Warbird Information Exchange

Gents,

Just watched Never So Few, during the airfield attack scene what looks to be a P-35 is set on fire. Does anyone have any info or corrections on this? I searched the board/net over with no luck on the subject.

Thanks,

Gary

The P-35 set on fire was a wooden mock-up that had been bouncing around Hollywood for years and finally met it's end.
Jerry

_________________
"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Jerry,

Do you know any more about it, what was it built for or who built it? Seversky mock-up or pure Hollywood? Seems a little too detailed ,correct (save for the cartoon prop!) and a bit of an odd ball airplane not to have a story. Also the other aircraft that looked a little Kate-esque (side shot and cockpit burning any ideas on that girl?

While I am bugging you, the UC-78 with a C-47 serial any history on that bird? I would guess the L-1 would be the Tallmantz machine?

Hi Gary;
Here's some info that I have on this "airframe".

This was the wooden mock-up of the P-35 "Drake Bullet" originally built by MGM for the studio process shots for the film "Test Pilot" in 1938.
It also appeared in "Too Hot To Handle" also from MGM in 1938.
Later it was used in "Flight Command", 1940, "Pilot No. 5", 1940, and much later in MGM's 1959 film, "Never so Few", where it was destroyed by fire while portraying a Japanese aircraft, on Lot #5 at Culver City.

Here's a bad image of the mock-up on the set of "Pilot No. 5";


As far as other Japanese aircraft in the film or at least said to be used are The Air Museum's (POF) A6M Zero, and a Ki-84 Frank. There is a photo of both of those aircraft along with the P-35 mock-up in one of my books, but I'll have to track it down.

I've got no idea on the UC-78 ID, but at that time there were a lot more of those aircraft around to use in films. James farmer's wonderful book, "Celluloid Wings", states that the UC-78 was still on the MGM lot in December of 1969 just before the famed "MGM Air Force" was sold off or scrapped.
Hope that helps!
Jerry

_________________
"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Thanks a ton Jerry, looking forward to those pictures.

in your debt for the info,

Gary