Great Planes

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.

Genre: Documentary,

Actor:

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Type: tv

Season: 3

Episode: N/A

Duration: N/A minutes

Release: 1988-01-01

Rating: 8

Season 1 - Great Planes
1988-01-01
The story of the fighter that became a bomber. The F-111 set new standards of design, but had to wrestle with adapting high technology.
1988-01-01
Defending 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".
1988-04-03
1988-04-07
Roughly 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.
1988-04-11
The 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.

Season 2 - Great Planes
1989-01-01
The McDonnell-Douglas F-4 entered service with the U.S. Navy in 1960, and was later adopted by the Air Force and the armed forces of 10 other countries.
1989-01-01
Designed in the 1940s, modified during the 1950s, in service in the 1960s, and state of the art in the 1970s, the B-57 evolved to fill the gap between fighter planes and bombers. This high-speed model also served with the airforces of Taiwan and Pakistan and, in both cases as with those in U.S service, saw combat with distinction.
1989-01-01
So small and tubular that some called it the Flying Missile, the F-104 had wings so thin that the leading edge had to be protected by a cover when it was on the ground.
1989-01-01

Season 3 - Great Planes