Thu Aug 18, 2005 4:32 pm
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).
Thu Aug 18, 2005 4:46 pm
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.
Re: p-40
Thu Aug 18, 2005 6:30 pm
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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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.
Jack Cook wrote:Now my question is who were the P-40 pilots in Tora-Tora-Tora???
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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Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:24 pm
Hey, that P-40's got a Buchón spinner!
Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:14 am
BlackWolf3945 wrote:Aha! Well, now there have been three people to say that it was Rudy Frasca's Hawk and with the fella who made that post it's four.
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.
Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:38 pm
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.
Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:46 pm
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.
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.
Mon Aug 22, 2005 2:05 pm
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!
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!
Mon Aug 22, 2005 6:19 pm
[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
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
Tora mockup
Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:56 am
Isn't there still one of the P-40 mockups on display in Hawaii at Wheeler?
Re: Tora mockup
Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:25 pm
Chris Brame wrote:Isn't there still one of the P-40 mockups on display in Hawaii at Wheeler?
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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Mockup photos
Tue Aug 23, 2005 5:32 pm
Thank you BlackWolf! 
Tue Aug 23, 2005 8:37 pm
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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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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