Model airplanes in the old WW II movies.

[Pauli72]

Hello everyone, Happy Independence Day.

I know this is a bit off topic, but I was just wondering if anybody had any recommendations for their favorite(s) military aviation movies. Most of the older WW II era movies made extensive use of model airplanes on strings for combat scenes. Then they would edit in actual gun camera footage and combat movie footage with it, for some pretty cool action scenes in those old movies.
The reason I bring this up is because there have been several on TV lately, a few of which I'd never seen or even heard of.

A few that come to mind are:

-The Malta Story (1953) - With a very young Alec Guiness 'Obi Wan'. This movie has lots of British Spitfires & some German Stukas.
-Flying Leathernecks (1951) - Starring John Wayne. Corsairs, F6F Hellcats? ( I think ), and Zeros.
-633 Squadron (1964) - Extensive use of RAF Mosquitos in this one.
-12 O'Clock High (1949) - Starring Greggory Peck. Lots of B-17s, and Me-109s/ FW-190s.
-Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970) - P-40 Warhawks, and lots of Zeros

Thanks, and all recommendations are welcome.

[SteveM]

Favorites:
Flying Tigers (1942) - John Wayne
Thirty Seconds over Tokyo (1944) - Doolittle raid
Midway (1976) - Charlton Heston, Toshirô Mifune, Robert Mitchum and Henry Fonda

Worth watching:
Pearl Harbor (2001)
Mosquito Squadron (1969)
The Dam Busters (1955)
Captains of the Clouds (1942)
Red Tails (2012) - Tuskegee Airmen, Cuba Gooding Jr.

[The Cameraman]

Mornin' Guys n Gals,

you can't not include the superb 'Battle of Britain'!

[Wildpig]

Battle of Britain (1969) I was wondering when someone would mention it. There are several scenes that use model airplanes. They get blown up.

[rayd]

I often enjoy watching aircraft in movies....here are a few more:

-Sink the Bismarck....lots of Swordfish biplanes torpedo the heck out of Germany's once huge warship.
-The Tuskegee Airmen (HBO home video w/Laurence Fishburne)..an earlier version of Red Tails film you might also like.
-Spitfire (1942)...the Supermarine excelled on floats during air races. An inspiring plane as war clouds were looming.
-Das Boot....yes, off topic, but some great aerial shots including twist at end. A tense, interesting submarine war movie.
-Can't resist this..not WWII, mostly Vietnam, but I'm psyched with Porter PC6 I recently obtained. See Air America film.
-Memphis Belle...B-17s galore, and talented actors in film.
-Those listed by members earlier also good, and there are likely many more films; various planes, fighters, bombers of interest. A salute to the brave warriors who flew those missions and maintained those planes for real.

[Xanadu]

Midway, Pearl Harbor.

[Pauli72]

Awsome list going guys! Thank you.

There are a few in there that I've never seen or heard of, and that's exactly what I've been looking for.

I was amazed that my local public library had a couple of these to lend for free.

If anybody has any more suggestions, by all means, please list them.

[karolenaz]

One of the best movie of ww1 is Red Baron watch it!

[Bill Gaylord]

Battle of Britain (1969) I was wondering when someone would mention it. There are several scenes that use model airplanes. They get blown up.

They also used rc airplanes built and flown by master modelers such as Dave Platt. I have a photo in a magazine with him and a few other modelers holding their planes.

[Pauli72]

Hey Bill.
I was wondering if some of those shots in the Battle of Britian movies planes blowing up were R/C planes, or "flying" on a string. Thanks for the info.
What size/scale do you think they were?

I wonder if the same model makers worked on 633 Squadron? They blow up a lot of RAF Mosquitos in that one. Very similar shot frames & special effects.

Love those old movies with real models in them. Even the old Godzilla movies before CG special effects. lol! They're so corny, but the models & scenery are always pretty cool.

[Bill Gaylord]

Hey Bill.
I was wondering if some of those shots in the Battle of Britain movies planes blowing up were R/C planes, or "flying" on a string. Thanks for the info.
What size/scale do you think they were?

I wonder if the same model makers worked on 633 Squadron? They blow up a lot of RAF Mosquitos in that one. Very similar shot frames & special effects.

Love those old movies with real models in them. Even the old Godzilla movies before CG special effects. lol! They're so corny, but the models & scenery are always pretty cool.

I have a photo in a magazine of the model planes, if I can find it. Offhand I remember Dave Platt and a few other modelers holding subjects of maybe 1/8 or 1/7 scale.

[slopemeno]

Here's one.

[slopemeno]

That famous Stuka shot...

[slopemeno]

Here's the B-25 that captured a lot of that great air-to-air footage. Now you know how they did it.

[Pauli72]

Thanks for the pictures slopemeno.

After talking about the movie a few days ago with Bill Gaylord, I just had to pop it in & watch it with a more inquisitive eye last night. I always forget just how great those special effects in Battle of Britian were for 1969. Heck,...they'd be great for 2012 too!
In the opening sequence where the Stukas are divebombing the radar towers is awsome! The Spitfire v. Stuka combat scene is filmed and edited perfectly.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVBO61qg-kc

The gentleman holding the Spitfire....is that Dave Platt?