Beechcraft from Octopussy.

I was visiting the Aviodrome, the Dutch airplane museum, with my wife and saw they had a Beechcraft Model 18 standing there.

beechcraft1.jpg

So I turn to her, all knowledgable, and mention that they used a Beechcraft in a James Bond movie once. She nods and sais: “Yes they did. In Octopussy.”

beechcraft2.jpg

Normally my wife doesn’t really share my enthousiasm for all things Bond, so I am pleasantly surprised and ask her how she came to remember that.

“Well honey, it’s quite simple” she tells me; “It’s mentioned here on the plaque. This was the actual plane that they used in the movie.”

beechcraft4.jpg

It still even has the handles that were attached to facilitate the stunts outside the plane. They did however repaint it in it’s original 1945 color scheme.

beechcraft3.jpg
"Christ, I miss the Cold War."

Comments

  • The Bond ExperienceThe Bond Experience Newtown, PAPosts: 5,490Quartermasters
    Sweet!
  • jimmybondijimmybondi ShrublandsPosts: 328MI6 Agent
    No piccies of you climbing on top of the roof? :D
    gez.
    Jimmybondi

    007fyeoturboespritbronz.jpg
  • Mister WhiteMister White The NetherlandsPosts: 814MI6 Agent
    jimmybondi wrote:
    No piccies of you climbing on top of the roof? :D

    Nah.

    That's no fun if it isn't in flight... :D
    "Christ, I miss the Cold War."
  • Sir MilesSir Miles The Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,769Chief of Staff
    Excellent stuff !

    Such a shame they painted it :(
    YNWA 97
  • icsics Posts: 1,413MI6 Agent
    “Go out and get him”…” out there”…. :D

    Thanks for posting
    -{
  • philipturlandphilipturland Posts: 6MI6 Agent
    Hi

    I purchased this aircraft from Aces High at North Weald a number of years ago to assist in the restoration of our Beech 18

    please check our website www.beechrestorations.com

    we needed the engines from this aircraft for ours - so the engines you see were not used in the film.

    i have a couple of pictures of this aircraft when we had it and some of when it was in the film - will see if i can post them tomorrow

    Also we still have the whip antenna that roger moore used on mr gobinda

    i think the reg of the beech was N75W

    will check

    regards

    philip
  • philipturlandphilipturland Posts: 6MI6 Agent
    here is a picture of it before the film

    http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1143268/

    N75WB was the registration.

    It is a C-45H model and the UK reg was G-BKRG

    here is a picture of it at North Weald in 1988 http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1093661/

    and another in the really bad paint scheme when we bought it

    http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1047941/

    click on the pictures and they open much larger in a new window

    under the paint on the nose there was still the Khan nose art - a tiger with a sword..... I have a pic of that somewhere.

    cheers
  • philipturlandphilipturland Posts: 6MI6 Agent
    scroll to the bottom of this page and the logo is on the nose of the plane

    http://007.graphicallstars.com/logos/octopussy/
  • MANDY1MANDY1 TISPosts: 2,608MI6 Agent
    Are ya gonna sell the whip antenna, i could use it in our bedroom :D :v
    Knowing who to trust is Everything in this business.

    TIS - "The moment you think you got it figured - you're wrong"

    Formerly known as Teppo
  • philipturlandphilipturland Posts: 6MI6 Agent
    i could be talked into it for the right kinda money or as many hot and cold running girls as i could cope with. :)
  • dickiebartdickiebart Posts: 220MI6 Agent
    Thats a pretty lucky find on day out! Great find, and thanks for the pics.
    http://www.007collection.blogspot.com check it! All my 007 autographs, toys, cars, books and more!
  • philipturlandphilipturland Posts: 6MI6 Agent
    tell you what i do have for sale - the original propeller blades from that aircraft.

    they stand about 4 feet high (guess from memory) and eight or nine inches wide, silver in colour

    each Beech 18 has 2 props and each prop has 2 blades connected to the hubs, so i have 4 in total. Would be interested in selling them to help finish the restoration of our beech.

    £800.00 each plus shipping or they can be collected.

    anyone interested please sen me a message - open to offers as well

    i can email pictures. Silver at the moment but i could paint them if you want.

    they are small enough to sit up the corner of a study or mans room - could be polished or chromed i guess to make them look very shiny.

    only selling 3 out of the 4 as i wanna keep one myself.

    fantastic piece of bond memorabilia.

    I can provide a certificate of authenticity and i can provide copies of the drawings specifying how the grab rail was to be fitted and copies of registration documents and all sorts of paperwork to go with each prop to help with the provenance.

    really this is a one of a kind - ok not quite as there will always be 4 of them.

    like i say if anyone is interested please get in touch either by email or pm
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