This historic film collection has all the best aviation films from the WWII era. There is copious amounts of footage of many different types of planes in many different types of wartime situations. See how a plane is built and then learn how to fly! This one-of-a-kind selection has the most valuable aviation documentation from 1942-1946.
Included Films:
Tuskegee Airman Tribute
Tuskegee Airman Tribute
Produced: 1990
Length: 15 Minutes
Under Public Law 18, it was decreed that an air school to train African Americans for military services should be formed. Its inception saw the rise of the Tuskegee Airman, the first all black squadron. With arduous training and aviation expertise these air force pilots would fight in the greatest war of all time, World War II, before they had fully gained equal rights in their own country. “Tuskegee Airman Tribute,” pays homage to the brave men who forded unfamiliar skies to fight for a country they believed in, breaking barriers and flying into the future of equality in the process.
Target Invisible
Target Invisible
Produced: 1945
Length: 8 Minutes
Target Invisible dramatizes a bombing mission over Japan to illustrate how radar helped the United States defeat the Japanese in World War II. Using a deftly assembled mixture of actual WWII footage and produced drama, the film details radar in action. It shows the radar operator on a B-29 bomber (the most famous WWII plane) using his equipment to navigate, spot enemy planes, and zero in on the ground targets of the planes bombs. Target Invisible is an eye opening look at WWII Air Force operations and the technology they employed.
Birth of the B-29
Birth of the B-29
Produced: 1945
Length: 20 Minutes
Birth of the B-29 is an astonishing World War II propaganda film fraught with anti-Japanese racism and pro-American production of the super fortress B-29 bomber. The movie sets the Japanese up as an enemy known for their brutality, showing executions and other scenes of carnage. Then, the narration informs us that the way to win against such a ruthless foe is through air power, with Americas deadly new bombers. The wing is so light a girl could lift it with about the same effort as adjusting a flower in her hair! – such is the wisdom of this antiquated film. The B-29 was larger, could carry more, and fly farther without needing to refuel than any previous war plane. The footage of the factory, where workers from all walks of life labored together, shows laborers stopping to gaze at the skies and listen for the music of the planes flying overhead. The scenes of mass scale machinery and production are breathtaking. This gorgeous footage and information, combined with the horrible racism, make Birth of the B-29 a captivating experience.
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D-Day Minus One
D-Day Minus One
Produced: 1945
Length: 16 Minutes
D-Day Minus One is a tremendous documentary that reveals the role of the lesser known Airborne Divisions the day before D-Day – when paratroops, gliders, and troop carriers landed in France behind enemy lines to prepare for the invasion of Normandy. A patriotic film that never falls into the usual traps of racism and jingoism, the film illuminates how these brave men engaged in heroic operations that prepared the way for, or worked in concert with, the epic invasion that next day. The footage of these troops being dropped behind enemy lines is excellent, and the narration stirring and moving. This vital exposure to the military experience in World War II is a fascinating walk through a momentous event in history. D-Day Minus One is unquestionably one of the best vintage World War II films ever made.
Mission Accomplished: The Story of the Flying Fortress
Mission Accomplished: The Story of the Flying Fortress
Produced: 1942
Length: 10 Minutes
A captivating film, Mission Accomplished: The Story of the Flying Fortresses is a superb WWII motion picture. This film documents the autumn 1942 bombing mission of the 8th Army Air Force over occupied Europe. The star of the film is the B-17 Bomber, the vaunted Flying Fortress, that soared through the enemy infested skies of World War II. Most interestingly is shown how the preparation of the planes and the pilots, from maintenance to briefings, was accomplished. Stunning aerial footage of the mission, as well as what happens to the Flying Fortresses when they return to base, consummates this awesome film. Thanks to high production values, top notch information on the B-17, and thrilling war scenes, Mission Accomplished: The Story of the Flying Fortress is a powerfully enriching experience.
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Special Delivery
Special Delivery
Produced: 1946
Length: 12 Minutes
Special Delivery is a promotional video made by the US Air Force to celebrate the strength and diversity of its aircraft. Beginning with an overview of the more conventional uses of air force planes during WWII, such as dropping soldiers, supplies, and provisions behind enemy lines, it then documents some of the rarer old airplanes, such as the flying wing. Other planes shown include the B-25 Mitchell, XF 12, XP- 84, XB 35, and C-74. All of these aircraft are an important part of military aviation history. The famous B-29 Daves Dream, is also shown doing atomic bomb drops on the Bikini Atoll during Operation Crossroads. Throughout the film, the narration claims that air power is important in the defense of America, but that it is equally useful in peacetime, proclaiming, Air power is peace power. Special Delivery is an absorbing trip through the types of old fighter planes used by the US Air Force as well as an amazing look at post World War 2 propaganda.
