Bad is right

I only watched the opening couple minutes, but that's not a Beaver-- looks like a Howard to me. Although the Beaver was introduced the same year as this movie (1947), a Noordyne Norseman would be a more typical bushplane of that era.

That's a Norseman. Classic old airplane......can't say the same for the movie.

If you ever have the opportunity to see a Norseman under restoration, do it. The wings are a virtual lumberyard.

MTV

I scrolled ahead a little this time and that is definitely a Norseman at about 4:30 into the movie, but the airplane in the opening scene is not a Norseman. The tail's different, plus look at the MLG protrusions where the forward float rigging attaches to the fuselage on the Norseman-- they're missing on the opening scene airplane which I'm pretty sure is a Howard DGA15.
I had an uncle who worked as an A&P in Alaska in the early 1950's, and to hear him tell it- not only were the Norseman wings a virtual ulumberyard, they could literally haul a lumberyard. Way more airplane that the Beaver-- and probably why DeHavilland came up with the Otter.
Timeline
1935: Noorduyn Norseman:
1947: DHC Beaver
1952: DHC Otter

Howard. An early one. DGA-8 maybe? Doesn't have the guppyish belly of the later models. But wing tips and strut-to-wing fairings give it away, also the flat back of the fuselage.

Yes, it's a Howard in the opening aerial shots, with the Norseman appearing around 4:00+/-.

Hollywood has always seemed to have a weak eye for accuracy when it comes to airplanes in films, especially older ones. At least they were both on floats....

If you watch the video longer you will see that they are suppose to be two different planes and pilots.

Yeah, but the movie is so painful to watch past the first couple of minutes! It fits up there with the WWII Army movies on how to avoid gonorrhea.

Cary

Well, here is a decent film with a Norseman on floats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... lI2qAzQh9U