The Century of Flight — Season 1, Episode 8: Struggle For The Skies
Documentary • 50 min • 1 season, 26 episodes
Episode synopsis
Fighter developments and the great air battles. Colour collage of World War II fighters. All powerful Luftwaffe - Poland 1939 and France 1940. The Critical Contest - Battle of Britain 1940, including the tactics used by both sides. Colour graphics and diagrams are used. The Fighter War in Europe - Eastern and Western Fronts, with emphasis on increasing armament and speed of piston-engine fighters. This includes colour footage. Night Fighters -developments. The fighter aces - the leading aces and their stories. Coming of the jets - review of World War II types, in colour.
About The Century of Flight
This definitive history of manned flight has been compiled into 26 hour episodes, with access to some of the rarest archive film ever taken. Unprecedented co-operation has been extended by the world's leading aircraft manufacturers and leading archive libraries. Included in the footage are shots of rare prototype accidents and failures which contributed to the inevitable achievement and success of man in the air. Since Charles Lindbergh became the first lone aviator to cross the Atlantic in 1927, air transport has greatly accelerated , revolutionised by the giant Boeing 747 Jumbo Jet - and what might we see in the 21st century?