"The Blue Max"

[snakehunter]

I was watching it the other day and noted that the British fighters looked exactly like SE 5s except the props were mounted at the top of the cowling instead of at the bottom. Was there an SE 5 model made in that configuration? If not, what did they use to simulate the SE 5

[Guamsst]

Great, now you got me thinking, I hate that! I'll have to look, in my head I remember the SE5 having it at the top. Most of the planes they used were very late post war trainers I believe. The Brits had many biplanes up into the first couple of years of WW2.

[Guamsst]

The SE 5 has the prop just a bit above or right at center from what I can see. The Australian one on wiki looks to be below center though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Aircraft_Factory_S.E.5

another discussion

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?34806-The-aircraft-in-the-quot-Blue-Max-quot

A Currie Wot based replica as used in the film.

[Griff Murphey]

Guam,
The ones with the high props are replicas. The real ones have the prop pretty well centered or just a bit low. I suspect there was a little variation on the real ones, but they definitely were not as high as that Aussie replica. A lot of the real ones used 4 bladed props.

Blue Max had the Irish Army using No. 4 Enfields playing both the WW-1 German Army and the British Army. The "secret" german monoplane George Peppard is killed in test flying at the last is a 1930's French fighter.

Some repro SE-5s are seen in the DiCaprio film THE AVIATOR in the part about Hughes' WW-1 movie HELL'S ANGEL. Another tip off is that most of the repros are built at reduced scale. I think the one shown above is about 3/4 scale.

[snakehunter]

I was watching it the other day and noted that the British fighters looked exactly like SE 5s except the props were mounted at the top of the cowling instead of at the bottom. Was there an SE 5 model made in that configuration? If not, what did they use to simulate the SE 5

Thanks for your responses guys. I found a couple of original pictures from WWI and the props are mounted about half way down between the center and bottom of the cowling.

[John Sukey]

Not only did the movie use the Irish army for both sides, but the only thing they changed for the german side was the helmets! Oh, and the "german" helmets were also Irish free state from between the wars!

[Mike Josephic]

None the less (even with all of the historical "liberties"), It's still a favorite movie of mine and a great story.

Mike

[Griff Murphey]

Agree, quite entertaining and as a long time viewer of them I am well used to Hollywood's shortcuts, everything fromTrapdoors playing Civil War muzzle loaders in RED BADGE OF COURAGE to OS2U Kingfishers used as float Zeroes in THEY WERE EXPENDABLE and how many mg belts of blanks and bandoleers full of GI 30'06 dummies have we seen in closeups!??

One of my favorites is the USMC 2Lt in LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA who takes the 1911 off of General Kobayashi's body, shown clearly hammer back, safety off, and sticks it inside his waistband. And I love the way actors "clean" guns. They just rub them and rub them.

[Guamsst]

One of my favorites is the USMC 2Lt in LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA who takes the 1911 off of General Kobayashi's body, shown clearly hammer back, safety off, and sticks it inside his waistband. And I love the way actors "clean" guns. They just rub them and rub them.

Well, I can't comment on the mental capacity of every grunt but I do know more than a few guys have done that....some had better luck than others. I carry my 1911 hammer back safety off.....not in my pants and with a holster blocking the trigger.

As to cleaning guns.... I wonder how many prop guns look like chrome now from all the rag wiping sessions. I did note the other day while watching America The Story of US, that they showed some continental militiamen wipng down their muskets. One of the extras must have been a gun guy because he stopped a guy, took the rag away and started wiping out the flash pan and said "Keep all this in here clean and it will save your life". It was kind of weak, but atleast it was more than polishing.

[Guamsst]

Oh, and atleast Blue Max didn't due like so many tank based movies and use the exact same vehicles for both sides.

[Sean P Gilday]

Not only did the movie use the Irish army for both sides, but the only thing they changed for the german side was the helmets! Oh, and the "german" helmets were also Irish free state from between the wars!

And those "German" Helmets were made in the UK by Vickers

[Sean P Gilday]

Most of the aircraft used were converted DeHavilland Tiger Moth trainers. there was a Replica Pfalz and triplane. A great movie from my child hood, but the one thing that really gets me annoyed is how the Maxims are fired. By the way the Observer Stachel shoots is using a Bren not a Lewis

[RCS]

DR 1 models

Always enjoy building and posting DR1 model photos. These are old Monogram 1/4 scale kits
from years ago. I believe the DR1,s used in Blue Max were not full size ?

[Guamsst]

If I ever win the mega millions I really want a hand built blueprinted Spad or DR1. Ofcourse, with some modern improvements to the engine so it won't coat me in oil and stall out constantly.......and a parachute.... a really good parachute.

[John Sukey]

Interesting fact, parachutes were available and used by baloon observers But the "Brit War office" didn't issue them to pilots "because pilots might "Not tend to fight their aircraft but bail out instead if they got into trouble!"