Rent The Ultimate History of the Boeing B17 Bomber (2004)
0h 50min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
From 1943 until the end of the war, the Flying Fortresses of the Eighth Air Force became a familiar site over Eastern England as they set off on yet another daylight raid, often deep into the heart of Nazi Germany. Many never returned for thousands of men were killed or wounded during these raids. The B-17 became known as the Flying Fortress as she bristled with machine guns - up to 13 in the later models. The idea was that by flying in tight boxes the formations could pour an impenetrable hail of fire on attacking fighters. Like most combat theories it did not survive first contact with the enemy's aircraft. Different levels of skill and experience meant that the formations soon opened up, allowing the Luftwaffe's fighters to pick off stragglers one by one. This programme includes rare colour archive showing the design and building processes used to build the B17 as well as presenting its operational record using actual combat footage. We also take a close look at one of the few airworthy survivors, the famous 'Sally B' which remains one of the most popular attractions on the air show scene today. - Directors:
- Bruce Vigar
- Producers:
- Jules Gammond, Tim Exell
- Studio:
- Green Umbrella
- Genres:
- Children & Family, Documentary, Special Interest
