More on the plane

Many older threads are now missing from this discussion, one of them with some fine detail about the plane from Aerofiles. Some can be found at Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_Came_Back#Production

Almost a character in its own right, the airplane used in Five Came Back is the Capelis XC-12, built in 1933 by Capelis Safety Airplane Corporation of California. The plane is described at an American aviation history reference and research Web site, Aerofiles:

XC-12 1933 = 12pClwM rg*; two 525hp Wright Cyclone; span: 55'0" length: 42'0" load: 3000# v: 220/190/65. Dr John E Younger; POP: 1 [X12762]. All-metal; triple biplane tail; partly-retracting gear, which extended automatically when the throttle was closed.

Funded by local Greek restaurateurs as a promotional aircraft, and constructed with help from University of California students. US patent #1,745,600 issued to Socrates H Capelis, of El Cerrito, in 1930 (a modified application for patent of the design with a half-span dorsal wing and two more engines appears in 1932). The main spar was bolted together, and much of the skin attached with P-K screws rather than rivets. These tended to vibrate loose, requiring tightening or replacing every few flights. Promotional tours were soon abandoned, and its career ended as a movie prop, appearing in ground roles in several motion pictures (Five Came Back 1939, Flying Tigers 1942, others) before reportedly being scrapped c.1943. Flying shots in films were of a model; the plane itself was grounded by the studio's insurance company. http://www.aerofiles.com/_ca.html

I remember reading that the Capelis XC-12 was essentially a scam by Greek-American con artists to get local Greek businessmen to invest in a new aircraft company. The one airplane they produced was a shoddy, un-airworthy, ungainly-looking monstrosity that ended its days as a movie prop. The aircraft was so dangerous that RKO's insurance wouldn't allow it to be flown. Shots of it in flight were done with a miniature replica.

It's an ugly sonofabitch, ain't it?


All the universe . . . or nothingness. Which shall it be, Passworthy? Which shall it be?

Was this the same plane as in Lost Horizon as well? It's been awhile since I've seen that one though.


Conquer your fear, and I promise you, you will conquer death.

Thanks for posting this thread and thanks to all who answered. I saw this movie for the second time tonight. This time I just happened to pay a bit more attention to to the plane and realized I did not know what kind it was. I thought it was a Lockheed Electra but it did not look right.

I became a bit of an aviation buff when I was a kid. Our farm in Missouri was near the Dines Hill radio directional device for planes. I can never remember the ezact name of those facilities.

We had many planes fly over our farm when I was a kid. Most numerous at the time were the "Flying Boxcars". The twin boom cargo aircraft like the one used in the original movie "Flight of the Phoenix."

I was privileged once to see the Goodyear blimp (rare sight in those days) go over our farm at a fairly low altitude. I waved at the pilots but will never know if they saw me or not. An odd thing happened right after it passed over our house. Our dogs spotted it and tried chasing it. They gave up pretty quickly when the lead dog seemed to realize it could not be caught.

Our farm was also a place where McDonnell/Douglas did low altitude tests of their Phantom jets which were being used in the Vietnam War. I always took a second look when they flew over. I would wonder if the particular plane I was looking at would be shot down or if it would survive the war. I suspect that a number of those I saw back then were shot down.

Thanks for posting this thread and thanks to all who answered. I saw this movie for the second time tonight. This time I just happened to pay a bit more attention to to the plane and realized I did not know what kind it was. I thought it was a Lockheed Electra but it did not look right.

I became a bit of an aviation buff when I was a kid. Our farm in Missouri was near the Dines Hill radio directional device for planes. I can never remember the ezact name of those facilities.

We had many planes fly over our farm when I was a kid. Most numerous at the time were the C-119 Fairchild Flying Boxcars. The twin boom cargo aircraft like the one used in the original movie "Flight of the Phoenix."

I was privileged once to see the Goodyear blimp (rare sight in those days) go over our farm at a fairly low altitude. I waved at the pilots but will never know if they saw me or not. An odd thing happened right after it passed over our house. Our dogs spotted it and tried chasing it. They gave up pretty quickly when the lead dog seemed to realize it could not be caught.

Our farm was also a place where McDonnell/Douglas did low altitude tests of their Phantom jets which were being used in the Vietnam War. I always took a second look when they flew over. I would wonder if the particular plane I was looking at would be shot down or if it would survive the war. I suspect that a number of those I saw back then were shot down.