Return to FLIGHTLINE II
Compiled by Marshall Cram mcram@rogerswave.ca
HTML Conversion by Michael Brunk (mbrunk@serv.net)
Strong military aviation content, set in naval air/air forces, on carriers, flying warbirds, and biographies that include military aviation content. Test pilot movies are included because they usually fly military hardware on the screen. POW movies and documentaries excluded. Start date for movie inclusion is appearance in the popular film guides (there are many, many more early movies and silents). Otherwise my arbitrary choice.
Aircraft variants are actual airframes that appear on screen, or their final military designation. In brackets is what they are meant to be. Replica means actual flying aircraft, mock-up refers to non-flying replica.
Those movie errors due to sloppy movie-making. Generally these exclude technical nits on aircraft versions (because of lack of the "right" aircraft still being available); and military aviation procedures.
Actors/Directors/Writers with actual military aviation experience noted. Technical Advisors excluded. Year is first release, titles are North American, with others in brackets. One key actor mentioned as a "memory jogger".
* = Still passing around the late show circuit, at least with in the last 10 years.
v = Available on VHS cassette in North America
I haven't seen more than a fraction of these, so I can't vouch for their content or availability. Current TV versions of many movies frequently have much 'air' footage seen in stills and film history books cut, hence their may aircraft listed that are no longer viewable.
Feedback, corrections, additions welcome, especially as to Non-North American
aviation movies. Since my server coverage is very spotty please mail me at
mcram@rogerswave.ca.
| A |
B |
C |
D |
E |
F |
G |
H |
I |
J |
K |
L |
M |
N |
O |
P |
Q |
R |
S |
T |
U |
V |
W |
X |
Y |
Z |
Above and Beyond Ace of Aces Aces High Aces: Iron Eagle III Aerial Gunner N.A. AT-6, Beech AT-11 Kansan, Lockheed B-34
(Ventura), North American BT-9's. Shot on
location at Harlingen Field, Texas.
Afterburn Air America 4 C-123K Providers (from 602 Sqd., Bangkok),
8 UH-1B/H, 4 Fairchild AU-23A Pacemakers
(Turbo-Porter, of 202 Sqdn. Lop Buri), 2 C-47.
Schweizer TH-300C(TH-55), Sikorsky S.58T,
C-130H, 2 O-1 Bird Dog hulks, US Civil Bell
47.
1 Fairchild C-123K Provider hulk plus a
full size C-123 mock-up for the first crash.
Bell UH-1 hulk. Turbo-Porter hulk rebuilt to
flying condition for the stunts.
Flying was done with Old Flying
Company (Ray Hanna) stunt pilots and Thai
pilot/crew; one on each one aircraft. The Thai
crews who maintained and flew these birds
carefully, by the book were apparently very
stressed by the stunts, and refused to risk
any of their Turbo-Porters in the strip landing
scenes, hence the need to rebuild a hulk.
Always Fairchild C-119F fire bomber (ex-RCAF;
N8093 of Hawkins and Powers, Greybull, Wy.)
Consolidated PBY-5A Super Cat (N5905C
of SLAFCO, Moses Lake, Wash.) waterbomber.
2 Douglas A-26C's Invaders from Lynch Air
Tankers: A-26C/TB-26C (N4818E) and A-26C
(N9425Z).
Beech 18, DHC Twin Otter, Decathalon, Douglas
C-54 in background. Bell 204 (UH-1).
The fire base site was a complete mock-up,
done at the Libby Aiport, Montanna.
Camera planes were B-25(N3675G), A-26, and the
PBY-5A.
Air Cadet (UK "Jet Men of The Air") Air Force Shot at Drew Field, Florida in August 1942.
Starring 10 Boeing B-17C/D from Hendrick Field
(Sebring, Florida), P-40C's, Republic P-43A
Lancer, Bell P-39D's, AT-6's (as "Zeros"),
from Drew Field (Tampa) 6 McDill AAF 397 BG
B-26C's ("Jap bombers")"I Wanted Wings" YB-17
mock-up. P-39, B-18 wrecks.
Stock footage, footage from "Dive Bomber",
and "Captains of the Clouds". SB2U-1 cockpit
section for close-ups. Models. Paul Mantz flew
camera ships - Lockheed Orion, Stinson Model
A, Boeing 100. Director Howard Hawks was
a USAAC WWI vet.
Air Strike Angels One Five 2 RAF Hurricanes Mk.I L1592 (Now Science Mus. "U
S/N") and P2617 ("US/B", now BoB Flt), and one
Hurricane Mk.IIc LF363 (BoB Flt-burnt out)
5 flyable Portugese AF Mk.II Hurricanes .
Avro Anson as camera plane. Actual Bf 110
hulk from a dump. Models. FLUB- RAF Hurricane
Roundels change from 1942 version to 1940
part way through movie!
Apocalypse Now Appointment in London Arise My Love Stinson A trimotor. Milland was a civilian
USAAF Flight Instructor, then did two tours
(on B-25's?).
Aurora: Operation Intercept Bail Out at 43,000' BAT*21 Battle Hymn They used Nogales Airport, Arizona ("Kimpo"),
a dirt strip created nearby (as "K-2 Taegu")
and Fort Hood. Filmed with 12 F-51D Mustangs
from 182 FBS, 149 FG Texas ANG F-51D's from
Kelly AFB, 2 USAF Reserve T-28A's playing
North Korean YAK fighters. Ceesna L-19A.
5 C-119C's (Farmer says C-119G's).
F-51D studio hulk eventually restored as
warbird (N44727). Another F-51D was supplied
by the USAF for the crash scene. A-26 camera
aircraft along with the Thunderbirds Support
C-119. Rock Hudson was in the USN in the
Philippines as an aviation ground crewman.
Actor Jock Mahoney flew F4U Corsairs.
Battle of Britain Huelva Beach in Spain played Dunkirk. El
Corporo AB near Seville was also used.
San Sebastion played Berlin. Tablada AB was the
He 111 base in the big base/inspection scene.
Over 25 of the 32 flying Spanish CASA 2.111D's
there appeared in the scene.
These were Spanish built He 111H-16's
(re-engined with Merlin 500-50's). Only 8
Hispano HA.1112M-1L Buchon ("Bf 109E") were
still airworthy in Spain, but a lot of work
got 18 in the air, and 10 more were able to be
used in the ground scenes. These were Spanish
built Bf 109 with Merlins. 2 CASA 352L also
appeared. (Ju 52/3m built in Spain with ENMASA
Beta engines).
After the Spanish filming, 1 CASA 2.111
and 17 HA.1112 (along with the sole Spit sent
to Spain) went to the UK. One Buchon was a
rare dual HA.1110K-1L.
In England the main shooting took place at RAF
Duxford- the hangar that got blown up in the
bombing scene quite upset the RAF who
apparently still wanted it. RAF Debden
was also used as a flying base. Katherine
docks and Dragon Road in London were used as
blitz sites.
The Spitfire air fleet used 12 flying Spitfires,
7 more taxiable, and 7 more static. (Mks. 1A,
IIa, 3 Vb, Vc, 2 IXb, 2 IXc, 2 TrIX, XIV,
8 XVIe, 4 XIX, 1 F.21) 6 more Spitfires were
used for spares. (Serials are too numerous to
list. The IIa was an actual veteran of the
Battle).
6 Hurricanes- 3 flying, 2 taxing, 1 static.
Junkers Ju 88R-1, He 111H-23, Bf 109G-2,
and Junkers Ju 87D-3 Stuka were supplied from
RAF collections but in the end they were not
used. For the numerous blowups mock-up
Spitfires, Hurricanes, and even one He 111
were made. B-25J Mitchell (N6578D-Chapter IX)
was used as a camera plane, as well as a
Sa. 318B Alouette II helicopter.
3 Percival Proctors were converted to flying
Ju-87 replicas but they were not used because
they couldn't handle dive pull-outs. Models
replaced them.
Lawrence Olivier and Ralph Richardson both flew
Royal Navy gunnery trainers at 757 squadron,
at Worthy Down, (Blackburn Sharks). Both were
reassigned after too many w/o's. Olivier did
in 5 planes in 7 weeks!
Driving force behind this movie was the
producer, Benjamin Fisz. He had joined 303
Squad on Spits in late 1940, a few weeks after
the Battle and later flew Mustangs then
Meteors. He used the book "Narrow Margin" as
his "bible" for story reference.
Galland, Dowding, Bader, Lacey, Ostercamp,
Gleve, Townsend, Tuck and Deere all visited the
various sets during filming. Dowdings friends
felt it gave him another year of life to see
the movie.
Battle of Eagles "Battle Squadron Lutzow" Battle Stations Battle Taxi The Beginning or the End Best Years of our Lives Some good parts are cut from the current TV
version, including half the aircraft footage.
Paul Mantz's B-17F (N67974) was used, as well
Mantz camera plane TB-25H Mitchell (N1203).
William Wyler, the director was
partially deafened filming "Memphis Belle" in
combat as a USAAF Lt.Col.(13 sorties). He also
shot the documentary "Thunderbolt".
Biggles: Adventures in Time (UK "Biggles") Big Lift The Blue Max Body and Soul Bombardier Bombers B-52 (UK "No Sleep Until Dawn")
Bomber's Moon Born to Love Breaking the Sound Barrier (US "The Sound Barrier")
A Bridge Too Far 12 Douglas C-47 from Danish(3), Finland(4),
and the Portugese AF's, in USAAF and RAF
markings. 7 full size Horsa glider mockups
Filmed at Deelen AB, Netherlands. Spitfire
HF.Mk.IXc (MH434), Auster III. Actor Lawrence
Olivier was an ex-RN utility pilot.
Bridges at Toko-Ri Some sources say it was shot on ORISKANY in
South China Sea, Tokyo but the aircraft were
clearly all from PRINCETON ("B" on tail).
Watch for 4 all-silver McConnell F2H-2P
Banshee photo reccon detach of VC-61 in
several deck shots. However when they launch
reccon., its a F9F-2P Panther in standard blue
("PP" code of the VC-61 reccon. detach). Makes
me think it was shot aboard both carriers.
Actor Holden was in the USAAF Special Branch in
the US. His brother never came back from a
Hellcat mission in the Philippines and this
must have been a hard role for Holden to play.
By Dawn's Early Light Call to Glory Lockheed U-2R, T-38, CT-39, Hiller UH-12,
Stearman, (C-130, KC-135A in background).
Watch for the Beale SR-71 barns in some shots,
kind of out of place in 1962 at Laughlin AFB in
Texas! The Call To Glory TV Series itself
was shot at Edwards AFB.
Canal Zone Captain Eddie Captain Newman, M.D. Captains of the Clouds 10 Civilian Norseman/Wacos/Fairchild 71
floatplanes at North Bay, Ont. (on Lake
Nipissing and Caribou Lake). The RCAF
Manning depot was real, it's now part of the
Canadian National Exhibition Grounds in Toronto.
Stars, in colour, RCAF Harvard Mk.II, North
American Yale (BT-9), Avro Anson I, Fairy
Battle IT, Northrop Nomad (ex A-17's),
Fleet Finch, Lockheed 12A.
6 RCAF Hudson's from RCAF Dartmouth, along with
Hurricane MK.XII (as a "Bf 109"). The officer
making the speech at the Wings ceremony was
actually Billy Bishop V.C., WWI ace, by then
an Air Marshal. Paul Mantz flew camera duties
in a Stinson Model "A" Tri-motor. Models.
Mock-ups.
Captive of the Land Captured Catch-22 Shot with 18 TB-25N's Mitchells(converted
B-25J's except one for one VB-25J) at Guaymas,
Mexico at a recreated replica USAAF
Mediterranean base.
Frank Tallman had to run a conversion course
for the -25 crews. The mass take off scene
was forced by the Hollywood crew over the
stunt pilots objections. Not only was it
dangerous, it was not very realistic.
Actor Norman Fell had been B-25 gunner in
Alaska. One cameraman fell out of the photo
TB-25H (N1203) and was killed. Yet another
B-25J hulk was bought in Mexico and burned
for the crash scenes.
Chain Lightning China Doll China's Little Devils Clipped Wings Coast Guard Command Decision All the combat footage was from the documentary
"Target for Today". Some footage was shot at
San Fernando airport in California using 2
Paul Mantz B-17F's (N67974 + ?). C-47. Models.
Capt. Gable, with much opposition trained as
an air gunner, then spent months and 5 sorties
in the 8th AF filming to produce "Combat
America". It was shot with the 352 BG on
B-17F's at Polebrook in England.
Actor Cameron Mitchell had been a bombardier,
Donlevy was a former USAAF Flight instructor.
The Courage and the Passion
Court Martial of Billy Mitchell (UK "One Man Mutiny")
Crimson Romance Crowded Sky "D.III-88: The German Air Force Attacks"
The Dam Busters The bombs were still classified then, so the
shape was guessed at. The ops room in the movie
was the actual 5 group Ops room at RAF Grantham
found locked up and dust covered. Dams used
were in the Lake Windmere area.
During the Richard Todd was said to have
been the first man out of a transport
on D-Day, apparently as a Para drop
zone marker.
Dangerous Moonlight (US "Suicide Squadron")
Darling Lili D.A.R.Y.L. Dawn Patrol Two staged crashes by Frank Clarke. Directed
by Howard Hawks, written by J.M Saunders, both
previously WWI pilots.
Desperate Journey Captain Reagan did join the USAAF but bad
eyesight, fear of flying kept him in a
California film unit.
Destination 60,000' Devil Dogs of the Air Also shot on the carrier SARATOGA, and with
the USS MACON dirigible. Mock-ups.
Devil's General Dirigible Dive Bomber Types include VB-3, VB-6 on Vought SB2U
Vindicators, NAF N3N-3's from RNAS Long
Beach. VS-6 Curtiss SBC-4's Helldivers,
Brewster F2A Buffalo of VT-3, Douglas TBD-1
Devastators, VB-5, VB-6 on Northrop BT-1.
A pparently the new Wildcats and Dauntlesses
were kept out of the scenes.
Curtiss Seagull SOC's, PBY Catalinas, PB2Y
Coronado, Vought OS2U Kingfisher
VF-6 Grumman F3F-2/3's. Background NA SNJ-3's,
Douglas Dauntless, Grumman Duck
Travel Air ("N3N"), Lockheed 10, Ryan STA
("RAF Fighter"). Seversky mock-up from
"Test Pilot". F3F-3 Mock-up from "Flight
Command". Models. Written by ex-Navy pilot
Spig Wead.
Dragonfly Squadron Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Peter Sellars had been a Aircraftsman in the
RAF during the war. Hayden was in the USMC.
Eagle and the Hawk Eagle Squadron The real footage was of Spitfire Mk.IIa, Vb of
71, 27, and 222 squadrons by their codes,
Westand Lysander, Wellington ("German Bomber"),
and a Lockheed 12.
Apparently the real Eagles, who were invited to
the premier were intensely embarassed by the
final result - making it sound like the handful
of Americans was winning the war for the RAF.
Empire of the Sun Shot at Jerez and Tablada AB, Spain in 1987
with 3 Mustangs: CAC-18 Mk.23(G-HAEC), F-51D
(G-PSID), P-51D/RCAF MK.IV Mustang (N51JJ).
Ex-Spanish AF T-6G's were modified as "Zeros".
Noted warbird driver Ray Hanna was one of
the stunt pilots.
Enola Gay: The Men, The Mission, and the Atomic Bomb
2 C-47's. Learjet 23 camera plane. Directed
by ex-B-29 navigator Lowell Rich.
The Eternal Sea Appears to be shot on the PHILIPPINE SEA with
the VALLEY FORGE. Carrier Air Group 11- F9F-2
Panthers, AD Skyraiders. ("V" On tails).
N.A. SNJ, Piasecki HUP-1 of HU-1 ("UP" code).
NATC Panther, and a Cutlass (?) in an awful
crash. C-54, C-47 in background. The SNJ's are
seen at shore training base.
Fail Safe Fate is the Hunter The USAF scenes were done with a C-54, a B-25
hulk, and a Fairchild UC-61 Argus at Whiteman
Air Park in California.
Backlot crash scene filming resulted in a
overhead airline Electra calling in a crash
alert! Written by ex USAAF Air Transport
Command pilot Ernest Gann.
Ferry Pilot Fighter Attack Fighter Squadron Filmed with 8 Van Nuys-based F-51D
Mustangs (as "Bf 109's")of the 195 FS CALIF.
ANG - verus 16 F-47D Thunderbolts from
the 128 FBS (4), and 158 FBS (4) of the Georgia
ANG, 156 FBS (4) of the North Carolina ANG,
and (4) 105 FBS of the Tennessee ANG.
Also a P-47D hulk from Wright-Patterson AFB
for crash scenes. Stock footage from the
documentary "Thunderbolt".
Paul Mantz B-17G in Opening sequence.
Mantz TB-25H Mitchell (N1203) photo plane.
Actor Rock Hudson was an ex-USN air groundcrew
and E. O'Brien was ex-USAAF.
Final Approach Final Countdown Shot on board NIMITZ during the first half of
of 1979, near Key West. Starring CAG-8 and its
units VF-41, 84 on F-14A Tomcats, VA-35 on
KA-6D Intruders, A-6E Intruder, VS-24 S-3A
Viking, HS-5 Sikorsky SH-3D Sea King,
VAW-?? E-2C Hawkeye, VA-82 and 86 on A-7E
Corsair II.
2 Confederate AF T-6/Zero replicas. shot the
intercept scene with the F-14's, staged out of
Boca Chica at NAS Key West. The F-14 almost
lost control during this scene. B-25, KA-6D
camera planes.
Firebirds FireFox "Flaming Sky" Flat Top (UK "Eagles of the Nest")
Shot on PRINCETON on the way to its second
Korea tour. CAG-19 with TBM Avengers of
VF-851, VF-871 on F4U-4 Corsair, AD-4
Skyraiders of VA-195. F9F-2 Panthers.
Lots of stock footage of Hellcats and
Helldivers. Just ignore those Skyraiders that
are always at the back of the deck behind the
Corsairs!
Flight Flight Command Sikorsky PBS-1 Flying Boat, VF-6 SBC-4 target
tug, N.A. SNJ's in background (?) Seversky
SEV-S2 and Ryan ST footage from "Test Pilot"
One of the USMC pilots in the air scenes was
one Lt. Greg (Pappy) Boyington.
Paul Mantz flew Orion, Boeing 100, and
Lockheed Orion camera planes.
Flight Commander (This was originally "Dawn Patrol". It was retitled after the
the second version came out in 1938)
Flight from Ashiya Several Grumman SA-16B Albatross, Sikorsky
HH-19B's, possibly of the 3 ARS, Air Rescue
Service.
Watch when Widmark is flying a DC-3 from 1941
Manilla to a remote village. It has post-war
Japanese civilian registration, and the remote
village looks a lot like a USN base, complete
with high tension towers in the background!
Flight Into Darkness (French "L'Equipage", The Woman I Love"
1 Flight Lieutenant (Originally "He's My Old Man"?)
Flight Nurse Flight of the Black Angel
Flight of the Intruder A-6E Intruders of VA-122, 128, 126, 165.
C-2B Greyhound, SH-3 Sea King, A-3 Skywarrior,
F-4 Phantom (both on deck only), A-7E Corsair
II, MiG 17, and two (AD-4N and AD-6)
Skyraiders. The Intruder markings seem to be
Vietnam-era unit marks over the current low-vis
scheme and don't look right. Background
aircraft are clearly 1990's low-vis.
Flight of the Phoenix Famed stunt pilot Paul
Mantz was killed in the crash of "the Phoenix"
while filming.
Several derelict C-82A's of Stewart-Davis,
lying at Long Beach Airport were used. A North
American O-47A (N47225V) was also used as the
"Phoenix" in some scenes.
Flying Cadets The Flying Fleet Flying Fortress Flying Leathernecks Shot at MCAS Camp Pendleton during 1950-51.
Paul Mantz flew the camera TB-25H (N1203).
Actor Don Taylor was ex USAAF.
"Flying South in His Plane"
Flying Tigers Apparently the set was an authentic
reproduction of the AVG facility, but set on
a California studio ranch. The very odd
bomber is the the only Capelis XC-12 'Safety
Aircraft Transport' built. Current tape
version of "Flying Tigers" is now colourized.
Forced Landing For the Moment Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Incident:
Gathering of Eagles Strategic Air Command Boeing B-52G's,KC-135A's,
Lockheed T-33A, C-47 and Sikorsky H-19.
Titan I missile silos. Well made with some
great shots of B-52 scramble take-offs.
This appears to be one or two wings of
B-52G, half the scenes show Hound Dogs,
half with no pylons and missiles. Is this the
4126 SW at Beale AFB??? Oddly enough the 456SW
is thanked, but I can't locate this on the SAC
unit lists of the time.
Actor Kevin MacCarthy was ex-USAAF, and Hudson
was an ex-USN groundcrew.
"Goal in the Clouds" (Ziel Inden Wolken)
God is My Copilot One AT-6 glanced off a B-25 during filming of
the final mass air scene, killing 5 crew in
both aircraft (or just the T-6 pilot, according
to another source).
6 P-40 mock-ups from "Flying Tigers".
Curtiss A-25 (Helldivers), Lockheed A-29
(Hudson), Beech AT-11 Kansan Camera Ships.
FLUB-Japanese A/C ID Posters in briefing room
in one scene include a Constellation drawing.
It hadn't even flown in 1941! Models. Mock-up
SB2U-1as "Zero".
The Great Santini A Guy Named Joe Types shot at these bases included 8 21 BG
MacDill B-26 Marauders (as "Bettys"!), about
8 P-38E Lightning, 6 B-25B/C/D Mitchells
3 A-36/P-51 ("Bf 109's") C-47, Lockheed
Lodestar, Lockheed 12. Also 2 P-38E hulks,
BT-13, B-25 hulks (one of the P-38's and the
BT were still on lying on the MGM backlot in
'69). Actor Barry Nelson was in the USAAF.
Hanover Street Actually the USAAF had no B-25's in England,
using them in other theaters. Piper Aztec
camera plane.
Hell's Angels Types included 5 Thomas-Morse Scouts S4.C
(as "Camels"), 3+ SE.5, Sikorsky S-29 ("Gotha"),
this crashed killing a stuntman) 8 Fokker
D.VII, 2 Jennies ("Avro 504") Snipes?, Camels?
DH.4. Many Travelair 2000/4000's ("Fokker")
Many crashes both planned and accidental, 3
of them were fatal. DH.4, Travelair camera
plane. Models.
Filmed at several 1920's Los Angeles Fields-
Caddo (Van Nuys), Inglewood, Chatsworth,
Riverside, Encino, Santa Cruz, Glendale and
Oakland in the San Francisco area.
Hell Divers Written by Spig Wead. Shots showing the
then-secret carrier arrestor gear were removed
from the movie by the USN.
Hell's Horizon Her's to Hold High Barbaree Mainly used 2 PBN/PBY Catalina taken out of
storage at NAS North Island (2 PBN-1 hulks were
were sold for scrap in 1970 off the MGM backlot)
Stills show a PBY-5A with its lower vertical
tail.
Ryan PT-21, Paul Mantz Stinson L-1, Ryan STA
sportplane. Actor Cameron Mitchell was an ex-
USAAF bombardier.
High Flight Hot Shots The Hunters Hurricane "I Bombed Pearl Harbour"
Interceptor International Squadron The rest was filmed at Van Nuys and at Lockheed
Burbank with more pre-delivery Lockheed Hudsons.
Stock footage, models. Written by ex-Navy
pilot Spig Wead. Actor Tyrone Power became a
USMC Transport pilot during the war.
Into the Sun Iron Eagle Filmed in Isreal with F-16A, F-16B, IAI Kfir.
Part in the USA with Piper Tomahawk, Ceesna
C-150, Citabria, Lockheed T-33. Isreali C-130H,
and 707 in background. Art Scholl flew part
of the US stunts.
Iron Eagle II Part of the Isreali AF Museum is in one scene
(Nortlas, etc). Clay Lacey camera plane.
Can anyone give Isreali details? Have they
ever made a serious movie using their aircraft?
Iron Eagle IV Actually filmed in Canada in 1994 using three
CCF Harvard IV's (T-6J), Waco, Canadian Forces
CC-130 at Oshawa, Kirby and Downsview Airports.
Island in the Sky It's In the Air I Wanted Wings 132 BS, 9 BG B-17B's from March Field.
Douglas B-18 Bolo, Northrop A-17's in large
numbers.
Full size B-17B mock-up. Also models and
outakes from the YB-17's in "Test Pilot".
Paul Mantz flew Orion, Vega, and Boeing 100
camera planes. Some stock footage from the
documentary "Flying Cadets".
Of the cast Ray Milland joined the USAAF,
Wayne Morris became a Navy ace (he had 7
victories with VF-15 on Essex Hellcats),
later becoming a Lt.-Cdr. in the Naval
reserves. Brian Donlevy became a Flight
instructor, and William Holden joined the
USAAF. Writer Bernie Lay went on to command a
B-24 group in the 8th.
Jet Attack (also "Jet Squad")
Jet Job Jet Pilot Howard Hughes directed this around 1950, then
he sat on it for 7 years playing with the
footage and re-filming with newer fighters.
The main location was Edwards AFB around about
1950. N.A. F-86A Sabres, T-33A ("Yak-12"),
Lockheed F-94A Starfires, Chuck Yeager flying
the Bell X-1 on its last B-50 drop. Black
Northrop XF-89 Scorpion prototype (which had a
fatal crash shortly after), F-89, Convair B-36.
Yeager also flew much of the air-to-air Sabre
footage. Also apparently shot at Eielson AFB,
Alaska with an F-86A group. Boeing B-29, T-6,
C-47 on the ramp in background. FLUB-Watch the
"steal the fighter" scene- they steal the T-33
from a snowy Siberian base, but minutes
later are flying over a scrub desert!
Journey Together Actor David Tomlinson had been an RAF Flight
instructor during the war, and was later badly
injured in a Tiger Moth crash in the 1950's.
Jungle Patrol Keep em' Flying Stunt Pilot Paul Mantz flew his Boeing 100,
and Stearman C-3R. The "fly through the
hangar" scene, though, was actually flown by
R.L. Scott who was the base commander at the
time. (Of "God is My Copilot" fame).
Stock footage.
Ladies Courageous Shot on location at Long Beach AAF, California.
P-51B's, B-24D, P-40, P-47, B-17E "Suzy Q",
B-17G's, many C-47s, P-38, B-26 Maruader,
A-20 Havoc, B-25 Mitchell, Lockheed A-29
(Hudson), AT-6, Vultee BT-13 Valiant and
Douglas A-24 (Dauntless).
Lady Takes a Flyer Last Flight of Noah's Ark
4 other B-29A hulks were borrowed from the
famous China Lake B-29 derelicts. Two were
made into rafts, one was for the beach crash,
and the fourth was for studio fuselage
interiors.
Layfayette Escadrille (UK "Hell Bent for Glory")
Footage from "Men with Wings". Director
Wellman was a member of the Layfayette Flying
Corps (not the Escadille) in 1916.
"Legion Condor" Liliac Time (UK "Lone Never Dies")
The Lion has Wings Some good stock footage of pre-war RAF Hawker
Fury and Bristol Bulldogs, and war time
Spitfire and Wellington production. Actor
Robert Douglas became a Royal Navy FAA pilot
from 1939 to 1945.
The Malta Story 4 Spitfires Mk. XVI (bubble canopies), and
Spitfire hulks from the wartime boneyard.
The Marines Fly High The McConnell Story (UK "Tiger in the Sky")
McHales Navy Joins the Air Force
Memphis Belle Made with 5 flying B-17's:
3 Hispano Ha.1112 Buchon ("Bf 109's") (G-HUNN),
7 P-51D Mustangs (N167F; N51JJ both P-51D/RCAF
Mustang IV's; G-HAEC (CAC Mk.18), G-BIXL
(an actual 8th veteran) + 3 others).
Filmed at ex-RAF Binbrook and ex-RAF Duxford in
the summer of 1989. VB-25N camera plane
(N1042B), which went u/s, and and also an
Avenger, along with some of the B-17's used
as camera platforms.
Men of the Fighting Lady
Men with Wings Also a Whitehead replica, 1910 Curtiss pusher
replica, 6 Travelair ("Fokker's"), Fokker D.VII
(burnt!), Mantz Stearman C-3, 2 Boeing 100's,
NA.50 and several Jennies.
Camera planes were the Mantz Stearman C-3
and Lockheed Sirus. Apparently it was filmed
around Van Nuys, California. Directed by
ex-WWI SPAD pilot William Wellman.
Midway (UK "Battle of Midway")
PBY-6A Catalina (of the Confederate AF, later
crashed), T-6, C-130 Hercules (as an "Emily").
Douglas SBD Dauntless, another FM-2 Wildcat
for close-ups, SNJ modified as a TBD for
close-ups. T-6/Zero Replicas, T-6/BT-13
"VAL" Replicas.
FLUB- watch for the angled flight deck in some
shots, and Charlton Heston taking off in a
Hellcat, and switching to a Dauntless while
Vindcators fly behind him, then a Helldiver
before finally crashing in a Panther!
Stock footage from "Tora", "Dive Bomber",
"Flying Leathernecks", "The Fighting Lady",
and the documentary "The Battle of Midway".
Fonda actually was on Nimitz's staff at Guam,
Glenn Ford was on a Coast Guard forward
Picket at the real battle of Midway. Charlton
Heston was a B-25 radio operater/gunner in
Alaska with the 11 Air Force.
Mission Batangas Mission over Korea (UK "Eyes in the Sky")
"Moscow Squadron" Mosquito Squadron Murphy's War Stars Frank Tallman's Grumman J2F-6
Duck (plus a second?). Shot up the Orinco
River in Venezuela, using the Venezuelan Navy
Submarine CARITE (Ex-TILEFISH).
Navy Born Never So Few Cessna UC-78 (still on a movie backlot in 1969)
P-35 mock-up, Paul Mantz Stinson L-1.
Actor Brian Donlevy was ex USAAF FI.
1941 Normandie-Nieman No Time for Sergeants Not With My Wife You Don't
On an Island With You One of Our Aircraft is Missing
On The Threshold of Space (??)
Operation Crossbow/"The Great Spy Mission"
Operation Haylift A Perfect Hero Piece of Cake Filmed with a fleet of Spitfires, (rather than
than the Hurricanes which actually deployed
to France in 1940). Made with 5 Spits:
HF.Mk.IXc(MH434) LF.Mk.IXe(ML417), LF.Mk.IXc
(NH238), 1 Mk.Ia (AR213), 1 PR.XI (PL983),
and 6 mockups.
CASA C.2111 hulk ("He 111"). 3 Hispano
Ha.1112M-1L Buchon ("Bf 109E"- G-BOML, G-HUNN,
D-FEHD) and a CASA 353L ("Ju 52")
TB-25N Mitchell (N1042B) camera ship along
with an Augusta 109 helicopter.
Ray Hanna flew the underbridge scene.
Other noteable warbird stunt pilots included
Nick Grace, Charles Church, Stephen Grey,
and Howard Pardue. Also outtakes from the
"Battle of Britain" and models.
Pilot No.5 "Pour le Merite" Power Dive A Prize of Gold Project X Purple Heart The Purple Plain Made using DH. Mosquito PR.Mk.34/one T.Mk.4
of 81 Squad, Seletar, Singapore on a base at
Negombo, Ceylon. Avro Anson. N.A. Harvard in
the background. One T.Mk.3 Mosquito was
destroyed in the crash sequence.
Camera plane was a Short Sunderland of 205
Squad!
The Purple Twilight The Purple V Q-Planes (US "Clouds over Europe")
Airspeed Oxford, DH Rapide, 5+ DH Tiger Moths.
Actor Ralph Richardson was also a future RN
Fleet Air Arm utility pilot.
Reach for the Sky Shot in 1955 with Bristol Bulldog II (static),
Bulldog replica for crash. 3 Hurricanes -
with one flying (LF363-now BoB Flt.), and 2
Static examples. (Mk1 P2617 BofB Mus.?)
Mock-up Hurricane.
4 flying Spitfires, all LF.Mk.XVIe from 3
CAAAU at RAF Exeter (all had bubble canopies).
5 more ground examples.
Spartan Arrow (G-ABWP), Avro Tutor (G-AHSA-
Shuttleworth) and Avro 504K (E3404). Bristol
F.2B Fighter(D8096) in background. Models.
Studio Spit fuselage, Avro 504, Bulldog and
Bf 109 cockpit mock-ups.
Stock footage of various Luftwaffe types such
as He 111, Bf 109, Me 110, etc. (Most of the
Battle Of Britain gun camera footage seems to
show Fw 190's!) "Angels-One-Five" footage.
Red Flag: The Ultimate Game
The Right Stuff Shot at Edwards AFB 1982 with the Confederate
AF B-29 (N929B FiFi - the FAA wouldn't allow
them to carry the X-1 mock-up). Canadair
Sabre Mk.5 (N86F as F-86E), 3 T-33A from 144
FIS California ANG, 2 Flight Systems Canadair
CT-133 (T-33; N12413, N333MJ), 2 Luftwaffe
F-104G from Luke AFB (note wide tail)
Hunter F.Mk.51 ("Douglas D-558-2 SkyRocket"),
Crane Helicopter Sikorsky SH-34, 2 A-7E Corsair
2 A-4M Skyhawk from VX-5 China Lake,
3 SH-4G of VS-1 from for CORAL SEA carrier
segements. Corsair IIs and Sea Kings hadn't
even flown in 1958. About 20 USAF/NASA T-38's
for background shots at Edwards.
Also 2 T-6, 2 P-51D, 1 A-26, one civilian A-37,
Coast Guard HC-130 from Sacramento (background),
NASA C-47, Edwards F-4C, Cal. ANG F-106A
(background), T-28, Piper Navajo But few of
these appear in the final cut.
The US Army provided 12 UH-1, U-6, U-21, T-42
to support filming. Camera work done from
Art Scholl's DHC Chipmunk, Tallmantz B-25,
Clay Lacey Learjet, and a Hughes 500.
2 T-33's, 3 F-104B hulks from Davis-Monthan AFB
for cockpit shots. Pima Air Museum B-29
fuselage for interiors, the same as used in
the "Last Flight of Noah's Ark". Bell X-1,
X-1A, X-15 mock-ups.
Chuck Yeager is the bartender, and flew the
lead T-33 in the missing man scene, F-86 chase
for X-1 drops. Some base scenes were shot at
ex-Hamilton AFB as "Langley", "the Cape"
"Patrick" and "Edwards". Models (including
the Monogram B-29!)
Sabre Jet Sayonara Actor Red Buttons was ex-USAAF.
The Sea Shall Not Have Them
Ships with Wings Some good film footage, though, shot aboard the
carrier HMS ARK ROYAL during Aug-Sept. 1940.
Fairey Swordfish, Blackburn Skua, Barracuda,
etc. Silly models.
Sink the Bismark 633 Squadron Total of 11 Mossies, 5 were flyable, including:
Bf 108's (as "Bf 109's"), models.
TB-25J Mitchell 44-30861 camera ship and
playing an RAF transport. Directed by Walter
Grauman, ex-RAF Mitchell pilot.
Sky Commando Sky Devils Sky Pirates The Sky Raider "The Sky Raiders" The Sky's the Limit Slattery's Hurricane Sole Survivor Soldaat van Oranje (US-"Soldier of Orange")
Filmed in 1976 at Deelen AB in the Netherlands.
4 Harvard II (T-6) modified to "Fokker D XXI"
with spats and a single canopy. Tiger Moths
(as "Fokker C.V"), Fokker S.11 ("Stukas").
"Bf 109", C-47, Mosquito.
Son of Lassie Filmed in *colour* in Canada, during
Aug.-Sept. 1944 at RCAF Stn. Patrica Bay in
British Columbia, probably with 8 (BR) Squad
RCAF.
Curtiss Kittyhawk Mk.Ia's, Fairchild
Bolingbroke Mk.IV (Canadian built Blenheims)
Lockheed Ventura V. The Venturas are still in
their USN Navy scheme with the USN markings
painted out with darker paint. Also used a
Bolingbroke cockpit section (which was still
on the MGM backlot in 1969).
Spitfire (UK "First of the Few")
Shot with models, mock-up?, newsreel footage
of Schineder race (Supermarine Sea Lion),
pre-war German gliders, film of the prototype
Spitfire.
Lots of film of a Spitfire squadron verus
a Luftwaffe He 111 raid.
This footage was shot at RAF Ibsley with 118
Squad. and 501 Squadron between operational
sorties in late 1941. They were flying
Spitfire Mk.V's. Most of the aircrew were real,
many didn't make it far past filming.
The He 111 was a captured example (AW177) and
the camera plane was a Bristol Blenheim IV.
Actor Leslie Howard was killed 1 June 1943 when
his KLM DC-3 was shot down by Ju 88C-6's of
V/JG40 over the Bay of Biscay.
Squadron Leader "X" Squadron 992 Stairway to Heaven Star of Africa (?) Starfighter Starlift 3 MiG 15/MiG 15UTI's (actually ex-Polish
SBLim-2) and three T-33's, probably actually
Canadair CT-133s. Bell Jet Ranger.
Shot in the US.
Story of Vernon and Irene Castle
Stranger in My Arms Strategic Air Command Briefly or in the background are Beech C-45,
B-45, C-97, Sikorsky HH-19, Lockheed T-33A,
Douglas C-54, B-25. Watch for the swept wing
Convair YB-60 amongst the many -36's on the
huge Convair plant ramp as Stewart takes off
(freeze it as the gear comes up).
Story by Beirne Lay Jr. Both he and Stewart
were B-24 vets. Lay was part of the first 7
8 Air Force officers that arrived in UK in
early 1942. He was a staffer, later commander
of the 487 BG on B-24H/J. He was later shot
down but evaded capture.
Stewart was intially at Kirtland checking out
bombadiers, then he did a tour as a 4 engine
B-17 instructor. He then joined the 703 BS,
445 BG, 8th Air Force on B-24's as their
squadron commander. Stewart flew 20
missions, including group leader.
Jimmy subsequently became the
Group Ops. Officer with the 456 BG, flew wing
lead, but later could only fly the form-up ship,
(which he once kept going all the way to France
on the mission - it was highly coloured and
unarmed!) Next he became Chief of Staff in
2 Wing, 8th Air Force.
Post-war he stayed in the USAF reserve,
reaching Brig. General in 1959. Has been seen
flying B-58's, and B-52 combat in Vietnam.
Was commander of an aeromedical airlift group
at Travis AFB in the 1950's. (C-131). He
refused to allow his war record to ever be used
in the movies or as publicity.
"Stukas" Supercarriers Suzy Swing Shift Maisie Tailspin: Behind the Korean Airline Tragedy
Target for Tonight Also on location at High Wycombe in the real
Bomber Command headquarters with the real head
of B.C., Sir R. Peirse. S/L Pickard, who
appears in the film, later died in the famed
Mosquito attack on Amiens prison.
Task Force Aircraft included a Boeing 100 ("F4B-4"),
TBM Avengers, a Mantz DH.4, Orenco Model F
(as a "Vought VE-7SF"), 1 FM-1 Wildcat and a
SBD Dauntless hulk. Grumman F9F Panther and
N.A. FJ-1 Furies make a flyover at the end.
Stock footage, footage from "Air Force".
Actor Wayne Morris had been a wartime Hellcat
ace, and was a Lt. Cdr. in the Naval air
reserve.
Test Pilot The USAAC supplied a lot of hardware: all 12 of
20 BS, 2 BG Boeing YB-17's Flying Fortresses.
About 100 (?) Douglas B-18 Bolos and Northrop
A-17's from the 7 AG and 19 BG.
The military footage was shot at March AAF.
Civilian stuff was shot at Lindbergh Field,
Van Nuys, and on location at the Cleveland
Air Races in 1937. Models. B-18, Paul Mantz
Lockheed Sirius camera planes.
Thirty Seconds over Tokyo
Training filmed at the actual site, Hurlburt
Field (then Elgin Aux.#9). 12 B-25C/D Mitchells
from Mather AAF 336, 952 TS's. 3 more Mather
B-25's on studio carrier replica. Attack was
filmed around Oakland using B-25's, a burning
oil tank,and a B-24 camera ship from Kirtland
AAF.
A fullsize replica of 135 feet of the Hornet
deck was used for sound stage work. Also 1
C-47, N.A. A-36A Apache, Vultee BT-13, Douglas
SBD as Japanese planes. Models.
Apparently several B-25 crashes were caused by
this movie- pilots trying to imitate the
difficult practice take-off scene. It was not
as easy as it looked. Ex-Doolittle pilot Dave
Davenport flew it for the cameras (he was the
technical advisor on the movie).
This Man's Navy Wallace Beery actually *was* a Naval Cmdr.
on blimps.
Thousand Plane Raid Don Lykins flew the Air Museum '17 during the
field beat-up scene. Frank Tallman flew the
TB-25J camera plane (N1042B). FLUB- apparently
you see pick-up trucks and mobile homes behind
a taxing B-17!
Stock footage from "12 O'Clock High" and
"Memphis Belle".
Thunder Birds Thunderbirds Thundering Jets Top Gun Also shot at NAS Miramar and NAS Fallon for
some of the air-to-air footage. Quite a few
real navy aircrew appear in various shots.
Grumman F-14A Tomcats of VF-1, VF-51, VF-114,
and VF-213 with fictitious markings. Northrop
F-5E's (as "Migs"). A-4F Skyhawks, USCG San
Diego Sikorsky HH-3F. Clay Lacey Learjet 25
camera plane.
Tora! Tora! Tora! merican forces include 2 Kittyhawks Mk.1a
(ex RCAF-N151U, N1207V; P-40's) one
P-40N (N222SU), C.V. Canso (PBY-5A), N.A.
P-51's, 1 PT-17 Stearman, N.A. SNJ (T-6).
5 B-17's: Also a Douglas A-24A (SBD, not used). 21 more
JSDAF T-6 were modified in Japan as replicas.
Camera planes used were the PBY/Canso, SNJ,
and a Jet Ranger. Filmed on location at Pearl
Harbour Naval Base, Hickham AFB, Ford NAS,
and Wheeler AFB. Ashiya AB in Japan for the
Japanese T-6's base. Barbers Point NAS was
used for staging as well.
28 Japanese replicas were flown off
Yorktown(II) with carrier qualified pilots.
Full size replica of aft end of Arizona. Full
size replica of 3/4 of the deck of Akagi, full
size above waterline replica of battleship
Nagato in Japan! Terrific models and 6 US
Navy ships.
27 Mock-up P-40's, Kingfishers, and
B-17's were blown up for the cameras. The
5 or so PBY's blown up were real derelicts that
had come from a Stewart-Davis storage yard in
California.
The B-17 crash-landing in the film was real,
when a gear hung up in front of the cameras.
Co-written by ex RAF pilot Larry Forester.
"Torpedo Squadrons Move Out"
Toward the Unknown (UK "Brink of Hell")
Lockheed XF-92 Starfire (as "XF-102") burned
up forthe crash scene!, 2 Lockheed F-94C
Starfires (one was flown by Pete Everest),
F-101 Voodoo N.A. F-100 Super Sabre,
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger,
Douglas B-66, Convair B-36, Douglas D-558 II,
Boeing B-47's, B-25 Mitchell, C-47, T-33,
F-84E/G/F Thunderjets, Sikorsky H-19.
Written by ex-B-24 Group Cdr. Beirne Lay.
Twelve O'Clock High Shot at an Elgin Aux. Field, and because the
white concrete runways there didn't look right
the take-offs and landings were re-shot at
Ozark Field(Now the main Ft. Rucker base).
6 QB-17G and DB-17G Drone Directors/Drones
(QB-17L/N?) from the 3205 DG At Elgin AFB, 6
more stock B-17G from storage in Alabama and
New Mexico.
Paul Mantz bellied in a radiation-contaminated
QB-17G for the cameras. Mantz also flew a
B-25 camera ship. B-17G fuselage in studio.
Script by 8th vet Bernie Lay, and Sy Bartlett.
Curtis LeMay was quoted after a screening:
"By God, there weren't any mistakes in the film
though I never would have believed it!".
(There was one or two that he missed)
Actor Gary Merrill was ex-USAAF.
20,000 Men a Year Twilight's Last Gleaming
Von Richthofen and Brown (UK "The Red Baron")
Wake Island The air footage was shot on Great Salt Lake.
Ground scenes at the Salton Sea in California.
USMC Squadron of Grumman F4F-3's Wildcats,
5 Ryan SC sportplanes leased from Ryan
("Nakajima 97's"), Boeing Model 130 Clipper
Stock footage.
Later during the war actor Robert Preston
became an Intelligence officer in the USAAF
9th Air Force.
The War Lover Filmed in England with with 3 B-17G's: 2
PB-1W's, both scrapped after filming, and a
CB-17G/VB-17G (now N9563Z Fuddy Duddy).
Shot at ex-RAF Bovingdon. TB-25J Mitchell
camera ship from Aero Assoc (44-30861).
The studio B-17 fuselage had actually been
one of the 3 famous Isreali B-17's, bought
after being broken up in Isreal.
One of the parajumpers drowned during filming.
John Crewdson flew the terrific B-17 beatup
at Bovingdon.
RAF Manston was used as well. They slso used
stock footage from "Memphis Belle" and and "12
O'Clock High". Watch for the Spitfire
attacking the B-17 in several scenes!
The Way to the Stars (US "Johnny in The Clouds")
RAF Hurricanes (56 OTU?), Bristol Blenheims II,
Douglas Bostons and Avro Ansons.
8th Air Force Boeing B-17G's. This footage was
shot at the 8th base of Grafton-Underwood
with the 384 BG, during April-May 1945. (The
only WWII "movie" footage shot by Hollywood
with an actual combat unit)
Written by RAF pilot Terrance Rattigan, and a
Capt. Sherman of the USAAF. Actor David
Tomlinson had been a RAF flight instructor.
West Point of the Air Starred the Paul Mantz Curtiss Pusher and
Lockheed Vega, Consolidated PT-3's,
Douglas BT-1 and BT-2's trainers , and a
Stearman C-3. Actor Robert Taylor became a
USN flight instructor during the war.
We've Never Been Licked (also called "Remember Pearl Harbor!")
Waco UPF trainers, 3 F4F Wildcats (as
"Japanese fighters"), Douglas SBD Dauntless,
Curtiss SNC Falcon, N.A. SNJ's, Douglas C-47,
Beech AT-11 ("Jap Bombers"). Stock footage.
Wild Blue Yonder (UK "Thunder in the Pacific")
Wild in the Sky A Wing and a Prayer Stock footage shot aboard YORKTOWN (II)
as it worked up in the Caribbean in 1943, with
Curtiss SB2C Helldivers of VB-5, F6F-3
Hellcats of VF-5 and Grumman TBF Avengers.
3 Douglas SBD Dauntless ("as Japanese
bombers").
Variants of all three types were used on a
full size replica of 400 feet of the YORKTOWN's
deck in a studio sound stage. 2 more TBF hulks
for crash scenes.
Stills show an over the bow landing and a rare
Essex-class hanger deck cat shot. (These were
probably equipment tests during the shake-down
cruise). Models.
Winged Victory USAF actors included:
Cpl. E.O'Brien, Cpl. Lee.J.Cobb, Cpl.Red Buttons
Cpl. Gary Merrill, Sgt. George Reeves, Cpl. Karl
Malden, Pfc. Martin Ritt, Sgt. Kevin MaCarthy.
Cpl. Don Taylor and Cpl. Barrie Nelson.
Wings Used over 300 pilots, mostly US Army. Many
(220+) USAAC planes, with at least one of
their pilots being killed. Shot at Kelly and
Brooks Fields, and Camp Stanley, Texas in 1926.
Types used include Spad VII (2 w/o in staged
crashes), Fokker D.VII (2 w/o in staged
crashes) 2 MB-3's were also deliberately
crashed.
Units included the DH.4's of 90 BS.
SE.5's, Thomas Morse MB.3 Scouts of 43 PS,
DH.4 and MB.2's of 11 BS, Curtiss P-1 Hawk of
17 PS, 27 PS, 94 PS, 95 PS, of the 1 PG, and
Vought VE-7's from Langley.
Thomas-Morse MB.3 and DH.4 camera planes from
Crissy Field, Curtiss NBS-1 camera plane.
USAAC balloons.
Written by F.J Saunders (ex-WWI pilot),
directed by William Wellman (ex SPAD pilot)
Actor Buddy Rogers became a USN test pilot
in WWII.
Wings for the Eagle Wings of Fire Wings of the Eagle (UK "Wings of the Eagles")
He was later seriously injured in a fall and
retired to movie script writing of aviation
epics. He returned to the Navy during WWII
as the pioneer of 'jeep' carriers.
1 Grumman F6F Hellcat, Standard J-1. Filmed
at NAS Pensacola. Corsairs in Background.
Paul Mantz flew the stunts.
Wings of the Navy Shot at NAS Pensacola (Corry and Chevalier
Fields), NAF N3N-1's, Stearman N2S-1's, Vought
03U Corsair, Vought SU-3 Corsair all from
NAS North Island. Vought VB2U's?.
NA NJ (BT-9) Trainers. Camera ship was
Mantz's Lockheed Sirus 8A. Accurate PBY
fuselage mock-up.
Wings of Victory Wings Over Honolulu Wings Over the Pacific The Women I Love Footage from the French version, made in 1935
as "L'Equipeage"(US "Flight into Darkness").
Apparently not a lot of air action in this.
"Wunschkonzert" X-15 The current TV version is "compressed" to fit
the screen, ruining the movie and distorting
all the aircraft.
Shot at Edwards AFB. Bronson actually was a
USAAF mech., then a Pacific B-29 gunner who
did a full 25 missions and was wounded.
A Yank in London (UK " I Live in Grosvenor Square")
A Yank in the RAF Mostly shot at Lockheed Burbank on pre-delivery
Hudson V's. Much footage was shot in the UK of
Spitfires specifically for the movie.
The Dunkirk beach was renacted on the Fox
backlot! Lousy Spitfire, Bf-109 mockups, models.
Tyrone Power flew Douglas R5D-3 (C-54's) with
USMC VMR-353 out of Guam, Okinawa, Iwo Jima
Kwajelein and the Philippines during the war.
He also flew Consolidated PB4Y transports
(B-24).
You Came Along Beech C-45, N.A. AT-6, Vultee BT-13, Boeing
B-17F, C-47, and 3 P-38 Lightings.
Young Joe, The Forgotten Kennedy
Kennedy died Aug. 13 1944 at the controls of
a PB4Y-1 Liberator robot drone. He was with
the very secret Special Air Unit at RAF
Fersfield under project "ANVIL".
Zeppelin There was a fatal mid-air during filming of
this one.
Zero Pilot Copyright (c) 1995 by Marshall Cram. All rights reserved.
1953 *v
USAAF- Robert Taylor(ex USAAF FI); Story of
Paul Tebbits and the B-29 atomic bombing.
Well made, almost like a documentary. Filmed
at Davis-Monthan AFB on B-29A, KB-29M's of SAC's
43 BG, 303 BG, B-17's(?), B-29 fuselage from
the "Beginning or the End" (it was still on
the studio backlot in 1969). Mantz TB-25H
(N1203) camera plane.
1933 v
WWI- R.Bellemy; American thought a coward
redeems himself as pilot. Apparently shot
around the Triunfo Canyon in California with
5 Waco 7's, Nieuport 28's, a Jenny, Lincoln
LF-1 (Nieuport Replica), and a Fleet. 2 SE.5
mock-ups. Waco Camera plane. Written by WWI
flier J. M. Saunders.
1976 *
WWI- M.McDowell; RAF. Remake of "Journey's End",
but set in the air. Anti-war slant on
dissillusioned WWI pilots.
Fokker D.VII replicas. E.III Endekker.
Cameo by Ray Milland, (ex USAAF).
1992 *v
USAF- Louis Gossett attacks drug lord with
Warbirds. Nice warbird footage, if you can
handle the story. Spitfire FR.Mk.XIVc (NH904),
P-38J (N38BP) from Planes of Fame East.
N.A. P-51C(?) in German marks. Rutan Canard
(as "Me 263"!!!). 3 SOKO Galeb jets, Cessna
twin, 2 Bell 205's. T-6/Zero replica.
Fairchild C-123K Provider. Filmed around
the Tucson, Arizona area (F-86D, T-28 on ramp
in background).
1943
USAAF- Richard Arlen (ex RFC and then USAAF FI);
Gunnery Training in the US, with the usual
combat glory at the end.
1992 *v
USAF- L.Dern; Widow sues General Dynamics
over F-16 crash. Cable movie, apparently based
on a true story.
1990 *v
Warbirds- Mel Gibson; Wild civilian pilots
fly CIA missions in Laos. Filmed in late
1989 in Northern Thailand using Thai Air Force
aircraft. Locations were at Chaing Mai Airport
and an airstrip at Hae Hong as "Long Tieng".
1985 *v
Warbirds- R.Dreyfuss; Remake of "A Guy Named
Joe" Romantic story set in fire bomber base
with dead A-26 pilot returning as a ghost.
1951 *
USAF- Rock Hudson(ex USN); Jet training.
Filmed on Location at Randolph AFB with T-6D,
Williams AFB with Lockheed T-33A, F-80B,
(TC-47B in background). Some very good
Shooting Star footage in this black and white
B movie.
1943 *v
USAAF- J. Garfield; Story of single B-17
and its crew from Dec. 6 to Pearl to
Australia. Very well done, and except for the
obligatory "wipe out the Jap fleet" scene,
realistic.
1955
USN- R. Denning (Ex RFC In WWI); Korean Navy
action set on the ESSEX. Details?
Denning founded and ran Radioplane during
WWII, building drones.
1952 *
RAF- J. Hawkins; Misfit Hurricane pilot in
Battle of Britain. Mainly made at RAF Kenley
and the real 11 Grp Ops. block at RAF Uxbridge
in 1951.
1979 *v
US Army- M. Sheen; Vietnam epic, quite bizzare.
Lot of UH-1, Hughes 369HS ("OH-6A"),
footage shot with the Philippine Air Force (?).
1952
RAF- D.Borgarde; Bomber Squadron 1943.
Lancasters.
1940
RAF- Ray Milland; Former Spanish war vet joins
the RAF, then eventually goes to the US as a
flight instructor.
1995
USAF- Aurora soars from rec.aviation.military
to the big screen! Of course this is fantasy.
1957
USAF- John Payne; Test pilots. Details?
Payne was a USAAF FI during the war, then
eventually retiring as a Brig. General in the
North Carolina ANG.
1988 *v
USAF- Gene Hackman; Vietnam FAC pilot
tries to rescue downed RB-66 crewman.
Based on a true story. Filmed in Malaysia
with Cessna 337 ("0-2A"), Malysian Air Force
Sikorsky S-61A (Note lack of ramp as "HH-3"),
Bell 212 (UH-IN), F-5E's, F-100 Super Sabre
stock footage. RB-66A model and mock-up.
1957 *
USAF- Rock Hudson(ex USN); biography of
Korean F-51D Pilot Col. Dean Hess. Quite a
bit of religious content. Hess flew one of
the F-51D for the cameras. Apparently in
reality Hess wasn't wracked by guilt, got
drafted back in 1948, led his Koreans in
air-ground attacks with nothing shot down.
The orphan airlift was 900 kids in 15 C-54's!
1968 *v
RAF/Luftwaffe- Micheal Caine and many others;
Detailed story of the battle, with the most
painstaking accuracy possible.
? v
Yugoslavian- Partisans battle Luftwaffe in
(Operation Lightning?) biplanes. Is this the same movie as "Operation
Lightning", also on video?
1941 Luftwaffe- Propaganda piece.
1956
USN- W.Bendix; Loosely based on the FRANKLIN
and her crisis after kamikaze strikes. Lot
of stock footage of the real FRANKLIN
The rest was shot on PRINCETON. Aircraft
included VC-3 F4U-4 Corsairs, VS-23 TBM-3S
Avengers.
1955
USAF- S.Hayden; Korean SAR Helicopters
Details?
1947
USAAF- Brian Donlevy (EX USAAF FI); Story of
the atomic bomb development, ending in
Hiroshima. Shot entirely on a backlot, using
a B-29 fuselage. C-47's, B-29 stock footage.
Written by ex Navy pilot "Spig" Wead. Actor
Barry Nelson was ex USAAF.
1946 *v
USAAF- Dana Andrews; Three men return from
WWII and try to adjust to civilian life. One
was a B-17 bombardier who suffers flash-backs.
Incredible shots of the Searcy Field, Oklahoma
boneyard, and Ontario AAF at Chino as acres of
B-17's, P-39's, BT-13's, BT-15's, C-47's,
C-54's etc. are cut-up for scrap.
1986 v
WWI- P. Cushing; Satire (?) on WWI
1950 *v
USAF- M. Clift; drama set in the Berlin
airlift, filmed on location in Berlin and at
Frankfurt in 1949. Real crews appear in many
scenes. Plenty of C-54's, C-47's, and even
P-47's (as "Russian fighters").
1968 *v
WWI- George Peppard; modern WWI drama.
Great biplane footage. Replica
Pfaltz D.III, Moraine 230 (reserve plane).
Albatross DII, 2 SE.5A replicas, Caudron 272
Fokker Dr.I replica, 3 Fokker D.VIII replicas
Triplanes Tiger Moths ("Fokkers").
1931
WWI- H. Bogart; Pilot/spy melodrama.
1943 *v
USAAF- Randolph Scott; Training of Bombardiers
in US then their combat triumph. Shot on
location at Kirtland AAF with Beech AT-11
Kansans, Douglas B-18 Bolo's, 19 BG B-17E's
Flying Fortesses (which had just returned from
Pacific combat). Footage from the -17's
ended up in "The Sky's the Limit". Models.
Stock footage.
1957 *v
USAF- Karl Malden (ex USAAF); Conflict between
Master Sarg. and a B-52 Wing Commander in SAC.
Shot at Castle AFB with 93 BW tall-tail
B-52B's, Boeing KC-97 tankers. This was
indeed the first B-52 wing at introduction time.
Also F-86, F-84 ("Mig"), Sikorsky SH-19B, C-45,
and acres of Boeing B-47E's (probably shot at
the March AFB B-47 wings).
1943
RAF- G. Montgomery; US pilot is shot down over
Germany, tries to evade capture. Lockheed
Hudson, models, minatures. Actor George
Montgomery was in the USAAF in Alaska, and the
film unit.
1931
WWI- J.Macrae; The usual WWI love triangle.
1947
Test Flying- Ralph Richardson (ex RN); British
aircraft maker risks his sons trying to go
supersonic, apparently modelled somewhat on the
De Havilland family. Hawker Hunters, Comets,
Spitfires. Supermarine 510 (now in RAF Cosford
Museum). Written by ex-RAF pilot Terrance
Rattigan.
1977 *v
RAF/USAAF- M.Caine; Airborne in Arnhem attack
Market Garden. Very realistic picture of
airborne operations and risks.
4 Dutch AT-16/Mk.IIb Harvards were modified to
"P-47's" with single canopy, and drop
tanks. Also as "Fw 190", and "Typhoons" with
bomb racks and appropriate marks!
1954 *v
USN- William Holden; Reservist is called back
to Korea. Terrific script and footage.
F9F-2 Panthers of VF-191 & 192, and VA-195
AD-4 Skyraiders. Sikorsky H03S-1 (H-5) of
HU-1, some models.
1990 *
USAF- J.Earle Jones; Thriller about take-over
of command post.
*
USAF- Craig T. Nelson; TV Pilot for the TV
series on a U-2 reccon. group commander at
the time of the Cuban missile crisis. Shot at
Beale AFB and Laughlin AFB. More realistic
feel than other recent TV and cable USAF movies.
1942
USAAF(?)- C. Morris; Ferry pilots cross the
Atlantic. B movie.
1945
USAAC/USAAF- Fred MacMurray; Eddie Rickenbacker
biography, set in a liferaft and told through
flash-backs. SPAD's, Curtiss Pusher Replica,
Vought OS2U Kingfisher. Wooden B-17 mockup.
1963 *v
USAAF- Gregory Peck; as Air Force psychiatrist
Any aircraft in this?
1942 *v
RCAF- J.Cagney; Cocky Stunt pilot joins the
RCAF then RAF Ferry Command. Filmed with the
RCAF on authentic locations. Stations included
6 Bombing & Gunnery School, Mountain View, Ont,
1 B&GS Jarvis, Ont. (March 1941), 2 Service
Flying Training School, RCAF Uplands
(now Ottawa International Airport), also at
RCAF Dartmouth (Halifax), RCAF Trenton.
1991
RAF- Filmed in Russia with Antonev An-12
CUB (as "C-130"), Mil Mi-8 HIP, Tupolev Tu-16
BADGER hulk as RAF planes! Was this ever
released in North America?
1933
WWI- Douglas Fairbanks; Pilot is shot down, is
involved in love triangle. Keystone B-4A
bombers ("Gotha's"). Fairbank's WWII Navy
service included time on the carrier WASP.
1970 *v
USAAF- A.Arkin; Black Satire about USAF in
Italy. Manages to make *everyone* in the USAAF
look like lunatics.
1950 *v
Test Flying- H. Bogart; Bogie as dissillusioned
Boeing B-17 pilot after the war. Mantz B-17F
(N67974?). P-39 Aircobra converted to
'experimental jet' as mock-up.
1958
USAAF- V. Mature; Pilot flying the Burma hump
with Chinese wife. Shot at Saugus-Newall
Airport in California using 2 Mercer Airlines
C-47's and some F4U Corsairs.
1945
China- Harry Carey; Drama of American Volunteer
Group Flying Tiger P-40 pilots befriending
Chinese orphans. P-40 mock-ups, footage from
"Flying Tigers".
1953 v
USAF- Leo Gorcey; Bowery Kids kids join the
Air Force.
1939
USCG- Randolph Scott; Pilots in arctic rescue.
Filmed in Southern California (!) with a
Stearman C-3 and an American Eagle.
1948 *v
USAAF- Clark Gable; B-17 Commanders decide
strategy. Loosely based on the Schwienfurt-
Regensburg missions. Mainly on the ground,
showing a rare look at the behind the scenes
politics and strategy rangling at the top
levels.
1978
USAF- Pilot for TV show, Edwards test pilots
F-104's. Shot on location. Was this ever a TV
movie??
1956 *v
USAAC- Gary Cooper; biography of airpower
advocate General Billy Mitchell. Flying was
done at Rosemead, Calif. with modified OX-5
Jennie, Mantz DH-4's, Grumman J2F Duck
("Loening").
1934 v
WWI- E.V. Stroheim: S.E.5, Fokker D.VII and
footage from "Hell's Angels".
1960
USN- Dana Andrews; Navy T-33 hits airliner.
This was made using the first jet warbird,
an RT-33 assembled from pieces in the late
1950's.
1939
Luftwaffe- Propaganda drama. Ju-52's, Ju-87B's,
etc.
1954 *v
RAF- Richard Todd; Famous raid with Lancasters
on German dams in 1943.
Very well made and fairly accurate. Shot on
the original location at RAF Scampton with
5 Lancaster VII (3 with 'bombs', Varsity
camera plane, Wellington Mk.T.10 (now in the
RAF museum at Hendon). Some stock footage.
1941 v
RAF- Anton Walbrook; Polish pianist/pilot
joins RAF.
1970 *v
WWI- Rock Hudson (ex USN); Spoof of WWI
spy/biplane movies. Shot with the Blue Max
replicas, including Fokker Dr.1 Replica,
Fokker D.VII Replicas, and an SE.5 replica in
the background.
1985 *v
USAF- M.B. Hurt; Robot "Kid" steals an SR-71.
SR-71s deserved better than this.
1938 *v
WWI- D. Niven; The classic WWI aviation epic.
Remake of the 1930 Dawn Patrol, which was then
retitled "Flight Command". Much if not most
of the stunt footage was re-used.
Neuiport 28's, Travelair 4000's ("Fokker"),
Thomas-Morse S.4C, and Pfalz D.XII, all mainly
on the ground.
1942 *v
RAF- Ronald Reagan flies Fortresses, gets
shot down. YB-17 Mockup from "Test Pilot".
Bf 109 mock-up, Stinson A ("Ju 52"), models.
Also Hudsons from Lockheed Burbank.
1957
USAF- P.Foster; Test pilots. Shot at Edwards
AFB.
1935 v
USMC- Jimmy Cagney; Cocky stunt flier joins
Marines. Filmed at NAS North Island with some
real rare types. Stearman C-3B ("Vought 02U-1")
Boeing F4B-4, Travelair 4000 crash,
Ford RR-4 Trimotor, Loening OL-9, Curtiss
RC-1 Kingbird, Vought 02U-1's of VJ-7M,
Curtiss OC-1/2's.Vought 03U-6's of VO-8M.
Boeing F4B-3 of VB-4M.
1955
Luftwaffe- C. Jurgens; Loosely based on
the story of Ernst Udet in the Luftwaffe.
Seems to be about it from the Luftwaffe side
in English-language movies.
1931
USN- USN Experiments in Antarctica. Partly
made at NAS Lakehurst and the old US Army
Arcadia balloon base in California.
Some footage of the dirigible USS
LOS ANGELES. Other fixed wing types at
Lakehurst in the background. Written by
ex-Navy pilot Spig Wead.
1941 *v
USN- E. Flynn; Pilot solves altitude flying
problems. Original Colour! Shot at NAS North
Island in 1941, and on ENTERPRISE, including
the entire Air Wing in one shot.
1954 v
USAF- J. Hodiak; USAF pilot trains Koreans.
Stinson L-5's. C-46. Col. Dean Hess was the
technical advisor on this.
1964 *v
USAF- P. Sellars; Satire on nuclear war, B-52
attacks Russia. FLUB-Watch for B-52 leaving a
B-17 shadow on snow!
1933
WWI- C. Grant; 2 WWI fliers dislike each other,
one has a breakdown. DH-9, Curtiss P-1 Hawk
("Fokker") "Wings", "Lilac Time", "Dawn Patrol"
footage. Static Nieuport 28's.
Written by J.M. Saunders, ex WWI pilot.
1942 *
RAF- Robert Stack; First US guys in the RAF
Eagle Squadrons. Quite a bit of footage was
shot for it on actual RAF Eagle squadron bases,
but the movie itself was shot on a Hollywood
backlot with mock-up Spitfires and Bf 109's.
Models.
1987 *v
USAAF/Japanese AF- John Malkovich; Boy
in Japanese concentration camp loves aircraft.
Memorable, if short footage.
1980 *v
USAAF- Patrick Duffy; Remake of "Above and
Beyond", the B-29 bombing of Hiroshima.
Filmed at Davis-Monthan AFB with Confederate
B-29A (N529B-FiFi); B-29/P2B-1S (N91329-Fertile
Myrtle) and the Pima Museum B-29A.
1955 *
USN- Sterling Hayden; Biography of Carrier
Cdr. John Hoskins. He lost his leg on the deck
of the PRINCETON just before he could take
command, and he fought back to command
the second PRINCETON.
1964 *v
USAF- Henry Fonda; accidental strike on Russia
due to technical fault. Almost all of this
is set in a White house command bunker. B-58
Hustler. During the war actor Walter Matthau
was a Sgt., in the 453 BG 8th Air Force, under
Jimmy Stewart.
1964 *
USAAF- Glenn Ford; Story of air force pilot
with a confidence problem who goes on to crash
an airliner. DC-6B hulk modified as a 'jet'
with swept wing, pods on tail.
1941
RAF- Story of ferry pilots. Whitleys,
Spitfires. One of the pilots is famed
distance flier Jim Mollison.
1953 *v
USAAF- Sterling Hayden; P-47 pilot is shot-
down over Italy, joins partisans. P-47
Thunderbolts, almost all stock footage
from the documentary "Thunderbolt".
TP-47G hulk (Now in Lone Star Mus. 42-25068)
("Thunderbolt" was made with the 57 FG in
Corsica, 1944)
1948
USAAF- Robert Stack; P-47s in Italy, far better
than the above B-movie. Shot at Oscoda AAF
in Michigan (later renamed Wurtsmith AFB) in
1948.
1991 *v
Factory- J.Sikking; Stealth pilot crashes and
wakes up in doctor's office as a prisoner.
1980 *v
USN- K. Douglas; NIMITZ goes back in time to
Dec.6 1941. Far-fetched Science fiction
story, but a lot of great carrier footage.
1990 *v
US Army- T.L. Jones; Apaches fight drug
smugglers. Awful script.
30+ AH-64A Apaches of 4th Squadron 6th Cal.
Brigade, OH-58D Kiowa 2 Armoured Division,
UH-60 Blackhawk of the US Army Proving
Ground. AH-1 Cobra, UH-1H, SAAB Draken,
MD 500D Defender. Filmed at Fort Hood, Texas,
and Ft. Huachuca, Arizona.
1982 *v
Russian VVS- Clint Eastwood steals the "MiG-31"
Full size mock-up and reduced models. Part
was shot in an Edwards AFB hangar!
1940
Japan- Airwar over China
1952 *v
USN- Sterling Hayden; The old hated CO
is finally understood in the end plot, set
in the South Pacific in 1944/45 as Corsairs
pioneer close air support.
USN- J.Holt; story of 2 pilots who rescue
Marines in Nicarauga. Shot with 9 Curtiss
OC-2 Falcon of VO-8M and VO-10M.
Consolidated NY trainers. Made at NAS Pensacola.
1940 *
USN- Robert Taylor (ex USAAF Flight Instructor)
Pilots develops blind-flying equipment in their
spare time. VF-6, VMF-2 Grumman F3F-2's
at NAS North Island, also shot on
ENTERPRISE. (Also VS-6 on Curtiss SBC
Helldivers, VB-6 Northrop BT-1, VT-6 Douglas
TBD-1's supposedly in there somewhere. Cut
from the current print?).
1930 v
WWI- Douglas Fairbanks; WWI epic.
Nieuport 28's., Travel Airs ("Nieuports"),
Fokker D.VII's, 2 Pfalz D.XII's, Standard J-1.
Directed by Howard Hawks (WWI pilot).
1963 *
USAF- Richard Widmark; Three crewman have
flashbacks during rescue flight from Japan.
935
WWI Epic.
1942
USAAC Glenn Ford; Brown Racer, Stinson Model A
Trimotor. Stock Footage of Curtiss P-12,
3 Stearman C-3's.
1954
USAF- F.Tucker; Romantic stuff in Korea.
Any decent MATS stuff in this?
1991 *v
USAF- P. Strauss; Loonie F-16 pilot steals
nuke, sets out to attack Vegas. Cable movie.
1991 *v
USN- D. Glover; Vietnam A-6 Intruder crew go
on a personal strike "Downtown" to Hanoi.
Shot on INDEPENDANCE, (also RANGER?), in Kauai,
Hawaii and Savannah Georgia.
1966 *v
Warbird- Jimmy Stewart (ex USAAF/USAF);
Civilian Fairchild C-82A Packet crashes,
"plane" is built from the wreck.
1941
USAAC- Ryan ST, PCC?. Harlow Primary Trainer.
1928
USN- R. Graves; 6 Annapolis graduates attempt to
fly to Hawaii in record attempt. Filmed at
NAS North Island with Consolidated NY-2's,
Douglas T2D-1's of VJ-1B, Curtiss F6C-3's Hawks
of VB-1B, Loening OL-3's of VJ-1B, Vought
O2U-1 Corsair from VO-5B on MARYLAND, and on
LANGLEY. Vought 02U-1 camera plane. Written
by Spig Wead.
1942
RAF- R.Greene; Canadian & Americans fly first
Flying Fortress combat Missions. Made by 90
Squad. Boeing Fortress I's (B-17C) at
RAF Polebrook, apparently just after their
withdrawal from disastrous day missions.
Models. Mock-up.
1951 *v
USMC- Disliked John Wayne as hard commander.
F4U-4's Corsairs of VMF-232, F6F-5 Hellcats
of VMT-2 from MCAS El Toro (as "Wildcats"!).
Many F6F, F6F-5N hulks. SNJ as ("Zeros")
PBY-6A Catalina, later blown up. R5D (C-47),
R6D (C-54).
1943
Japanese- Their propaganda view of the Pearl
Harbour attack.
1942 *v
USAAF- John Wayne; Almost all P-40 mock-ups,
stock American Volunteer Group footage,
Spitfire footage from "The Lion Has Wings",
and "Air Force". Some air footage was shot
around the Curtiss facility in Buffalo with
pre-delivery repainted P-40's.
1941
Richard Arlen (ex RFC, future USAAF FI )
Pacific Air Transport Service pilot versus
Japanese Spy ring. C-47 and others.
1994 *
RCAF- Love Story set in Canadian wartime
training air force station. Much footage of
Ansons, Harvards, etc.
Shot at the Western Development Museum?
1976 *v
CIA- Lee Majors; Biography of famed U-2
pilot and his shootdown over the Soviet Union.
1963 *v
USAF- Rock Hudson(ex USN); Hudson is a SAC Wing
Commander who's hard atttitude leads to
conflict with his men and his wife.
1939
Luftwaffe- Propaganda drama.
1945 *
USAAF- Dennis Morgan; Flying Tigers biography
of R.C Scott. Shot at Luke AAF Aux. Field #7.
15 Curtiss P-40F's 554 FTS Luke, 12 B-25C/D/G
Mitchells from 952 TS at Mather Field.
About 15 Luke 3028 AFBU AT-6's ("Zeros").
1 Republic P-43 Lancer. C-47. 2 P-40 hulks,
1979 *v
USMC- Robert Duvall; 1962 USMC fighter jock
abuses his family.
1943 *v
USAAF- Spencer Tracy; Ghost B-25 Pilot
helps P-38 pilot, many models. Remade as
"Always". Entirely studio shot, but stock
footage was specially filmed at MacDill,
Columbia, Drew, Randolph, and Luke Fields
(Vultee BT-13 Valiants).
1979 *v
USAAF- Harrison Ford. Love Story set in 8th AF.
Filmed in the UK at at Ex-RAF Little Rissington,
Bovingdon for ground scenes with 5 TB-25N's
Mitchells that had been ferried across the
Atlantic (NL9494Z, N86427, N76811C, N9455Z,
N9115Z).
1930 v
WWI- B.Lyon; Howard Hughes made this epic about
2 Americans who join the RFC. Made with up
to 87 biplanes and 80 pilots (including
Roscoe Turner), although some reports say
no more than about 40 aircraft at one time.
1931
USN- Clarke Gable; Shot on SARATOGA in the
Carribbean. Stars Boeing F4B-2's of VF-6B
North Island, 18 Curtiss F8C-4 Helldivers
VF-1B Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Martin T4M-1, and
Great Lakes TG-1's of VT-2B. Dirigible USS LOS
ANGELES. Models.
1955
USAF- J.Ireland; Korean Boeing B-29 action,
Fuselage and stock footage only.
1943
Factory- Joseph Cotten as AVG Flying Tiger
pilot in love with a B-17 assembly worker.
Shot at the Burbank Lockheed Vega B-17F line.
Future notorious 381 BG 'jinx' ship "Tinker Toy"
shows up in the background in some shots.
1945
USN- Van Johnson; Downed PBY Pilot has
flashbacks about his life. Partly shot off NAS
North Island and near Coronado, California.
1958
RAF- Ray Milland (Ex USAAF Flight Instructor);
Jet trainers set at the famous RAF Cranwell.
Which ones?
1991 *v
USN- Lloyd Bridges; Satire on Top Gun and other
action movies. Shot in the US using ex RAF
Red Arrows Folland Mk.1 Gnats as Navy jet
fighters!
1958 v
USAF- Robert Mitchum; Korean air action with
N.A. F-86 Sabres and F-84 Thunderjets (as
"MiG's").
1974 *v
USAF- Martin Milner does a WC-130 hurricane
penetration in one of several story threads.
1972
Japanese Co-Prod. Made with Tora! Tora! Tora!
(or 1958? is this an earlier production?)
Apparently nowhere near as good as Tora, poor
dubbing.
?? ??
Cable movie.
1941
RAF- Ronald Reagan joins the RAF. The majority
was shot at Alhambra Airport, California with
Brown R-3 racer, 3 Ryan STA's, Travel Air
Mystery Ship as "Spitfires"! Paul Mantz's
Boeing 100 (as a "Gloster Gladiator").
1992 *v
USAF- A.M. Hall; Vain actor in F-16 movie gets
into a real war. This cable movie makes Iron
Eagle look good.
1986 *v
USAF- Louis Gossett; Attack on an "Arab
country" holding a USAF pilot hostage, by his
teenage son flying an F-16B all the way from
the US.
1988 *v
USAF- Louis Gossett; US/Russian joint misfit
attacks 'Iraqi' type country. Filmed in Isreal
(Hatzerim AB ?) with F-16A, F-4E Phantoms,
IAI Kfir, C-130H and Boeing 707's.
(Not Yet Released)
Warbirds- Louis Gossett; Chappy Sinclair
attacks his scriptwriter and agent in a final
kamikaze attack. Well we can hope.
1953
USAAF- John Wayne; Air Transport Command
during war, with the crew trying to survive a
forced landing in Labrador. C-47. Written by
Ex-ATC pilot E. Gann.
1940
RAF- George Formby; Comedy with George Formby
joining the RAF.
1941
USAAC- Ray Milland; Pre-war flying training
in colour.
Shot on location: North American BT-9's and
BT-14's at Randolph Field, Texas, and
at Kelly Field, Texas, with over 500 AT-6's
in one flypast. (1000 a/c were used filming
this one!!)
1958 v
USAF- J. Agar; Scientist is shot down over
Korea.
1952
Factory- Test pilots.
1957 *v
USAF -John Wayne; John Wayne is a USAF test
pilot that marries a beautiful blonde Russian
T-33 pilot, then fakes a defection to Russia,
then returns by stealing a fighter. Hard to
know if this was meant to be tongue-in-check.
1945 v
RAF- E.G. Robinson; Failed RAF pilot becomes
a navigator, then joins Lancasters. Mostly shot
in a UK studio with some outsides shot in
and around Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. Also
some footage apparently shot in Canada with
the RCAF.
1948
USAAC- R. Jaeckel; American pilots fly off of
a New Guinea jungle strip. Several P-40's.
1941 *v
USAAC- Abbott and Costello join up.
Shot at the Cal-Aero Academy, Chino,
California with Stearman PT-13B's, Vultee
BT-13's, and a C-47(?).
1944 *
USAAF -L. Young; Women ferry pilots in WAFS.
Manages to make them act like high school
students with no professionalism whatever.
Completely fails to shed any light in how
air ferry actually worked.
1958
Warbirds- Jeff Chandler; Ferrying old B-25J's,
P-51D, B-17G, Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer.
1980 *v
Warbirds- Elliot Gould; Disney movie about
old B-29 that crashes on a Pacific Island and
is made into a raft. Filmed in Hawaii and at
Victorville Airport, California. Flying B-29A/
P2B-1S was Fertile Mertile (N91329).
1958 v
WWI- Paul Mantz flew several Bleriot Penquin
replicas, also Tallmantz Nieuport 28. Original
Camel F.1 (A1171), real SE.5A and Lincoln LF-1
(Nieuport replica).
1938
Luftwaffe- Propaganda piece on the Spanish
Civil war.
1928
WWI- G. Cooper; Love triangle in RFC.
15 aircraft - 7 Waco 10's, shot in California
mainly around Culver City. Several staged
crashes for cameras, one stunt pilot was killed.
1939 *
RAF- Ralph Richardson (future RN pilot);
First half is a propaganda documentary, then
it switches to a Wellington attack on Keil
(149 Squad.?), then Spitfire night fighters
(of 74 Squad.?)! Also Fairy Battles, Vickers
Wellesley (?) (as various Luftwaffe types).
1954 v
RAF- Jack Hawkins; Malta defence. Filmed in
Malta, and also has some actual wartime
footage.
1940
USMC- C. Morris; Another Marine rescue flic.
Fairchild 24, Ryan ST, Berliner (?) biplane.
1955 *
USAAF/USAF- Alan Ladd (Ex USAAF); biography of
B-17 Navigator/Korean ace McConnell.
N.A. F-86 Sabres, F-84 Thunderjets (as "Migs").
1965 *
USAF- Tim Conway; slapstick comedy apparently
shot in Australia (?). Little Air Force
content. C-47, interior, models. P-51D, T-6,
T-28 (?) in background. Stock footage of
P-47's.
1990 *v
USAF- Matthew Modine; B-17 mission, loosely
based on the real "Memphis Belle" story and
the wartime documentary of the same name.
1954 *v
USN- Van Johnson; F9F-5 Panthers fly in Korea.
Shot on ORISKANY. F9F hulk.
1938
USAAC- Ray Milland (future USAAF Flight
instructor); Story of two rival fliers from
1903 to 1938. Original colour (a first for
aviation movies). Made with Buhl Pup, 3+ DH.4's
2 Garland Lincoln LF-1's(Nieuport replica),
Boeing 247's ("bombers"), Boeing P-12's.
Nieuport 28C.1, SPAD VII.
1975 *v
USN/Japanese- Charleton Heston; Story of the
battle, similiar to Tora but not done as well.
Shot at NAS Pensacola, Point Magu, Long Beach,
Fort McArthur. Some film shot on LEXINGTON
with 2 FM-2 Wildcats, and also on the
CONSTELLATION.
1969 v
USAAF?- Dennis Weaver (ex USN airman);
Fighters of some sort.
1953
USAF- J.Hodiak; Fighters.
1945
Russian AF- drama of Yak fighters. Various
Yak fighters, wrecked Ju 88, flyable Bf 109G.
1969 *
RAF- David McCallum; RAF Bombers.
Shot at RAF Bovingdon with D.H. Mosquito
TT.Mk.35's, Avro Anson. Known Mossies:
1970 *v
RAF- Peter O'Toole; Civilian sailor attacks
a U-boat on a personal vendetta, after V-E day
with a shot up biplane that he teaches himself
to fly!
1936
USN- W. Gargan; 3 Navy pilots cope with a baby.
Stock footage of Boeing F4B's of VF-1 on
LEXINGTON.
1959 v
USAAF- F. Sinatra; Commando raid on Japanese
air base (?). Used actual flying Ontario
Air Museum Hayate (or Frank?) plus static Zeke.
1979 *v
USAAF- John Belushi; "Comedy" about post Dec. 7
Californian panic, seems to include more air
than I remember. Filmed with DB-17P Flying
Fortress (N323Z-"Sentimental Journey"),
P-40M/Kittyhawk III, C-45?, and 4 to 6 T-6's.
1959 French AF - Russian made movie on French Yak
regiment that served with the V-VS during the
war.
1958 *v
USAF- Andy Griffith; Comedy. B-25B or C hulk,
(now stored).
1966 *
USAF- George C.Scott; Comedy. F-100 Super
Sabres.
1948
USN- P Lawford; Navy pilot romances movie star.
TBM Avenger and Grumman Goose.
1942 *v
RAF- Eric Portman; Wellington crashes, crew
escapes through Holland.
1956
USAF- John Hodiak, astronaut training.
Details?
1965 *v
RAF- George Peppard; The hunt for V-1 launch
sites, Spitfire IX (MH434), Lancaster stock
footage.
1950
USAF- Bill Williams; Farmer rejoins USAF,
Fairchild C-82A Packets at Ely, Nevada
1990 *
RAF- Actually a TV mini-series. Nigel Havers;
Biography of Richard Hilary who was horribly
burned as a Spitfire pilot. Filmed at
Swanton Morley with at least two Spitfires
VIII, IX.
*v
RAF - Actually a 6 hr. 6 part TV Mini-series.
Controversial story of a Battle of France/
Battle of Britain Spitfire Squadron. Filmed
in 1988. The French scenes were shot at South
Cherney Airport. Also seen is Cambridge Airport
(as "Le Touquet"), and Ex-RAF Duxford as the
main base.
1943 *
USAAF- Van Johnson; US pilot flies a suicide
mission.
1938
German- propaganda piece, biography of Baron
Von Richthofen.
1941
USAAC- Richard Arlen (ex-Royal Flying Corps,
future USAAF Flight Instructor); Drama about a
"secret new plastic pursuit fighter".
Greenleaf monoplane, mock-ups.
1955
USAF- Richard Widmark; he sets up USAF robbery
during Berlin Airlift. Any air stuff?
1987 *v
USAF - Matthew Broderick; Pilot ends up taking
care of chimp.
1944 *v
USAAF- Dana Andrews; Story of the Doolittle
crew who were captured and executed. B-25
Mitchell models and mock-up.
1955 *v
RAF- Gregory Peck; Burma Mosquito pilot
crashes, walks back to civilization.
Interesting view of rare WWII theatre, pilot
fatigue, and the fact that many combat crew
went down to accidents rather than enemy action
1982
RAF- ex-Lancaster crew fixes up an old wrecked
Lanc and flys to Berlin in 1982!. Filmed in
RAF Museum B.Mk.I Lancaster at Hendon (R5868)
with lots of special effects.
1943
RAF- J. Archer; drama of shot-down RAF gunner.
1939 *
RAF -Lawrence Olivier (future Royal Navy Pilot)
Comedy of Scotland Yard investigating bomber
spies.
1956 *v
RAF- Kenneth More; Biography of legendary
fighter ace Douglas Bader. Much concerned with
his recovery from a double amputation. RAF
Kenley doubled for various airfields.
1981 *v
USAF- William Devane; The cast of Knot's
Landing goes aggressor. Filmed on location at
Nellis AFB with F-4E Phantoms (414 TWTS?),
F-5E Tiger II of the 57 TTW. A-10A, F-16A in
background. Art Scholl did the air-to-air
photography. Directed by USAAF vet Don Taylor.
1983 *v
USAF- Scott Glenn; Story of early Edwards AFB
test pilots and the Mercury astronauts.
1953
USAF- R.Stack; F-86 Sabres over Korea.
Actor Richard Arlen was ex-Royal Flying Corps
in WWI and ex-USAAF flight instructor in WWII.
1957 *v
USAF- M.Brando; USAF officers interact with
Japanese civilians during the Korean War.
Any air in this?
1954 *v
RAF- Micheal Redgrave; Air-sea rescue of a
ditched WWII Bomber Command crew.
1941 *v
FAA- J. Clements; Pilot washes out, redeems
himself as a Royal Navy carrier attacks a
secret Axis base. Silly script, the ending
has to be seen to believed.
1960 *v
FAA- Kenneth More; More on the sea than in the
air as the Royal Navy hunts for the battleship
Bismark. The critical naval air part is well
covered. Swordfish II LS326, NF389 (of FAA
Museum/Historic Flight). Stock footage.
1964 *v
RAF- Cliff Robertson; Mosquito bombers attack
heavy water plant. Filmed at ex-RAF Bovingdon,
with 3 CAACU DH Mosquito TT.Mk.35's
1953 U
SAAF- D.Duryea; Fighter pilots in WWII.
1932
WWI- Spencer Tracy; Comedy made by Howard
Hughes, some outakes from "Wings".
Thomas-Morse S4.C Scouts, 3 Nieuports,
Stearman C-3 camera plane. Filmed at
March Field and Metropolitan Airport.
1986 v
RAAF- Shot in Australia 1983 using C-47 VH-DAS
An RAAF C-47 goes through a time warp.
1931
WWI- Biography of Charles Nungesser using
Thomas-Morse S4.C's as German types,
Nungesser's own Hanriot HD-1.
1969
RAF- Czech-made movie about the Czech pilots
that flew with RAF Bomber Command during WWII.
A Czech Air Force Lisunov Li-2 (C-47) was
converted to a remarkable taxing Wellington
replica. It had ex-Luftwaffe MG 17 machine
guns, found in a Czech AF store!
Also the usual stock footage of 149 Squad.
Wellingtons.
1943 *v
USAAC- Fred Astaire; Mainly a musical about
a American Volunteer Group Flying Tigers
pilot on leave. P-40 mock-ups, stock-footage,
models.
1949
USN- R. Widmark; Hurricane hunter pilot has
flash backs about his smuggling days.
Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateers, Grumman
Mallard. Actor Gary Merrill was ex-USAAF.
USAAF- Fictional story, very loosely based on
"Lady-Be-Good" saga, filmed using a wrecked
USAF ANG B-25J on El Mirage Dry Lake in
California.
1979 v
NAF- Rutger Hauer; the story of six Dutch
people and happens to them during WWII, one
becoming a pilot.
1945 *v
RAF- Peter Lawford; actually the RCAF. Dog
owner flies WWII Bristol Blenhiem strikes
against Norway along with his collie.
1942 *v
RAF- Leslie Howard; Biography of the Spitfire designer R.J Mitchel. So far unique, it's
the only true movie about aircraft design.
1943
RAF- Eric Portman; Nazi flier poses as an RAF
pilot.
1940
RAF- Barrage ballons defend Firth of Forth
against Luftwaffe. Bristol Blenhiems ("Do17"),
Spitfires.
1946
RAF- David Niven; Squadron leader gets killed
"by mistake", has trial in heaven. Lancaster
interior, Mosquitos.
1950?
Luftwaffe bio of Marseille. Apparently
made in Spain with Hispano Ha.1112 Buchons
(as Bf 109). Danish version.
1963 v
USAF- Bob Dornan; F-104C Starfighter B-Movie.
Filmed at George AFB, California, with the
479 TFW.
1951
USAF- J. Cagney; Entertainers at AFB as
airlift to Korea mounts. (Travis AFB???)
any details?
Steal the Sky
1988 *v
Iraqi- Ben Cross; Israel gets Mig 15 pilot to
defect. Loosely based on the defection of
Iraqi Mig-21F-13 '007', flown to Isreal on
16 Aug. 1966.
1939 v
WWI- Fred Astaire; Famous Dance champion/WWI
becomes a Kelly Field flight instructor and is
killed in a crash. Made with SE.5's, Jennies.
Shot in the North San Fernando Valley of
California.
1959
USAF- Jeff Chandler; ANG F-86s
1955 *v
USAF- Jimmie Stewart; Ball player is forced
back into SAC. Convair B-36H, B-36J of 7 BW,
11 BW at Carswell AFB. Boeing KB-97, Douglas
C-124A Globemaster, Boeing B-47B wing at
MacDill AFB. All in glorious colour.
1941
Luftwaffe propaganda piece. Ju 87B's.
1988 v
USN -Richard Jaekal; Pilot for TV Show.
1936 v
WWI- Cary Grant; usual love triangle. Filmed
in Triunfo Canyon, California with SE.5, 6
Thomas-Morse S.4C Scouts, Neiuport 28's,
Fokker D.VII, Earl Populaire.
1943
Factory drama.; A. Sothern; factory drama shot
on the Lockheed P-39 Lightning line at Burbank.
Featured a couple of P-38 hulks.
1989 *v
Russian AF- M.Moriarty; Docudrama about the
downing of KAL 007. Another movie about this
was "Shootdown" (1988).
1941
RAF- An RAF Wellington attacks Keil. Docudrama
Shot at RAF Mildenhall 1941 with Wellington
Mk.Ic, (possibly from 149 Squad.) Avro Ansons.
Wellington fuselage in studio.
1949 *v
USN- Gary Cooper is fictional naval airman from
from LANGLEY to Korea. Shot on ANTIETAM,
(as "SARATOGA, YORKTOWN, FRANKLIN & HORNET")
CAG 14 with Grumman F6F Hellcat, F8F, TBM
Avengers. Also on the escort carrier
BAIROKO (as "LANGLEY") and at NAS North Island.
1937 *v
USAAC- Clark Gable; Drama of test pilots.
Now colorized. Seversky SEV-S2 (P-35, as
"Drake Bullet"), Harlow PJC-2, Marcoux-Bromberg
R-3 Racer, Ryan ST.DC 2 hulk (as YB-17 crash).
1944 *v
USAAF- Spencer Tracy; B-25 Mitchell's in the
famous Tokyo Doolittle attack. Quite realistic
with much actual footage of the Doolittle
launch.
1945
USN- Wallace Beery; Blimp action during the
war. Shot at NAS's Lakehurst, Del Mar, Moffet
Field, and Santa Ana. 6 different balloon
units took part, including USN Hot-air
balloons and Goodyear ZPK blimps. Apparently
the highlight is a blimp rescue in the
Burmese jungle! (Were Blimps there??).
1969 *
USAAF- Christopher George; B-17's in the 8th
Air Force. Not up to the other B-17 epics.
Shot at Santa Maria Airport in California.
3 B-17's (RB-17F N17W; DB-17G N83575-Weeks;
DB-17G/P N3713G-Chino).
1942
USAAC- P Foster; Training in US with usual
love triangle. Stearman PT-13's, Vultee BT-13's
N.A. AT-6's at Thunderbird Field, Scotsdale,
Arizona and Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona. Vast
numbers of them! Paul Mantz Boeing 100 and
Stearman C-3 for stunts.
1953
USAAF- John Derek; WWII aviation training of
some sort.
1958
USAF- Dick Foran; Test pilots. Shot at
Edwards AFB with a T-33.
1986 *v
USN- Tom Cruise; Partly shot on ENTERPRISE off
California, with carrier interiors filmed
aboard RANGER at North Island in 1985.
1970 *v
USAF/USN/Japanese- Martin Balsam; Pearl attack.
Very well made and accurate. Stars 12
T-6 ("Zero" replicas), 9 BT-13 ("Nakajima Kate"
replicas) and 9 T-6(front)/BT-13 (rear)("Aichi
Vals" replicas).
A
1944
Japanese Kamikazes glorified.
1956
USAF- William Holden (ex USAAF); redeems
himself as Test pilot. Shot at
Edwards AFB with Bell X-2, Douglas X-3 Stileto,
Martin XB-51 (as "XF120", this had a fatal
crash during a filming ferry flight).
1959 *v
USAAF- Gregory Peck; 8th Air Force B-17's-
The strain of combat command. Loosely based
on Col. F.Armstrong and the 306 BG. (Actual
breakdown was happened to another, unnamed
8th AF Group commander).
1939
USAAC- P. Foster; transport pilot becomes an
instructor. Made at the Monrovia, California
Airport. 2 Mantz Stearman C-3's.
1977 *v
USAF- Burt Lancaster; Madman seizes USAF
missile silos.
1971 *
WWI- John Philp Law;
Shot with the Blue Max replicas, including a
D.VII, and a original (?) Fokker Dr.1.
1941 *v
USMC- Brian Donlevy; Story of fall of Wake
Island and the Marine Wildcats that defended it
Fairly accurate.
1962 *v
USAAF- Steve McQueen; 8th AF B-17's. Rivalry
between "normal" co-pilot and macho pilot
who loves combat. A lot of moody black and
white footage of Forts.
1945 *v
USAF/RAF- John Mills; Ground drama of
RAF/USAAF aircrew at the local inn through
the war. More a character study, free of mock
heroics.
1935
USAAC- Wallace Beery (future Navy Pilot);
Yet another training epic. Shot on location
at Randolph Field, March Field, and LA Metro
Airport.
1943
USN- N. Beery; Jr.; American joins Japanese
forces, dives his Japanese bomber into a
Japanese Navy carrier!
1951
USAAF/USAF- Walter Brennan; Boeing B-29's in
in WWII. Shot at March AFB using the B-29A's
of the 22 BG just back from Korea. Also B-29
fuselage in the studio and stock footage.
1972
USAF- Keeyan Wynn; Three escaped convicts
hijack a B-52!
1944 *v
USN- Dana Andrews; Story of a Navy torpedo
squadron, loosely based on the VT units at
Midway, who in reality were virtually wiped
out. (Only 6 TBM Avengers were at Midway, and
they were land-based).
1944
USAAF- Edmund O'Brien- More stateside training.
Made with with 55 Vultee BT-13A's, 24 B-24J/L
Liberators. Shot on location at Santa Ana
AAF (Pre-flight) Gardner Field, Taft, Calif.,
Camp Pendleton USMC Air Base, and Cessna AT-17's
at Stockton. Three more bases Fort Macarther,
Hamilton AAF, and another.
1927 v
WWI- Richard Arlen (ex RFC, future USAAF);
American WWI buddies go to France. One of the
greatest aviation epics.
1942
USAAF- Dennis Morgan; Production Factory drama
filmed at Lockheed Burbank with Lockheed Hudson,
P-38 Lightning production lines.
1957
Warbirds - P-51D, Bearcat. Filmed at Brackett
Field, La Verne, Calif.
1957 *v
USN- John Wayne; Biography of Ex-Navy pilot
and scriptwriter Frank W. "Spig" Wead.
He was a Navy patrol pilot at the end of WWI
who leader of the US Navy Schneider trophy
team in 1922 (Curtiss CR-3) and 1923 (Wright
F2W-2).
1939
USN- John Payne (future USAAF FI)
Epic of naval flight training. Stars about
50 PBY-1, PBY-2, PBY-3 Catalinas of Patrol
Wing 12 in VP-7, 9, 11 and 12 squadrons.
1941
Russian- Bio of test pilot Chkalov.
Model 25 monoplane.
1937
USN- Ray Milland (future USAAF flight
instructor; Melodrama around Navy pilot.
Keystone PK-1's of VP-1F (?).
1943
USAAC- E. Norris; USAAC pilot has dogfight with
Nazi over Pacific island! P-40 mock-up from
"Flying Tigers".
1938
WWI- P. Muni; 2 Mantz Stearman C-3's.
Another Great War epic, made in several
versions.
1940
Luftwaffe- Propaganda piece with He 111's, etc.
1961 *
USAF- Charles Bronson; Almost like a
documentary except for the usual love woes.
Full of stock NASA footage.
1945 USAAF- D. Jagger. Melodrama around B-17 gunner
who has an affair with English duke's daughter.
Actor Rex Harrison had been a RAF Flying Control
Officer at a Photo Reccon. base.
1941 *v RAF- Tyrone Power joins the RAF as a happy-go
lucky pilot. Partly filmed in Canada,
US border with RCAF with N.A. Harvard II's on
delivery. ("RCAF Stn. Trenton" was some other
station).
1945
USAAC- R. Cummings (ex Civilian USAAF flight
instructor); 3 returning Lockheed P-38
Lightning pilots on a bond tour.
1977 *
USN- Peter Strauss; Biography of Joe Kennedy,
who was killed in a PB4Y Drone explosion.
PBY-5A Catalina, Lockheed B-24J/B.Mk.VII
Liberator (N94459), Stearman PT-13.
1971 *
WWI- Micheal York;
1983 v
Japanese- Biography of ace Saburo Sakai.
Models. Apparently quite stilted.
Partial list of Sources
All opinions are strictly my own and have no relation to my employer.