Great Planes
Documentary
In 1903, not only did the Wright brothers ’plane soar, but a young man named William Boeing stepped out of the Yale University gates. 13 years later, using wood, canvas and wire, the first "Boeing model", the B&W, was born. Boeing has since grown into a huge company and developed countless models, including the 1957-92 passenger jet, the 707. Later, we learn about the Constellation designed by Lockheed in the early 1940s. The fuselage of the machine evokes the graceful form of a dolphin, no wonder that with its beauty it also won the title of "Queen of Heaven". The C-69 was the first model to cross non-stop America, covering the Los Angeles-Washington DC distance in record time of 7 hours and 3 minutes. Connies were used for both military and civilian purposes until the early 1960s. This and many more stories are recounted here in Great Planes.
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Seasons & episodes
S1 · 26 epS2 · 13 epS3 · 13 ep
- 1Boeing B-29 Superfortress1 Jan 1988
- 2General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark1 Jan 1988The story of the fighter that became a bomber. The F-111 set new standards of design, but had to wrestle with adapting high technology.
- 3Grumman F-14 Tomcat1 Jan 1988Defending the U.S. Navy's Aircraft Carriers the F-14 Tomcat has become as well-known for its production deadlines as for the skill of its pilots, whose mettle was tested at the Gulf of Sidra and celebrated in the film "Top Gun".
- 4Convair B-36 Peacemaker1 Jan 1988
- 5North American XB-70 Valkyrie1 Jan 1988
- 6General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon1 Jan 1988
- 7Consolidated B-24 Liberator1 Jan 1988
- 8Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress1 Jan 1988
- 9Boeing B-52 Stratofortress1 Jan 1988
- 10Lockheed P-38 Lightning1 Jan 1988
- 11Douglas DC-3/C-47 Dakota1 Jan 1988
- 12North American F-86 Sabre1 Jan 1988
- 13British Aerospace/McDonnell Douglas Harrier1 Jan 1988
- 14Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter31 Mar 1988
- 15North American F-100 Super Sabre1 Apr 1988
- 16Lockheed Constellation2 Apr 1988
- 17Episode 173 Apr 1988
- 18Grumman F-6F Hellcat4 Apr 1988
- 19Martin B-57 Canberra5 Apr 1988
- 20Consolidated PBY Catalina6 Apr 1988
- 21Republic P-47 Thunderbolt7 Apr 1988 · 58mRoughly twice the weight of other World War II fighters, the Jug's cumbersome appearance belied its speed and firepower. As frontline fighters, escorts for heavy bombers, and fighter-bombers, the sturdy planes saw action in both Europe and the Pacific.
- 22McDonnell-Douglas F-15 Eagle8 Apr 1988
- 23Douglas A-26 Invader9 Apr 1988
- 24Republic F-105 Thunderchief10 Apr 1988
- 25Douglas A-1 Skyraider11 Apr 1988 · 45mThe consummate carrier jet, the A-1 was such a success that the Navy used it for three decades. Air Force engineers considered its design the pinnacle of piston-powered aviation.
- 26Vought F4U Corsair12 Apr 1988
Details
- First aired
- 1 Jan 1988
- Last aired
- 1 Jan 1990
- Status
- Ended
- Language
- English
- Episodes
- 52
- Votes
- 1 on TMDB
Cast
- LLuke SwannNarrator
