Re: Indy Planes

Posted by Mark Indy from user-37kah9u.dialup.mindspring.com on May 28, 1999 at 16:14:44:

In Reply to: Re: Indy Planes posted by Danno on May 28, 1999 at 15:20:20:

Hi John,

I don't know the floatplane at the beginning of Raiders, but the flying boat he hitches a ride on across the Pacific is a Pan Am Boeing 314, otherwise known as the Yankee/Dixie Clipper, then a Douglas DC-3 to Nepal. The flying wing is pure fantasy, but had it existed it would have probably been a Horten bureau design, like some of the others they built later on in the war.

In ToD it's a Ford Trimotor like Danno said.

The fighters in Crusade are Swiss Pilatus P-2 trainers... post 1939. Here's a little curious tidbit - they carry insignia of two separate squadrons/groups: the JG-53 "Pik-As" and the arched cat of II Staffel JG-21 from the Polish campaign, but that's just for the most fanatical trivia-seekers : ) I'm not sure whether Lucas wanted to depict Messerschmitt Bf-109s here, but the "Pilatae" pull it off just as well... that's one more thing I like about the Indy movies - I'm usually the first to complain when they stick a couple of crosses on a P-51 and tell us it's a Messerschmitt, but in this case Lucas pulled essentially a similar thing, and it works! They just "look" the part, which also goes for some other details in the trilogy - like the tank/sub/uniforms, etc... And they took care to give them proper paint schemes and markings too, sort-of.

I don't know the Zeppelin biplane, but it looks perfect for a period German design. Before that of course Indy and Marcus take another DC-3 to Venice.

Hope this helps.

Cheers!
Mark

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: Hi John,

: I don't know the floatplane at the beginning of Raiders, but the flying boat he hitches a ride on across the Pacific is a Pan Am Boeing 314, otherwise known as the Yankee/Dixie Clipper, then a Douglas DC-3 to Nepal.  The flying wing is pure fantasy, but had it existed it would have probably been a Horten bureau design, like some of the others they built later on in the war.

: In ToD it's a Ford Trimotor like Danno said.

: The fighters in Crusade are Swiss Pilatus P-2 trainers... post 1939.  Here's a little curious tidbit - they carry insignia of two separate squadrons/groups: the JG-53 "Pik-As" and the arched cat of II Staffel JG-21 from the Polish campaign, but that's just for the most fanatical trivia-seekers  : )  I'm not sure whether Lucas wanted to depict Messerschmitt Bf-109s here, but the "Pilatae" pull it off just as well... that's one more thing I like about the Indy movies - I'm usually the first to complain when they stick a couple of crosses on a P-51 and tell us it's a Messerschmitt, but in this case Lucas pulled essentially a similar thing, and it works!  They just "look" the part, which also goes for some other details in the trilogy - like the tank/sub/uniforms, etc...  And they took care to give them proper paint schemes and markings too, sort-of.

: I don't know the Zeppelin biplane, but it looks perfect for a period German design.  Before that of course Indy and Marcus take another DC-3 to Venice.

: Hope this helps.

: Cheers!
: Mark

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