Yeah old movie but just saw it.
Are those real Lancasters in the movie? Don't see so many of those nowadays. Watching all the lower level actions of those beauties are quite exciting. Not an easy job either, flying the heavies on tree top altitude in close formations without a HUD!
The film was made only 10 years after the end of WWII so there were alot more Lancs about
---We will rule over all this land and we will call it... This Land.---
They are real Lancs, but a few points give away that they are a bit more modern than the originals. One static scene shows the rear turret mounting 2x.50 calibre machine guns. The originals had 4x.303's. Also, the ammunition being loaded is .50 cal.
All in all though, I love this film. It gets better with each viewing.
Paradise is exactly like where you are now, only much, much better.
According to wiki they had 4 flyable Lancs and used several Avro Lincons as "set desing" (which I take as standing in for static Lancs). the Lincon was a development of the Lanc, first introduced in 1945
The 4 Lancs supplied to the movie by the RAF were all B VIIs (the final production version)
---We will rule over all this land and we will call it... This Land.---
It's worthwhile getting hold of a book, 'Filming the Dambusters' by Duncan Falconer, about the making of the film. Lots of photos and details of the crews who flew the aircraft for the film. Well worth a look.
shareSome WWII era Lancs (particularly Canadian ones) WERE fitted with .50s, rather than .303s. Couldn't speak for 617 Squadron, but it's not an anachronism.
Some WWII era Lancs (particularly Canadian ones) WERE fitted with .50s, rather than .303s. Couldn't speak for 617 Squadron, but it's not an anachronism.
Sit of the pants flying back then mate.
shareOnly just watched it in 2009? My God, where have you been?
Yes, they were real Lancs alright, with their 4 Merlins going fit to bust. Be sure to watch this with a powerful sound-system (mine's 400-watt) and at least 12" sub-woofers. If your light ornaments aren't vibrating off their shelves then you're missing a point, because that's what would have happened when these birdies dusted your roof-top.
Enjoy.
You knwo sometimes I think a remake would be hard-pressed to improve upon the original fil showing those Lancs flying. The realism is just incredible when you watch the film today. This film should never ever go out of print!
shareFrom what I know of the Remake,
A) the director/producer will be Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong, etc.) with his WingNut Films company.
B) the Screenwriter is supposedly Stephen Fry (Qi, Blackadder, Bones, Wilde, etc.) who is basing it on the original Screenplay by R. C. Sherriff, and the books by Paul Brickhill (The Dam Busters [1951]), Guy Gibson (Enemy Coast Ahead [1946 (Censored) 2003 (Uncensored)] and Max Arthur (Dambusters: A Landmark Oral History [2009]), including using the name of Gibson's dog... *beep*
C) the aircraft are essentially a mixture of incomplete ex-RAAF Lincoln Mk.30As (Australian Builds), Ex-SAAF Shackletons, and static replicas based on Lancaster NX665, even scaled? And the obvious CGI from Weta Digital, costumes/armourers from Weta Collectibles.
D) the plan is to have the premier/release date on 16th May 2013, with a Coda with Squadron Leader John Leslie (Les) Munro CNZM, DSO, QSO, DFC, JP (born 5 April 1919), the last surviving pilot of the Dambusters Raid.
- Currently there are only two airworthy Lancasters, Lancaster B X FM213 in Canada, and Lancaster B I PA474 "City of Lincoln" in UK, as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, BUT Lancaster B VII NX611 "Just Jane" is possibly soon to be restored to airworthy...
When the film was made, a friend of mine was serving in the RAF at Scampton. According to him, RAF perssonel were used as extras, he's clearly visible in one shot and the aircraft used were not Lancasters but a modified American heavy bomber, the type has escaped me.
shareThat is not correct .Four genuine Lancasters were used in the making of the film. No American bombers were used though some Avro Lincolns appear in the background as set dressing. Read Duncan Falconer's book for full details.
shareIn the American cut, a clip of a crashing B-17 was inserted for dramatic effect. I saw this in a 16mm print - which also dubbed *beep* into Trigger.
shareThis summer I saw and heard the only available flying Lancaster bomber in the world. It was flying out of the aviation museum in Hamilton Ontario. There are only two Lancasters in the world currently capable of flight. One is out of commission somewhere in England. The Lancaster that I saw flew a tour across Canada. Incredible to hear the engines start up and see it take off. What a sight. But what I can't understand is why this Lanc could fly across Canada but would not fly the extra 40 miles from home base in Hamilton, to Toronto to fly in the annual Toronto air show. Pure bollocks.
My accountant says, "1 + 1, 40% of the time, equals divorce".
The British Lancaster you mention is perfectly capable of flight! And I quote......
"Lancaster B I PA474 "City of Lincoln" operated by the Royal Air Force's Battle of Britain Memorial Flight since 1973. The paint scheme is periodically changed to represent notable Lancasters, and the aircraft is currently flown as EE139 Phantom of the Ruhr, bearing the codes HW-R on the port side and BQ-B on the starboard side."
"The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (BBMF) is a Royal Air Force flight which provides an aerial display group comprising an Avro Lancaster, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane. The aircraft are regularly seen at events commemorating World War II, upon British State occasions."
Rinec, the BBMF actually has 1 Lancaster, 5 Spitfires (1x Mk IIa, 1x Mk Vb, 1x Mk IXe and 2x Mk XIXs), 2 Hurricane (Both Mk IIcs but one represents a Mk I), 1 DC-3 Dakota (Used to train the Lancaster pilots during the off season but also takes parts in displays) and 2 de Havilland Chipmunks (Used to train the fighter pilots in the use of tail dragger aircraft)
---We will rule over all this land and we will call it... This Land.---
I know that. But usually they provide a formation comprising of a Lancaster flanked by a single Spitfire and Hurricane.
All the info's you've kindly quoted (as well as the info I quoted in my previous post) can be found at:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain_Memorial_Flight
All the info's you've kindly quoted (as well as the info I quoted in my previous post) can be found at:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Britain_Memorial_Flight
I have seen the BoB Memorial Flight a few times. I live outside a village in Yorkshire called Haworth and every year they have a 40's weekend and the Lancaster does a flypast.
We used to live on top of one of the hills on the Worth Valley and we saw it fly towards Haworth through the valley. We actually looking down on to it. It was amazing. And when it finished its fly past it flew almost directly over our house. It was so big and slow! I wish I had a camera!
Yorkshire is a place. Yorkshire is a state of mind.
There are only two Lancasters in the world currently capable of flight. One is out of commission somewhere in England.
Apologies if someone has already mentioned this, but RAF Hemswell is the station which was used for the filming of Dam Busters. You can still visit it as it is now a huge antiques centre. Many of the buildings are still recognisable.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Hemswell
The film was made in 1954 (came out the next year) while Lancasters were finally phased out of service in the same year. There were enough of them around and four were actually used in the film. Its replacement, the Avro Lincoln, was enough of a lookalike to pass muster from a distance for some of the airfield shots.
There are still two flying today, one of them regularly over my village which is about five miles from Scampton (and 15 miles from Coningsby, where the BOB flight is based).
Jackson has contracted for two flying replicas of Lancasters to be built for "The Dam Busters",with WETA making them into a whole squadron.
I'll Teach You To Laugh At Something's That's Funny
Homer Simpson
This is a tad off topic, but as I have read through the different message board topics, it is stunning to me--and it says something great about a movie that is 60 years old--that it continues to generate this much interest and commentaries from IMDB members. It is great to see posts right through 2014. I learn from so many about so much. I have the documentary on the Dam Busters from the History Channel, and it is also worthwhile, especially seeing those Lancasters in the air. Thanks to all.
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