Jet Pilot

Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:14 am

All

Hughes borrowed an Me 262 for use in the John Wayne film 'Jet Pilot', does anyone know if it makes an appearance at all? Skimmed the movie online but didn't see it.

TIA
Dave

Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:42 am

i've never been able to sit through that lame movie, but i think you are referring to hughes wanting to borrow or buy a captured me -262 from the government to enter in the cleveland national air races. he was turned down.

Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:58 am

Yes, Hughes was 'discouraged' from entering the races with the 262 as it would have 'shown up' the P-80, however in May 1949, RKO Pictures requested permission to use the 262 in the production of a motion picture. In July the Air Force agreed, and the aircraft spent the next two years with RKO during the filming of the John Wayne film ‘Jet Pilot,’ the jet being returned to the Air Force after filming.
Was it flown and filmed during that time- two years seems a mighty long time for nothing to have come of it......

Mon Sep 28, 2009 7:51 am

dave, put on a pot of strong coffee & we'll see if the 262 is their, but i doubt it between watching & naps from past years!! it would take another 2 years just to get through that piece of crap celluloid!!zzzzzz snore!!

Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:45 am

okay, granted the movie isn't the best but man, I can sit through it just to ogle at Janet Liegh!

Mon Sep 28, 2009 10:53 am

And oggle things like Paul Fix in an opening scene firing the guns on a gun door equipped P-86, the prototype F-89 SCORPION, an intercept in an F-94B etc. granted the film is a waste of processed plastic for about 99% of it. And as far as the time span involved remember who the producer was, Mr. 'I'll crap in my pants if there are two open stalls' Hughes.
I believe that particular Me-262 is now part of the FHC collection and is being restored one rivet at a time on a karma like work plan, in England.

Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:26 am

I thought that Hughes borrowed an ME 262 much later than Jet Pilot. Wasn't he trying to set some sort of speed record? As I recall one of the 262s surviving was originally a cannon armed model and noses were swapped etc. to put together the best combination of mechanical reliability and aerodynamic cleanliness. Leaving another of the survivors (NASM example?) to have one nose rebuilt into another model.

Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:54 am

Regardless of "Jet Pilot's" dubious script and plot line, I always love the end scene starting with the F-89 ejection on the ramp through the B-50 dropping Chuck in the X-1 for it's last flight.
I also find it amusing that John Wayne is standing on the X-1's door after he lands and then runs to the T-33. Would any test pilot have stood on that door while it was on the ground? :shock:

Jerry

Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:11 pm

Tough crowd! Maybe you guys would prefer Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music... :lol:

Mon Sep 28, 2009 1:21 pm

Django wrote:Tough crowd! Maybe you guys would prefer Mary Poppins or The Sound of Music...

Sound of Music! :supz:

Nothing like diss'n Nazis! :lol:

Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:45 pm

Well, I just saw it during the weekend and thought "what a great pic"! yes, the script is lame but what aerial scenes! For the planes alone the film does worth one's attention (yes, Janet included

). And the stereotyped US vs USSR thing. Great. Completely baroque.

Don't remember seeing no Me 262 in it though but I wasn't looking for one.

Mon Sep 28, 2009 3:55 pm

Thanks all-looks like the 262 didn't make it on to the film (be nice to see what went on the cutting room floor!)
Yes the 262 is FHC example. Its photo reconnaissance nose was removed and replaced with a standard fighter nose from 500491(NASM example) in order that it might be tested against the P-80.
Hughes wanted to race it around 1947-48 and it was supposed to be in the movie in 1949......

Dave

Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:30 pm

Don't know about any Me 262's being used but the Convair XF-92A painted with MiG-23 on the tail fin was filmed but wound up on the cutting room floor. Photo in Wings of Fame Volume 17.
mike13

Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:53 pm

mike13 wrote:Don't know about any Me 262's being used but the Convair XF-92A painted with MiG-23 on the tail fin was filmed but wound up on the cutting room floor. Photo in Wings of Fame Volume 17.
mike13

The T-33 that played the MiG in the movie still exists you know. It is in the storage area at Pima awaiting reassembly. It'll be diplayed in the movie markings.

James

Tue Sep 29, 2009 12:40 am

T-6G Pilot wrote:okay, granted the movie isn't the best but man, I can sit through it just to ogle at Janet Liegh!

I sit through it every time for the same reason