Goofs for
Reach for the Sky (1956) More at IMDbPro »

• Factual errors: When Bader is demonstrating his ability to fly the Hurricane to his new squadron of Canadian pilots, there is a long cut of the plane flying upside-down in a straight line. This was impossible in the Hurricane, as it had a gravity-fed carburettor. If you look carefully at the clouds, and how the sunlight reflects from them, the image has clearly been inverted.
  
  
• Anachronisms: The scenes set in the days leading up to the onset of the Second World War feature late model Mark XVI Spitfires with 'teardrop' canopies, four-bladed propellers and cannon in the wings. In addition, the serial number on one aircraft (VT151) was an unused number from a block allocated to Gloster for a batch of Meteor F Mk 4's. (The serial can't be V7151 either, as this was an unused number from a block allocated to Gloster for a batch of Hawker Hurricanes - Gloster being part of the Hawker group).
  
  
• Miscellaneous: During the meeting in Dowding’s office there is a RAF plaque on his desk with a Queen’s crown on it, which was correct for when the film was made, but when as the film is set in 1940 it should have been a King’s crown.
  
  

• Factual errors: When Douglas Bader is promoted and sent to command 242 Squadron at Coltishall, the Hurricanes bear the squadron code letters "SD". These were the actual code letters of 501 Squadron which flew Hurricanes in the Battle of Britain. The 242 Squadron codes were in fact "LE".
  
  
• Factual errors: In the opening scene, raw recruits at Cranwell carry out a short but very complicated drill maneuver in civilian dress. In reality they would have known nothing on that first day.
  
  

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