The Lost Squadron on TCM

[Barrett]

Just caught about the last half hour. Thought I saw a BrisFit...
and...
I DID! I DID!

From 1932

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lo...ron#Production

Some of the Lost Squadron airplanes are familiar-looking N.28s, which prompted me to check the two iterations of Dawn Patrol:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da...rol_(1930_film)

and

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Da...rol_(1938_film)

Still some discussion about the single-strut 28s, possibly Garland Lincoln's rebuild or mix-and-match versions.

[Gregvan]

Hi Barrett,
Yes, "The Lost Squadron" is a weird "meta" film, a movie about the making of a movie. Erich von Stroheim chews the scenery magnificently as the demented German director. One or two of Garland Lincoln's Nieuport 28's - real 1918 planes, but modified with I struts, etc - make a few quick appearances, and the plane crashing into the roof of the "WWI Village" set is an old Tommy Morse Scout. It was actually dropped/pushed from a higher platform for that scene. The Brisfit is a mystery, a highly modified version painted in black with white "Iron Crosses" and masquerading as a German two-seater. It may have been one of the Brisfits built in the USA. It does seem to actually fly in the movie's final scenes.

Here's the Brisfit, with extras playing extras who were portraying German ground troops.


Here's the real Nieuport 28 that appears briefly in the film. Yes, Garland Lincoln had modified this one with I-struts, a Tommy Morse engine cowling, clipped wings and an odd fin/rudder modification. Armed with a Marlin MG. This one also appeared in some of the ground scenes of the 1938 "Dawn Patrol".



Here's the Thomas-Morse Scout crashing into the roof of the ruined French farmhouse set.


In this retouched view, you can see the prominent tailwheel that was fitted to help it to roll off of a higher platform.