The Avro Vulcan is a jet powered delta wing strategic bomber, which was operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF) from 1956 until 1984. The DVD explores the Vulcan's pedigree and illustrious career.
The Harrier the worlds best selling combat jump
jet. The reality almost 40 years on after the first development aircraft flew,
the Harrier is still one jump ahead of its rivals. This DVD salutes the
achievements of the Harrier, in peace and war, over land and sea, through test
and research, taking this unique British aircraft design towards the 21st
century. We bring you the test pilots who lifted the first RAF Harrier into the
air in 1966 and the squadron pilots who flew her in the fiercest of firefights
in the Falklands campaign and most recently in Bosnia. Special DVD Features -
Actor and aviation enthusiasts, David Jason, arrives at RIAT in a two seater
Harrier, meets Test Pilot, Bill Bedford, while the Harrier squadron performs a
simulated bombing raid.
Part 1: Developing aircraft requires huge
expenditure. One company has on a number of occasions bet more than its entire
net worth. The company was Boeing and its gambles have paid off making it an
aviation giant. In 1952 Boeing developed a prototype transport plane. They
invested 15 million dollars, which well exceeded the company's net worth - if
the plane failed - it would have sunk the Company. The prototype was to become
one of the greatest planes of the century - The Boeing 707.
Part 2: During the early 1960's the US Air Force,
asked for tenders to build and supply a large transporter. It was believed that
Boeing has the edge over its competitors, Lockheed and Douglas. However, in 1965
the Air Force announced Lockheed had won the bid with their C5-Galaxy. Beoings
misfortune, at losing the contract, became the factor that assisted the creation
of the 747 Jumbo. The technology Boeing used to build the Jumbo planes was
accumulated over many years - mainly from building bombers for the US Air Force
during the war years, one example is the B-29.
It was the Supermarine seaplane racer plane that
led directly to the development of its famous younger brother, the incredible
Supermarine Spitfire. Is there any other plane that is so loved by its pilots?
World War II veterans say it is a pleasure to fly, there was a magic about this
magnificent plane. While Spitfires couldn't fly at night and there was a lack of
communication what the Spitfire couldn't do was dramatically outweighed by what
it could! The instantly recognisable Supermarine Spitfire is one of the most
famous fighter aircraft used in the Battle of Britain in 1940. Had they not been
there the outcome of the Battle of Britain could have turned out very
different... we have a lot to thank the Spitfire for! Many Spitfires have been
restored and can be seen at air shows to this day. Ever wanted to know more
about the amazing feat of engineering that potentially changed the course of
World War II? Then this is the DVD for you!
Many consider the prolific British engineer Sir
George Cayley to be one of the most important people in the history of
aeronautics as it was he who designed the first actual model of an aeroplane. It
was a British man, Sir Frank Whittle, who is credited with single handedly
invented the turbojet engine! From the first aircraft they produced, to the
impressive array of military aircraft and bombers and the incredible productions
today the British have always played a very important role in the aeronautic
industry. As early as 1912, British firm Vickers were experimenting with machine
gun carrying aircraft and it was World War I when aircraft were used on such a
large scale for the first time. Skip forward to World War II and we had produced
incredible bomber planes such as the Hawker Hurricane and Supermarine Spitfire.
1969 saw the first flight of Concorde, a turbojet-powered supersonic passenger
airline enter service. It was developed by British Aircraft Corporation &
Aerospatiale under an Anglo-French treaty. With the advances in technology, we
are now in the designers golden age and witness the production of incredible
engineering feats such as the Airbus A380, a double deck wide body four engine
jet airliner jointly developed by European countries including the United
Kingdom.
For over 40 years The Red Arrows have been thrilling crowds at air shows both across the UK and internationally. They are quite simply the best at what they do. The Red Arrows could be described as a British institution, as well as a world-renowned air display team attracting a worldwide following of adoring fans. The Red Arrows, officially the Royal Air Force Display Team, is the public face of the RAF, formally promoting recruitment, as well as providing inspiration to significant numbers of those who join the Royal Air Force. Starting out as The Yellow jacks in the early sixties, the Reds officially took to the skies in 1965 flying the Folland Gnat before transferring to the B.a.e Hawk advanced trainer in 1979. Through fantastic archive and display footage, we tell the story of The Red Arrows from their beginnings in 1964 right through to today.