D-Day marked C-47 on "Top Gear" in the UK

[bdk]

I find this program quite enjoyable at times and noticed a D-Day marked C-47 in the background at the airport where they do the car testing.

Any info on the status of the C-47, and what airport do they use? Is it a public or private airport?

[RMAllnutt]

They use the old British Aerospace airfield at Dunsfold. This Dakota is one owned by Aces High, I believe. I think it is registered as ZS-MRU, which was an R4D-1 Bu.4703. Not much else that I can find.

Cheers,
Richard

[The Inspector]

If you watch the background when they are doing the celebrity laps, you'll also see that goofy twin podded engine 747 with drop tanks outboard that was in some lame a$$ movie a few years ago, as well as several Air Atlantique DC-6's that look to be in pretty nice shape, don't know if they are grounded or just out of money to fly them-

[blurrkup]

The lame ass movie was Casino Royale.

[JDK]

The lame ass movie was Casino Royale.

And the not-a-747 is/was at Kemble, not Dunsfold, IIRC.

[blurrkup]

The modified 747 is at Dunsfold and has been used in many of Top Gear's challenges. It is owned by Aces High

http://www.airliners.net/photo/Untitled ... id=0918393

And from Dunsfolds Wikipedia page

747
A Boeing 747-200 which served with British Airways until 2002 as City of Birmingham, G-BDXJ, was purchased by Aces High Limited, a company specialising in supplying aircraft for television and film work, and transferred to Dunsfold.

It was modified and used for filming for the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale. Some of the scenes set at Miami International Airport were filmed at Dunsfold. It has also appeared in the background of numerous Top Gear episodes and directly in an episode where it is towed by a JCB Fastrac tractor. It was also towed by a Volkswagen Touareg in a 2006 Fifth Gear episode, the same year that the modified aircraft and Dunsfold Airfield were featured in a television advertisement filmed for the Volkswagen Touareg, demonstrating the vehicle's towing ability. In 2008 it featured in a episode of Scrapheap Challenge in which contestants created machines to tow the aircraft.[citation needed] Modifications to the aircraft include the removal of the existing Rolls Royce engines and replacement with twin mount engines, similar to those fitted to aircraft such as the B-52 Heavy Bomber.

[Yak 11 Fan]

The lame ass movie was Casino Royale.

And the not-a-747 is/was at Kemble, not Dunsfold, IIRC.

Nope, its at Dunsfold...

The D-Day marked Dakota is likely to be the former G-DAKS, now N147DC.

[Bruce]

The camo DC3 is N147DC, ex G-DAKS and TS423 with the RAE.

I noticed the other one in the most recent programme as well.


Bruce

[CH2Tdriver]

Speaking of Top Gear, does anyone know if the episode where they are flying in the back seat of 3 two-seat Spitfire's in formation is on DVD?

Anyone have a good quality link to that episode segment on line?

thanks in advance

Pete

[Warbird Kid]

If any one remembers the moive "The Da Vinchi Code" In the airport scenes there was a D-day C-47 in the background. Could it be the same?

[JDK]

The lame ass movie was Casino Royale.

And the not-a-747 is/was at Kemble, not Dunsfold, IIRC.

Obviously I recall incorrectly.

[DarenC1]

Speaking of Top Gear, does anyone know if the episode where they are flying in the back seat of 3 two-seat Spitfire's in formation is on DVD?

Anyone have a good quality link to that episode segment on line?

thanks in advance

Pete

Dunno about DVD, but certainly available on YouTube:

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=hfg2vmiFduw

Enjoy!

[ALAN.L]

...as well as several Air Atlantique DC-6's that look to be in pretty nice shape, don't know if they are grounded or just out of money to fly them-

#
The DC6's were only parked there while they were wanted to provide background for the film shoot,it was supposed to be Miami Intl.

They subsequently returned to Coventry,where G-APSA took on KLM colours for a Dutch film,Bride Flight and earlier this year it was painted into its original British Eagle c/s.

[The Inspector]

Thanks for the additional info on the DC-6's. My original comment remains about lame a$$ movie. The 'new' James Bond to me looks like he should be playing the KGB guy not the hero, but then I alway thought they should have stopped after Connery quit the part-how about resurecting George Lazenby?