While the iconic World War I film The Blue Max is widely known
Less known is the fact that the famous film differs quite a bit from the novel by Jack Hunter. In the book, Stachel survives testing the prototype fighter and meets Herman Goering. Being controversial, the future Reichsmarschall was written out of the film.
Little known is the original Blue Max shooting script ended with Stachel, now Jasta C.O., flying crucial mission against the Americans at the end of the war. He was given one of the last, apparently much sought-after Albatros D.Vs. "Take care of it! It's the last one you're likely to get!" Kogenluft HQ admonished him. If there'd been a sequel, they'd have probably given him an Eindekker.
Pre-production began in 1964 when the German firm of Bitz Flugzeugbau was contracted to build many flying reproductions needed for the aerial sequences. Of course, the first one Blitz Flugzeugbau made was Stachel's suped-up Albatros D.V for the finale.
Twentieth-Century Fox was pleased Blitz Flugzeugbau completed the Albatros replica in only seven weeks, but was less pleased with the lozenge pattern.
Because of a mis-translation, Blitz Flugzeugbau used a lozenge pattern that Twentieth-Century Fox thought was far too bright and might appear cartoonish on film. The studio also disagreed with the white fuselage which they thought was uncomfortably close to Goering's notably all-white aircraft. Blitz Flugzeugbau at least was able to get a better lozenge on later replicas, but they put the Albatros aside to be recovered later. Unfortunately, due to projected cost over-runs, to save on the number of flying sequences, the ending was changed to the one we all remember.
Blitz Flugzeugbau hoped the Albatros might be used in another film but it was unfortunately eaten by goats in a freak accident.
Today, the only evidence that there ever was a Blue Max Albatros are these remaining studio test shots.
Brian da Basher
