A container from an autogyro cockpit that was used in James Bond film You Only Live Twice has been put up for auction with an estimate of £150,000 to £300,000 in a sale including other 007 memorabilia. The sticker-decorated nacelle cockpit, dubbed Little Nellie, was used in the Lewis Gilbert-directed 1967 Bond movie starring Sir Sean Connery as 007 tried to locate the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s (Donald Pleasence) volcano base and shoot down his henchmen. Scottish actor Sir Sean sat in the cockpit during the scenes of early take off featuring Q (Desmond Llewelyn), but the plane was actually piloted by wing commander, autogyro proponent and stuntman Ken Wallis.
Autogyros look similar to helicopters but use unpowered autorotation to get off the ground. Former Wellington bomber pilot Wallis, who died aged 97 in 2013, would regularly perform stunt events and air shows, and achieved various records by flying the machines. The nacelle, which is being sold during Propstore’s Entertainment Memorabilia Live Auction, is decorated with stickers from events Wallis attended, and contains an inscription saying: “This is the original ‘Little Nellie’ cockpit, as flown by me.
Ken Wallis 007!” Also up for auction is the hand-painted poster art from 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, also fronted by Sir Sean. Illustrated by Robert McGinnis, it has an estimate of between £150,000 and £300,000, and features Sir Sean holding a gun alongside two women. A James Bond licence plate, Dan.