Warbird Information Exchange

Jack's right - There was actually two P-40's used in the filming of 1941. Tom Camp was the pilot for the movie and used his P-40 for the filming. However, Tom sold that P-40 while the movie was still in production and they needed one more scene filmed (Grand Canyon scene) so he used my Dad's second P-40E for that scene. Kermit now ownes that P-40E and I believe it's in Art Teeter's shop (Got banged up badly in Hurricane Andrew).

O.k. I'm a little fuzzy on this but I think I'm correct: The 4 bladed P-40E belonged to Gil Macy and was later owned by Tom Camp. This is the same P-40 Tom flew in "1941". When Gil Macy owned it, they belly landed it while filming Tora Tora Tora and messed up that prop. The other P-40E in Tora Tora Tora belonged to Dick Woodson and was aquired from the auction (Tallmantz). It was the E model with the N canopy. I think that airplane is now in Texas but I'm not sure.

I was hoping you'd chime in here...

Okay, two airplanes. That thought had crossed my mind, but I just plain wasn't sure.

John, your Dad's P-40E that was used in the film and currently owned by Kermit Weeks... that would be AL171, yes? Do you have any photos of that ship or know where I can find any? I think I have seen some shots showing the wings at Art Teeter's place, but that's it.

EDIT: Almost forgot... John, do you know who was flying your Dad's P-40 in the movie?

As to the P-40s from 'Tora Tora Tora', thank you for the info about the belly landing of AK979. I thought the damage done was to the canopy... didn't know she was bellied in. The other P-40 owned by Dick Woodson was AL152 and had been in Texas but is now in New Mexico as part of the War Eagles Air Museum.


I think there were named in an old ish of Air Classics, but I don't have that rag anymore. The two P-40s were AK979 and AL152, so I'd assume that their owners, Gil Macey and Dick Woodson would have been the pilots. But then again it ain't always good to assume things...


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Hey, that P-40's got a Buchón spinner!

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Olivier Lacombe -- Harvard Mk.4 C-GBQB

Make it five...A story I read at the time of production said Frasca's P-40 was used for later scenes since it was already based in Illinois.
It seems John Belushi was in Chicago filming "The Blues Brothers" when it was decided to shoot more scenes of him in the aircraft.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

FWIW....Remember all those Tora, Tora P-40 mockups that were blown up in the airfield scenes? One of them survived the carnage and was "crashed" again in the movie 1941. It survived 1941 and was obtained by the Cradle of Aviation museum here on LI and was displayed throughout the 1980's. They put it back together and painted it up in OD over neutral gray camo with the shark mouth. I remember one of the museum members describing the makeup of it including the T-6 landing gear, the C-45 wings and the electric motor. I have pics of it somewhere from the 80's. However since reopening the museum 3 years ago, it is not on display. I'm not sure if they still own it.

I may be recalling incorrectly, but I remember that some close up shooting was
done in one of the hangars at Champaign (CMI) possibly using Frasca's P-40 or a
cockpit mockup. definitely included people tied to "1941". had to have been in the
1978-9 timeframe as I heard about it relative to activities with the glider club around
that time.

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Rich Miller

They used Rudy Frasca's P-40 for the close-up of when Belushi broke the Coke bottle (made of suger) in the cockpit.

They Pilots who flew in Tora were a couple of guys that the studio hired - not guys in the warbird movement. They might have even been pilots who flew them in WWII.

The P-40's that they used in the background of Tora were mock-ups with real nose-cases bolted on plywood and brand new P-38 props! But, the P-40's that were "taking off" and crashing were actually tube fuselages with REAL ALLISON ENGINES and mounts, nose cases and P-38 props! They used Twin Beach outer wing panels and brand new T-6 landing gears and wheels. OH..... THE CARNAGE!!!!!!!! It's painful to watch.

One last thing......in the scene when the P-40's are crashing on take-off....they really were totally out of control and the extra's really were running for their lives....that's a real P-38 prop flying across the tarmac! They put radio control units in the P-40's with the real engines and props and never factored in the torque.....................so...............they hit the power, props over sped, torque took the planes went out of control, extras were running for their lives and lots and lots of stuff was gone forever!

[quote="John-Curtiss Paul"]The P-40's that they used in the background of Tora were mock-ups with real nose-cases bolted on plywood and brand new P-38 props! But, the P-40's that were "taking off" and crashing were actually tube fuselages with REAL ALLISON ENGINES and mounts, nose cases and P-38 props! They used Twin Beach outer wing panels and brand new T-6 landing gears and wheels. OH..... THE CARNAGE!!!!!!!! It's painful to watch.]

John-Curtiss,

I had no idea that there were actual ALLISON engines in them! If you see my post above, one of the replicas survived and was on display at the Cradle of Aviation museum in the 80's. I have pics of it somewhere and I'll scan them and post them on photobucket. I emailed the museum and asked what ever became of it since it is not on display. I hope it is still intact somewhere as it is historical in its own right.

Peter

Isn't there still one of the P-40 mockups on display in Hawaii at Wheeler?

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Here it is as of 2001...


Image source: unknown web

Some more shots of it here, from 1988...

http://www.midwaysailor.com/photos/warhawk.html


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Thank you BlackWolf!

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

No prob guy!

I used to have some shots of these replicas being constructed. I think they were in an old Air Classics rag... hope I didn't toss it. If I still have that ish I'll scan and post 'em.


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