. Ahhhh Von Ryan's
> Express methinks!

Pity, given that they used a real P-38 for some of the aerial shots.

Frank Tallman* flew it, and I was in high school at Newbury Park, a
couple-three miles from were he was staging out from the old strip
at Rancho Conejo airport.

I heard it flying overhead, and hotfooted it to the airport, where
I would have been on weekends anyway, and got to see it land and
take off, refueling between shooting sessions.

He let me climb up the ladder at the back of the cockpit to look
in a marvel at the front office...

If I ever had a chance to escape from a lifetime of chasing planes,
it was extinguished pretty much that afternoon.

* I'm pretty sure it was Mr. Tallman, the plane was one from the
TallMantz collection. I didn't ask at the time, just jumped for
the greasy ladder when he said "Hey kid, come on over for a minute..."
I think he was showing pity, I doubt that the drooling and small
whimpers were all that attractive. :}

av8r
July 19th 03, 04:33 AM
Hi

I met Frank Tallman the year before he died in a tragic flying accident.
He let me get into his Grumman Duck. Unfortunately I could not talk
him into cranking it up and going flying. We had a great chat about
all facets of aviation. He was a true gentleman and his death a great
loss to the flying community.

Cheers...Chris

Richard Brooks
July 19th 03, 10:47 AM
"Steve Hix" > wrote in message
...
> In article >,
> "Richard Brooks" > wrote:
>
> > "The Blue Max" > wrote in message
> > s.com...
> > >
> > > "Alan Dicey" > wrote
> > >
> > > > Bf 108's (as "Bf 109's"), models.
> > >
> > > Since they were building models anyway, why didn't they build models
of
> > the
> > > correct aircraft type?
> > >
> >
> > They did that for the Mossies! That's why they waggeled side to side
before
> > the props andspiiners shot out the front when hit.
> >
> > The Bf108 trainers were also used for that bloody film I now forget
where
> > the train is stuck in the mountains and ole Blue Eyes almost makes it
but
> > gets shot in the back and lies dying on the tracks. Ahhhh Von Ryan's
> > Express methinks!
>
> Pity, given that they used a real P-38 for some of the aerial shots.

Didn't the pair of 108s (painted in, IIRC some kind of spurious
desert/northern European camouflage) also fire rockets ?


>
> Frank Tallman* flew it, and I was in high school at Newbury Park, a
> couple-three miles from were he was staging out from the old strip
> at Rancho Conejo airport.
>
> I heard it flying overhead, and hotfooted it to the airport, where
> I would have been on weekends anyway, and got to see it land and
> take off, refueling between shooting sessions.
>
> He let me climb up the ladder at the back of the cockpit to look
> in a marvel at the front office...
>
> If I ever had a chance to escape from a lifetime of chasing planes,
> it was extinguished pretty much that afternoon.
>
> * I'm pretty sure it was Mr. Tallman, the plane was one from the
> TallMantz collection. I didn't ask at the time, just jumped for
> the greasy ladder when he said "Hey kid, come on over for a minute..."
> I think he was showing pity, I doubt that the drooling and small
> whimpers were all that attractive. :}

Heh! In my day it was the obligatory dragging up to the front to say "Hi!"
to the steam engine driver.


Richard.

ArtKramr
July 19th 03, 01:12 PM
>Subject: Re: 633 Squadron Mosquitos
>From: av8r
>Date: 7/18/03 8:33 PM Pacific Daylight Time
>Message-id: >
>
>
>Hi
>
>I met Frank Tallman the year before he died in a tragic flying accident.
> He let me get into his Grumman Duck. Unfortunately I could not talk
>him into cranking it up and going flying. We had a great chat about
>all facets of aviation. He was a true gentleman and his death a great
>loss to the flying community.
>
>Cheers...Chris
>
>


The story goes that he was flying a B-25 in the Catch 22 filming. He had just
about finished when the director asked Tallman for "just one more pass for
protection". He was killed on that last pass.

Arthur Kramer
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer

Steve Hix
July 19th 03, 11:22 PM
In article >,
(ArtKramr) wrote:
>
> The story goes that [Frank Tallman] was flying a B-25 in the Catch 22 filming. He had just
> about finished when the director asked Tallman for "just one more pass for
> protection". He was killed on that last pass.

Frank Tallman died April 15, 1978, by flying into a ridge in
bad weather near Palm Springs.

His partner at TallMantz, Paul Mantz, died during filming of a scene
for "Flight of the Phoenix" a few years earlier.

Steve Hix
July 19th 03, 11:25 PM
In article >,
"Kyle Boatright" > wrote:
>
> Frank Tallman crashed in the mountains in bad weather - he was probably scud
> running. He was flying a twin, but not a warbird. I did a brief google
> search to find the details, but no joy...

I remember when it happened. He was flying a light twin in
instrument conditions. Ground control gave him a vector, which
he took...too low to clear the ridge that was in the way.

IIRC, it was adjudged pilot error.

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