Blue Max

[lfsflyer]

Hi everyone just wondering if any one has any pictures of the aircaft used in the film the blue max, I was given the dvd as a gift of my boss enclosed with it was a letter in which he says that back when the film was made around 6 aircraft where bought by Jim Keen an he flew them back to Liverpool in 66 just wondering if anyone has any pics of them ? I know the reg of one which was G-ATIR which was a stompe an is still flying today just wondering if anyone knew what the rest where ??

Thanks Liam

[viscount]

It was infact five aircraft that came to Liverpool after the end of filming "Blue Max". All had previously been registered to Twentieth Century Fox Productions Ltd. All were 'extras', rather than 'stars' during the filming at Weston and Baldonnel (west of Dublin City). If memory is correct the Stampe at least, arrived in lozenge pattern camouflage ie German colours - but with no 'Iron Cross' insignia still applied. PHB do you recall the arrival colours?

All five arrived from Ireland by air, via Blackpool on 10th December 1965. The four Tiger Moths were registered to Umberto Marchesi of St.Helens and took up residence with Jim Keen in Hangar No.39:
G-AIRI never re-flown at Speke. Sold & dep to Sherburn-in-Elmet by road early 1969 for rebuild back to airworthy
G-AIRK re-flew at Speke 28.11.66. Sold & dep to Cambridge by air 2.1.67
G-AMTK never re-flown at Speke. Sold & dep to Sherburn-in-Elmet by road early 1969 for a very extended rebuild back to airworthy
G-ANKK re-flew at Speke 5.3.67, now owned by Jeff Beglan and operated with Liverpool Aero Club. Sold & departed by air during early 1969.

The SV-4C Stampe was still marked as F-BNMC at the time of its arrival. Extended overhaul/rebuild, now UK regd as G-ATIR, first re-flew 26.10.69 and owned by Jim Keen/Liverpool Aero Club. Sold and departed to Coventry 30.8.71.

There is a shot of G-ANKK at Liverpool, out by No.39 hangar, on "Bone's" photo thread, in her dark blue with white trim colours. www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=6820

A quick poke around www.caa.co.uk/GINFO finds the following:

G-AIRI was canx by the CAA 4.89 (at which time it was stored Little Gransden, CofA expired 11.81)
G-AIRK currently regd, owner in Bury St Edmunds, CofA expired 8.07
G-AMTK currently regd, owners in Hemel Hempsted, would appear no current CofA
G-ANKK currently regd, Halfpenny Green Tiger Group, carries RAF markings as T-5854. CofA exp 12.11, so presumably on inspection/overhaul at present
G-ATIR currently regd, owner in St.Albans, valid CofA.

A number of the replicas were kept back and used again, along with 'cutting-room floor' clips from "Blue Max", in the making of another WWI film "Darling Lilly", or was it "Darling Lil'" ? However, it is generally considered far inferior to Blue Max. On a personal note, I was in Eire July 1970, taken on a family picnic from Naas, only to be unexpectedly "buzzed" at hedge height by a mixed formation of German bi- and tri-planes. Fantastic. Later at Weston logged G-AWLC Alouette film-ship, 3 Fokker D.VII, a Fokker Dr.1, 2 Pfalz D.III, 6 SE-5, a Stampe, F-BCDG a MS502 and a never identified WWI German Iron-Cross marked Tiger Moth. The replicas all Irish registered in the EI-AP* and EI-AR* ranges. The 1970 filming was for "Red Baron"/"Richoften and Brown" or similar titled, a now overlooked box-office flop of a film. For many years, the French 'farmhouse' airfield buildings 'set' for the films could be identified as you entered Weston airfield - many of the stone arched barn 'hangars' later contained live, dying and expired MS Rallyes, until a big clear-out some 10-15 years ago.

Another Liverpool Speke connection to "Blue Max" film, is that the final pair of Dragon Rapides owned by based operator Federated Fruit, G-AKJS and G-ANZP, which both departed Liverpool on 3.11.64 for Panshangar and Harold Best-Devereux, were taken to Rousseau Aviation at Dinard and components incorporated into replicas for the "Blue Max" film. On the Key publlishing site linked to by Carmedic above all the posts refer to British constructed replicas - so which aircraft had bits of ex-Speke Dragon Rapides built-in?
qv history of Federated Air Transport and their aircraft post reply #13 of www.derbosoft.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=history&action=display&thread=3394

[lfsflyer]

Thanks for all the info guys, just finished watching the film an WOW !! what an amazing film : D

[viscount]

Now found the answer to my own question.

The two former Federated Fruit Dragon Rapides, G-AKJS and G-ANZP that left Liverpool destined to become part donors for replica WWI aircraft, are now known to be incorporated into three Fokker D.VII. They were built by Rousseau Aviation at Dinard and delivered Dinard-Exeter-Dublin during August 1965 for filming of "Blue Max" and later appearing in "Darling Lili". They were painted in lozenze camouflage pattern colours.

The replicas were:
F-BNDF, EI-APT painted as 6796/18
F-BNDG, EI-APU painted as 8520/18
F-BNDH, EI-APV

[Speke-EZY]

As a post-script to the foregoing discussion,the majority of the purpose-built "Blue Max" replicas were subsequently stored for many years at a small Irish airfield called Powerscourt,where I found them gathering dust in the early 1980s. I have no recollection of what happened to them after that.

[Beemer]

Hi, Keith. This is what my data-base gives me,

F-BNDG/EI-APT/N903AC- Private- Antwep
F-BNDF/EI-APU/N902AC/ZK-FOD-Private-Omaka
F-BNDH/EI-APV/N904AC-Southern Museum of Flight, Birmingham. AL

[Speke-EZY]

A pity the collection was dispersed across the world. As replicas rather than originals,they cannot have been particularly valuable,and would have looked nice kept (and perhaps flown) together.

[viscount]

I keep finding little snippits of information, this time in 'British Homebuilt Aircraft since 1920', Ken Ellis, pub MAS 1979. The book states that:

The Fokker D.VII was a single seat, two gun, biplane fighter of 1918. Three aircraft bult for the film 'The Blue Max' and constructed by Rousseau Aviation, France, under contract from Harold Best-Devereux and Company. Dragon Rapides G-AKJS and G-ANZP were broken up to provide substance and engines for the replicas. The aircraft were officially registered as D.VII/65s to distinguish them from the originals for the certification authorities. All three were directly imported into Eire in 1967 and were powered by DH Gipsy Queens.

C/no.01 F-BNDF, to EI-APT, then amended to EI-APU
C/no.02 F-BNDG, to EI-APU, then amended to EI-APT
C/no.03 F-BHDH, to EI-APV
All in store at Powerscourt 1979.

Additionally Slingsby's at Kirbymoorside built five non-flying D.VII replicas for the film.

A full-size German built, flying replica was imported into Britain mid 1978 for Thorpe Water Park at Chertsea, registered G-BFPL ex D-EAWM.

[bobbystreet57]

took a bit of finding but got here eventually.
I was looking in an old AB publication and noticed under an irish register some a/c under ownership of SHILLELAGH PRODUCTIONS,which got my brain cell activated as too how many a/c were used in the filming of the BLUE MAX.
I have tried to piece together a list and bring this up to date
EI-APT FOKKER DVII/6 REP 01 EX F-BNDF
N902AC FIGHTING AIR COMMAND dereg 24/10/6
ZK-FOD VINTAGE AVIATOR (ACTIVE)

EI-APU FOKKER DVII/6 REP 02 EX F-BNDG
N903AC FIGHTING AIR COMMAND dereg 11/09/12

EI-APV FOKKER DVII/6 REP 03 EX F-BNDH
N904AC MUSEUM OF FLIGHT ALABAMA

EI-APW FOKKER DR1 REP 001 EX G-ATIY
N403BM ACTIVE

EI-APY FOKKER DRI REP 002 EX G-ATJM
F-AZPQ ACTIVE

EI-ARA SE5A REP SEM7282 EX G-ATGV w/o 15/9/70 whilst filming RICHOFEN AND BROWN

EI-ARB SE5A REP SEM7283 EX G-ATGW w/o 18/8/70 in mid-air collision with G-AWEE ALLOUETTTE II

EI-ARC PFALZ D111 PPS/PFLZ/1 EX G-ATIF PERSONAL PLANES
N906AC FIGHTING AIR COMMAND
ZK-FLZ VINTAGE AVIATOR

EI-ARD PFALZ D111 PT16 EX G-ATIJ
N905AC FLIGHT AIR COMMAND
ZK-JPI VINTAGE AVIATOR (STATIC?)

EI-ARE STAMPE SV4C 386 EX F-BBIT

EI-ARF CAUDRON C277 LUCIOLE 7546/135 EX F-BNMB damaged in hangar collapse
G-ATIP
F-AQFB
N907AC FIGHTING AIR COMMAND expired 31/3/13

EI-ARG MORANE MS230 1049 EX F-BGMR HISTORICAL PRESEVATION GROUP WESTON

EI-ARH SLINGSBY T56 CURRIE WOT 1590 EX G-AVOT LYNN GARRISON dereg 2011

EI-ARI SLINGSBY T56 CURRIE WOT 1591 EX G-AVOU
N909AC FIGHTING AIR COMMAND dereg 21/1/11

EI-ARJ SLINGSBY T56 CURRIE WOT 1592 EX G-AVOV
N908AC FIGHTING AIR COMMAND (active)

EI-ARK SLINGSBY T56 CURRIE WOT 1593 EX G-AVOW
N912AC FIGHTING AIR COMMAND (active)

EI-ARL SLINGSBY T56 CURRIE WOT 1594 EX G-AVOY
N910AC FIGHTING AIR COMMAND dereg 21/7/11

EI-ARM SLINGSBY T56 CURRIE WOT 1595 EX G-AVOX LYNN GARRISON dereg 2011

EI-AVU STAMPE SV4C EX F-BAUR
N901AC PATRICK FISCHER PENNSYLVANIA (active)

G-AXAL SLINGSBY RUMPLER MKC5 N1915E GOLDEN AGE AIR MUSEUM BETHEL PENNSYLVANIA

G-AXAM SLINGSBY RUMPLER MKC5 N1916E RONALD BLOOMQUIST TENNESSEE

G-ANDM DH82 TIGERMOTH EX EI-AGP

G-ATIO CAUDRON C276 LUCIOLE dereg

G-ATIR STAMPE SV4C 1047 EX F-BNMC NTU was allocated to KINGAIR
G-ATIR
F-BMKQ
F-BCDM
there were also
F-BGTR MS 230 which appears to be a MS733
F-BGTX MS 230
not sure about these could be wrong
hope this helps
bob

[bobbystreet57]

a few pics of these aircraft can be found here www.impdb.org/index.php?title=The_Blue_Max

[eelmoor]

Hi all,
 I remember going to Thorpe Park Leisure Sport Ltd just after it opened, in those early days it was just a desolate expance of gravel pits (from the recently built M25) it had the allure that there were reports of aircraft being based there, being only about five mile from home a quick visit was planned ! cant really remember much about the place but aircraft were seen....it was a far different place to todays Thorpe Park, no rides no fairgrounds...no kids...no ques...lol, anyway pics on the Thorpe Park site here

www.memoriesofthorpepark.co.uk/aircraft.html

Edit :   There is video of the aircraft from about 5.40 on the bottom video of page

[viscount]

Bob,

Sorry to be damp sqibb here, but there is some confusion in your listing that needs to be cleared up. There were at least three WWI aviation themed movies made in Eire at Baldonnel and Weston."Blue Max" in 1965, "Darling Lili" and a later 1970 film "Richoften and Brown". Some aircraft were used in more than one film, but by no means all. There has been much confusion on the web eg on the Key Aviation Forum - probably a factor in the confusion reflected in your list, which appears not to list some aircraft already mentioned on this thread. I think that more aircraft were lost than Is shown, but again am uncertain.

A good start would be Wikipedia to check the dates each film was made, indeed even that I have the titles correct! I say that as I have idea that there was also a film called "The Red Baron", or maybe that was a British film? You see even I am confused!

Certainly a topic that needs some sorting out!

[dave1955]

Hi Liam,

Here is my photo of Stampe SV.4C G-ATIR taken at Liverpool around 1970. The guy in the front seat is my dad trying to look cool in his shades before Jim Keen took him up for a few circuits! I was also lucky enough to get a flight in her myself!



Cheers,

Dave H.

[bobbystreet57]

hi viscount,i have read your post and agree that I had left some aircraft out. I think they were covered by yourself and others really well and hitherto had omitted them for that reason ,sorry for that confusion. if you notice under my posting I have copied a link showing the aircraft in the blue max film which tends to tie up with pictures the aircraft types used.i have a feeling some of these aircraft may have never carried irish registration which is why there seem to be so much confusion and some of the tigermoths listed as being used were listed under previous registration which confused me more.i think they may well have used some of these a/c in the film zeppelin also.
didn,t intend to mislead anyone but would welcome any clarification regarding the loopholes
regards bob

[johnoakes]

Nice to see RGY in the background--Ron and I had a special day in it flying to an air show at Anglesey--happy days--must be nearly a half century ago.LOL