"The Dam Busters" - Movie aircraft. Finished pics & back story (at last!) pg 18.

[zenrat]

We all know how movies, tv, and the media love to get it wrong.  Well imagine if you will what would happen if during the 1960s a movie studio had decided that Operation Chastise, filmed from an American point of view, would make a good star vehicle.
Casting to be decided, but obviously the mission would have been flown in daylight (so much easier to film) using B-17s equipped with Upkeep bombs.

My victim will be a 1/72 Academy B-17E to which an Airfix Bouncing Bomb will be grafted.  I have no idea how easy this will be or even if it will fit...

[Rick Lowe]

I have no idea how easy this will be or even if it will fit...
 

Sounds like something they might just have thought of, RW...

If the Airfix part doesn't fit, use something else - the movie did, IIRC, as the weapon was still pretty secret...
Or call it a 'Hollywood Special', where they just threw something that looked close under the airframe... it's not as if they never did something like that anyway, right?

[PR19_Kit]

Would this be an RAF como'd B-17, or an 8th Air Force NMF B-17? or even OD maybe?

[zenrat]

OD.  Flying a shiny NMF B-17 across occupied territory in daylight below treetop height would just be ridiculous...   

[Old Wombat]

OD.  Flying a shiny NMF B-17 across occupied territory in daylight below treetop height would just be ridiculous... 

Will it have wavy leading & trailing edges on the wings?

I can't actually find any photo's/images of B-17s with that scheme but it was common on many USAAF ETO bombers of the period.

This is the closest I could find (Memphis Belle).



Or maybe some other variation?


Note: This one may be the actual Memphis Belle but the nose art is too blurry to be sure.





Possibly not the Hawai'ian scheme;

[zenrat]

The words "Hawai'ian Scheme bring pineapples to mind.  On a pizza...

No decision regarding exact scheme details have been made.

Obliging starting pictures.
B-17 Op. Chastise 01 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
B-17 Op. Chastise 02 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[PR19_Kit]

But will the Upkeep bomb actually fit in a B-17's bomb bay?

The bay doors will have to go, I'm sure.

[Gondor]

But will the Upkeep bomb actually fit in a B-17's bomb bay?

The bay doors will have to go, I'm sure.

I may be jumping the gun here Kit but as the real Upkeep bomb was carried exposed then if zenrat fits the supports for the bomb inside, or close to, the bomb bay then it should work well. I would remove the ball turret though and maybe fit a gun through a blanking plate in a similar way to what was done in the Upkeep Lancasters.

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

Yeah, maybe, but a B-17 sits awfully low compared to a Lanc.

[Leading Observer]

So this version of "The Dam Busters" will be as accurate and factually correct as the movie U-571 was about capturing an Enigma machine?

[Wardukw]

So this version of "The Dam Busters" will be as accurate and factually correct as the movie U-571 was about capturing an Enigma machine?

100% as accurate LO mate 👌   

[Rick Lowe]

So this version of "The Dam Busters" will be as accurate and factually correct as the movie U-571 was about capturing an Enigma machine?

100% as accurate LO mate 👌   

In the True Hollywood Historical Ethos! :-/

[Wardukw]

So this version of "The Dam Busters" will be as accurate and factually correct as the movie U-571 was about capturing an Enigma machine?

100% as accurate LO mate 👌   

In the True Hollywood Historical Ethos! :-/

Or Kits second rule 

[Rick Lowe]

So this version of "The Dam Busters" will be as accurate and factually correct as the movie U-571 was about capturing an Enigma machine?

100% as accurate LO mate 👌   

In the True Hollywood Historical Ethos! :-/

Or Kits second rule 

True... ain't that the way most Gub'mints work, too?

[Rheged]

So this version of "The Dam Busters" will be as accurate and factually correct as the movie U-571 was about capturing an Enigma machine?

100% as accurate LO mate 👌   

What is "Accuracy"?  and what does it mean?  Just  asking for  a reporter acquaintance!