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Military Aviation Movie Index
Compiled by Marshall Cram ([email protected])
HTML Conversion by Michael Brunk ([email protected])
Criteria
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
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.
Flubs
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.
Movies
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
Disclaimer
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 [email protected].
[ 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
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.
Ace of Aces
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.
Aces High
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).
Aces: Iron Eagle III
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).
Aerial Gunner
1943
USAAF- Richard Arlen (ex RFC and then USAAF FI);
Gunnery Training in the US, with the usual
combat glory at the end.
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
1992 *v
USAF- L.Dern; Widow sues General Dynamics
over F-16 crash. Cable movie, apparently based
on a true story.
Air America
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".
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
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.
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")
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.
Air Force
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.
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
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.
Angels One Five
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.
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
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 (?).
Appointment in London
1952
RAF- D.Borgarde; Bomber Squadron 1943.
Lancasters.
Arise My Love
1940
RAF- Ray Milland; Former Spanish war vet joins
the RAF, then eventually goes to the US as a
flight instructor.
Stinson A trimotor. Milland was a civilian USAAF Flight Instructor, then did two tours (on B-25's?).
Aurora: Operation Intercept
1995
USAF- Aurora soars from rec.aviation.military
to the big screen! Of course this is fantasy.
Bail Out at 43,000'
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.
BAT*21
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.
Battle Hymn
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!
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
1968 *v
RAF/Luftwaffe- Micheal Caine and many others;
Detailed story of the battle, with the most
painstaking accuracy possible.
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
? v
Yugoslavian- Partisans battle Luftwaffe in
(Operation Lightning?) biplanes. Is this the same movie as "Operation
Lightning", also on video?
"Battle Squadron Lutzow"
1941 Luftwaffe- Propaganda piece.
Battle Stations
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.
Battle Taxi
1955
USAF- S.Hayden; Korean SAR Helicopters
Details?
The Beginning or the End
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.
Best Years of our Lives
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.
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")
1986 v
WWI- P. Cushing; Satire (?) on WWI
Big Lift
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").
The Blue Max
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").
Body and Soul
1931
WWI- H. Bogart; Pilot/spy melodrama.
Bombardier
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.
Bombers B-52 (UK "No Sleep Until Dawn")
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).
Bomber's Moon
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.
Born to Love
1931
WWI- J.Macrae; The usual WWI love triangle.
Breaking the Sound Barrier (US "The Sound Barrier")
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.
A Bridge Too Far
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!
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
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.
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
1990 *
USAF- J.Earle Jones; Thriller about take-over
of command post.
Call to Glory
*
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.
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
1942
USAAF(?)- C. Morris; Ferry pilots cross the
Atlantic. B movie.
Captain Eddie
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.
Captain Newman, M.D.
1963 *v
USAAF- Gregory Peck; as Air Force psychiatrist
Any aircraft in this?
Captains of the Clouds
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.
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
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?
Captured
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.
Catch-22
1970 *v
USAAF- A.Arkin; Black Satire about USAF in
Italy. Manages to make *everyone* in the USAAF
look like lunatics.
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
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.
China Doll
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.
China's Little Devils
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".
Clipped Wings
1953 v
USAF- Leo Gorcey; Bowery Kids kids join the
Air Force.
Coast Guard
1939
USCG- Randolph Scott; Pilots in arctic rescue.
Filmed in Southern California (!) with a
Stearman C-3 and an American Eagle.
Command Decision
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.
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
1978
USAF- Pilot for TV show, Edwards test pilots
F-104's. Shot on location. Was this ever a TV
movie??
Court Martial of Billy Mitchell (UK "One Man Mutiny")
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").
Crimson Romance
1934 v
WWI- E.V. Stroheim: S.E.5, Fokker D.VII and
footage from "Hell's Angels".
Crowded Sky
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.
"D.III-88: The German Air Force Attacks"
1939
Luftwaffe- Propaganda drama. Ju-52's, Ju-87B's,
etc.
The Dam Busters
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.
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")
1941 v
RAF- Anton Walbrook; Polish pianist/pilot
joins RAF.
Darling Lili
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.
D.A.R.Y.L.
1985 *v
USAF- M.B. Hurt; Robot "Kid" steals an SR-71.
SR-71s deserved better than this.
Dawn Patrol
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.
Two staged crashes by Frank Clarke. Directed by Howard Hawks, written by J.M Saunders, both previously WWI pilots.
Desperate Journey
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.
Captain Reagan did join the USAAF but bad eyesight, fear of flying kept him in a California film unit.
Destination 60,000'
1957
USAF- P.Foster; Test pilots. Shot at Edwards
AFB.
Devil Dogs of the Air
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.
Also shot on the carrier SARATOGA, and with the USS MACON dirigible. Mock-ups.
Devil's General
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.
Dirigible
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.
Dive Bomber
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.
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
1954 v
USAF- J. Hodiak; USAF pilot trains Koreans.
Stinson L-5's. C-46. Col. Dean Hess was the
technical advisor on this.
Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
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!
Peter Sellars had been a Aircraftsman in the RAF during the war. Hayden was in the USMC.
Eagle and the Hawk
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.
Eagle Squadron
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.
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
1987 *v
USAAF/Japanese AF- John Malkovich; Boy
in Japanese concentration camp loves aircraft.
Memorable, if short footage.
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
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.
2 C-47's. Learjet 23 camera plane. Directed by ex-B-29 navigator Lowell Rich.
The Eternal Sea
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.
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
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.
Fate is the Hunter
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.
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
1941
RAF- Story of ferry pilots. Whitleys,
Spitfires. One of the pilots is famed
distance flier Jim Mollison.
Fighter Attack
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)
Fighter Squadron
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.
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
1991 *v
Factory- J.Sikking; Stealth pilot crashes and
wakes up in doctor's office as a prisoner.
Final Countdown
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.
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
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.
FireFox
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!
"Flaming Sky"
1940
Japan- Airwar over China
Flat Top (UK "Eagles of the Nest")
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.
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
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.
Flight Command
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?).
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)
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).
Flight from Ashiya
1963 *
USAF- Richard Widmark; Three crewman have
flashbacks during rescue flight from Japan.
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
935
WWI Epic.
Flight Lieutenant (Originally "He's My Old Man"?)
1942
USAAC Glenn Ford; Brown Racer, Stinson Model A
Trimotor. Stock Footage of Curtiss P-12,
3 Stearman C-3's.
Flight Nurse
1954
USAF- F.Tucker; Romantic stuff in Korea.
Any decent MATS stuff in this?
Flight of the Black Angel
1991 *v
USAF- P. Strauss; Loonie F-16 pilot steals
nuke, sets out to attack Vegas. Cable movie.
Flight of the Intruder
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.
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
1966 *v
Warbird- Jimmy Stewart (ex USAAF/USAF);
Civilian Fairchild C-82A Packet crashes,
"plane" is built from the wreck.
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
1941
USAAC- Ryan ST, PCC?. Harlow Primary Trainer.
The Flying Fleet
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.
Flying Fortress
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.
Flying Leathernecks
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).
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"
1943
Japanese- Their propaganda view of the Pearl
Harbour attack.
Flying Tigers
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.
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
1941
Richard Arlen (ex RFC, future USAAF FI )
Pacific Air Transport Service pilot versus
Japanese Spy ring. C-47 and others.
For the Moment
1994 *
RCAF- Love Story set in Canadian wartime
training air force station. Much footage of
Ansons, Harvards, etc.
Shot at the Western Development Museum?
Francis Gary Powers: The True Story of the U-2 Incident:
1976 *v
CIA- Lee Majors; Biography of famed U-2
pilot and his shootdown over the Soviet Union.
Gathering of Eagles
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.
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)
1939
Luftwaffe- Propaganda drama.
God is My Copilot
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,
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
1979 *v
USMC- Robert Duvall; 1962 USMC fighter jock
abuses his family.
A Guy Named Joe
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).
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
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).
Actually the USAAF had no B-25's in England, using them in other theaters. Piper Aztec camera plane.
Hell's Angels
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.
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
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.
Written by Spig Wead. Shots showing the then-secret carrier arrestor gear were removed from the movie by the USN.
Hell's Horizon
1955
USAF- J.Ireland; Korean Boeing B-29 action,
Fuselage and stock footage only.
Her's to Hold
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.
High Barbaree
1945
USN- Van Johnson; Downed PBY Pilot has
flashbacks about his life. Partly shot off NAS
North Island and near Coronado, California.
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
1958
RAF- Ray Milland (Ex USAAF Flight Instructor);
Jet trainers set at the famous RAF Cranwell.
Which ones?
Hot Shots
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!
The Hunters
1958 v
USAF- Robert Mitchum; Korean air action with
N.A. F-86 Sabres and F-84 Thunderjets (as
"MiG's").
Hurricane
1974 *v
USAF- Martin Milner does a WC-130 hurricane
penetration in one of several story threads.
"I Bombed Pearl Harbour"
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.
Interceptor
?? ??
Cable movie.
International Squadron
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").
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
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.
Iron Eagle
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.
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
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.
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
(Not Yet Released)
Warbirds- Louis Gossett; Chappy Sinclair
attacks his scriptwriter and agent in a final
kamikaze attack. Well we can hope.
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
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.
It's In the Air
1940
RAF- George Formby; Comedy with George Formby
joining the RAF.
I Wanted Wings
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!!)
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")
1958 v
USAF- J. Agar; Scientist is shot down over
Korea.
Jet Job
1952
Factory- Test pilots.
Jet Pilot
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.
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
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.
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
1948
USAAC- R. Jaeckel; American pilots fly off of
a New Guinea jungle strip. Several P-40's.
Keep em' Flying
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(?).
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
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.
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
1958
Warbirds- Jeff Chandler; Ferrying old B-25J's,
P-51D, B-17G, Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer.
Last Flight of Noah's Ark
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).
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")
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).
Footage from "Men with Wings". Director Wellman was a member of the Layfayette Flying Corps (not the Escadille) in 1916.
"Legion Condor"
1938
Luftwaffe- Propaganda piece on the Spanish
Civil war.
Liliac Time (UK "Lone Never Dies")
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.
The Lion has Wings
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).
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
1954 v
RAF- Jack Hawkins; Malta defence. Filmed in
Malta, and also has some actual wartime
footage.
4 Spitfires Mk. XVI (bubble canopies), and Spitfire hulks from the wartime boneyard.
The Marines Fly High
1940
USMC- C. Morris; Another Marine rescue flic.
Fairchild 24, Ryan ST, Berliner (?) biplane.
The McConnell Story (UK "Tiger in the Sky")
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").
McHales Navy Joins the Air Force
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.
Memphis Belle
1990 *v
USAF- Matthew Modine; B-17 mission, loosely
based on the real "Memphis Belle" story and
the wartime documentary of the same name.
Made with 5 flying B-17's:
- B-17G/RB-17G F-AZDX Fortress Volante "Pink Lady"
- B-17G/TB-17G/VB-17G G-BEDF "Sally B"
- B-17G F-BEEA Burned out Binbrook on take-off July 25 1989 during filming.
- B-17G/CB-17G/VB-17G N3703G now "Memphis Belle" Dave Tallichet
- B-17F/RB-17F N17W Seattle Museum of Flight
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
1954 *v
USN- Van Johnson; F9F-5 Panthers fly in Korea.
Shot on ORISKANY. F9F hulk.
Men with Wings
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.
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")
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.
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
1969 v
USAAF?- Dennis Weaver (ex USN airman);
Fighters of some sort.
Mission over Korea (UK "Eyes in the Sky")
1953
USAF- J.Hodiak; Fighters.
"Moscow Squadron"
1945
Russian AF- drama of Yak fighters. Various
Yak fighters, wrecked Ju 88, flyable Bf 109G.
Mosquito Squadron
1969 *
RAF- David McCallum; RAF Bombers.
Shot at RAF Bovingdon with D.H. Mosquito
TT.Mk.35's, Avro Anson. Known Mossies:
- T.Mk.3 RR299 (G-ASKH)
- TT.Mk.35 RS709 (USAFM)
- RS712 (Weeks N35MK)
- TA719 for ground scenes,
- TA634 (Mosquito Museum)
Murphy's War
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!
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
1936
USN- W. Gargan; 3 Navy pilots cope with a baby.
Stock footage of Boeing F4B's of VF-1 on
LEXINGTON.
Never So Few
1959 v
USAAF- F. Sinatra; Commando raid on Japanese
air base (?). Used actual flyin