Having always been interested in planes (military or otherwise), this little known program from the Discovery Channel that showcased different planes throughout history is a great thing to watch. Some of these include the SR71 Blackbird, a spy plane from the 60s that was so fast it was basically immune to interception, and the F4 Phantom, America's most numerous jet fighter during the war in Vietnam. The episodes are all put together in an engaging way and the viewer is told all the ins and outs of a plane's story, including its origins, testing, the production of prototypes, what engines and weapons it was to carry, and how it made a difference in the world. There were also a few episodes that focused on unusual concepts when it came to the world of aviation, such as parasite fighters. This was a concept in the late 40s that involved a small jet fighter being attached to a much larger plane like a B36. When hostiles were detected, the fighter would detach from its mothership and fend off the enemies, then reattach to the bomber using a trapeze mechanism once the coast was clear. The reason this concept existed is because fighter planes in the 40s couldn't really travel as far as the slow bombers they were supposed to guard, so the lumbering beasts would be alone over enemy territory. If the bomber carries a plane with it, the range problem is solved. The concept fell out of favor quite fast as it was very difficult to reattach the smaller plane to the larger one, even with the best available pilots. Probably my favorite episode of this show focuses on the XB70 Valkyrie, a large supersonic bomber meant to attack the USSR in the early 60s. Very imposing and impressive to look at, the XB70 fell victim to politics and unfortunately appeared at a time when ballistic missiles were coming into existence. As a result, it was cancelled as people thought the days of bombing were over. It didn't help that the plane had quite a number of reliability problems and was involved in a severe crash when a trailing jet fighter got caught in its turbulence and slammed into it. The show tells me things I never would have imagined possible, such as how pilots flying Blackbirds near the north pole would witness multiple sunsets in a single mission due to outrunning the Earth's rotation. Overall, this is an excellent show for people who are interested in both history and planes, as the two are usually connected. My only criticism of it is how 90% of the episodes are limited to American planes, although I've heard there's a separately named program narrated by Peter Ustinov that focused on Soviet aircraft. Definitely watch this if you enjoy the subject. I really need to get back to it since it's been many months since I last watched it.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
