The MBB Bo 105 helicopter is not a prop for a chase but the setting for a fight. In the opening of Spectre, a green Bo 105 lifts over Mexico City with Daniel Craig’s Bond and the assassin Sciarra grappling inside it. It is a light twin-engine aircraft with a surprising pedigree, and in our view the most interesting machine in the film.
In the film
Bond meets Sciarra in the pre-title sequence of Spectre (2015), set during the Day of the Dead in Mexico City. The fight takes place inside a green Bo 105, which Sciarra had intended as his escape. We have not been able to trace which individual airframe appeared on screen.
The details of the MBB Bo 105 helicopter
The first of its kind. Eurocopter describes the Bo 105 as the world’s first light twin-turbine production helicopter. Work on a helicopter in the two-tonne class began in 1963, and the first flight came in February 1967.
A hingeless rotor. Early tests in 1966 proved a rotor system without conventional hinges, using titanium for the main rotor and glass-reinforced plastic for the blades. The blades flex instead of pivoting. The practical result is less vibration, easier maintenance and a helicopter that answers the controls very quickly.
Aerobatic by design. That quick response is why the Bo 105 can loop and fly inverted, something almost no other helicopter is cleared to do. Twin engines, dual hydraulics and a dual electrical supply paved the way for aerobatics.
A long working life. Some 1,425 had been built by 1997, and production stopped in 2001. It still flies in civilian, military and paramilitary roles in around 35 countries, and it is particularly associated with rescue and offshore work. It is anonymous on screen, but its record is not.
Owning it now
Nobody buys a Bo 105 on impulse. With production ended in 2001, almost any example for sale is pre-owned, and the right one is defined by its paperwork: maintenance records, hours, history and a thorough inspection. A qualified pilot or engineer should be involved before any money moves. Our button runs an eBay search for the Bo 105, where models, parts and the occasional aircraft listing appear; for an airworthy machine, use a specialist broker.
If what attracts you is the machine rather than the film, we would start with the type’s story. A helicopter built for work that is also capable of aerobatics is the kind of object a considered life makes room for, even if only as something to know about. For the film itself, our Spectre page and our Daniel Craig page are the places to begin.
Specifications
| Model | MBB Bo 105 (Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm), originally developed by Bölkow |
|---|---|
| Type | Light twin-engine, multi-purpose helicopter |
| First flight | February 1967 |
| Production | 1,425 built by 1997; production ended 2001 |
| Engines | Two Allison 250-C20B turboshafts (as listed for a National Test Pilot School example) |
| Rotor diameter | 9.84m |
| Length | 11.87m |
| Height | 3m |
| Never exceed speed | 150 knots |
| Service ceiling | 5,200m |
| RRP | No current RRP; sold pre-owned |
Questions
Is this the helicopter Bond fights in during Spectre?
It is the same model, but we cannot confirm the airframe. Bond fights Sciarra inside a green MBB Bo 105 in the Mexico City opening, and we have not traced the specific helicopter used for filming.
Can you still buy a new MBB Bo 105?
In practice, no. Production ended in 2001, so almost any Bo 105 for sale today is pre-owned. A specialist aircraft broker is the usual route.
Can a Bo 105 really fly upside down?
Yes. Its hingeless rotor and twin-engine, dual-system design make it one of very few helicopters able to fly loops and inverted manoeuvres, which is why it is still flown in aerobatic displays.
How many Bo 105 helicopters were built?
Around 1,425 had been built by 1997, and production ended in 2001. It still serves in about 35 countries.
For more of what Bond drives and flies, see our vehicles collection.
