Aces: Iron Eagle III movie poster.

Movie (1992)

Starring:
Louis Gossett Jr. (Charles 'Chappy' Sinclair)
Rachel McLish (Anna Morales)
Paul Freeman (Gustav Kleiss)
Horst Buchholz (Leichman)
Christopher Cazenove (Palmer)
Sonny Chiba (Horikoshi)

Chappy Sinclair discovers a drug smuggling scheme operating between a Peruvian Cartel and a US air force base. Finding officials to be either corrupt or unable to help he decides to destroy the drug cartel's facilities and overthrow their brutal hold over the people of a small village himself. To do this he is joined by three fellow aged aces who, due to a lack of official backing, have to use the ancient, unsophisticated second world war craft they fly at an air show.

Also from this series:

Iron Eagle
Iron Eagle II
Iron Eagle IV

Lockheed P-38J Lightning

Chappy's aircraft in this movie which is used throughout. At the end of the film it is given to him by its owner. This beauty is currently with the Planes of Fame Air Museum and is thought to be one of only 6 airworthy P-38's left.
Registration N38BP. Formerly USAF 42-23314. Serial 422-4318.

Supermarine Spitfire FR.Mk.XIVc

This Spitfire is flown by Palmer, a British pilot. It is shot down by a Peruvian fighter jet towards the end of the movie. An error is that the registration should consist of two characters then the roundel.

North American P-51B Mustang

Flown by the German veteran Leichman this plane is described as a Messerschmitt 109 but in reality it really is an American P-51 Mustang painted in German livery. The plane is shot down by Kleiss's "Messerschmitt 263" at the end but Leichman manages to successfully bail out from it.

North American T-6

This plane is flown by the Japanese 'ace' Horikoshi and is described as a Mitsubishi Zero but it really is a white washed T-6 Texan. The plane becomes heavily damaged after being shot at and rather than crash into the ground Horikoshi pulls a Kamikaze move and flies straight into the C-123 of the villainous General Simms destroying both aircraft.

Fairchild C-123 Provider

This aircraft is the one used by the cartel to smuggle cocaine into an American airbase. At the end of the film it is commandeered by the General Simms who is in league with Kleiss but he fails to get away as Horikoshi flies into him.

Scaled Composites ARES

Described as a Messerschmitt 263 (what Leichman describes as the plane that would have won Germany the war) but that model never made full production. Instead it is a prototype aircraft named the RUTAN/Scaled Composites ARES. The villain Kleiss uses this to get away but it is eventually shot down by Chappy in the P-38.