Reaching for the Skies video questions...

I was watching my reacing for the skies movie again about ww1. I have found some odd things, in my fav. scene, a mock combat is stagged between what I believe to some fokkers, and SE5's. BUT their is some problems! One, the planes that look like SE5's have bent wings! I have never seen that before! Second, there are some planes on the german side that I believe to be late era fokkers or Pfalz aircraft but they have swept wings too! My third and biggest concern is their is an aircraft that is painted in plain red (No its not the Baron, this plane is a biplane) But I tried looking on this and every other site I could find and I see no such aircraft! It is a two seater (In the movie it was being used as a kick butt fighter), with a maching gun in the front but not in back and the engine is exposed in the front! The thing I can closely releate it to is a stearman but I hope the movie did not get that lose with the historical accuracy, the movie is a documentary. If anyone could shine some light on this subject, I would be so grateful! God Bless and may God shower his blessings on all of you!

[Gregvan]

Hi,

No need to worry, devilpup. While most of the "Reaching for the Skies" sequence on WWI is excellent, the scenes you're talking about were lifted from the 1976 British commercial movie, "Aces High" (starring Christopher Plummer, Malcolm McDowell, & others). For this movie they took three Belgian Stampe SV-4B biplanes (with the sweptback wings) and reconfigured the nose and tail to look a little like SE5a's - that's what you're seeing. I guess the Stampe a/c were cheaper than replica SE5a's, and could be thrown around the sky better. The German a/c you're seeing from "Aces High" were also non-WWI types, various 1930's or later era biplanes painted up to look sort of like German a/c (I believe one might be a Bucker Jungmeister, but don't quote me on that).

At other points in the "Reaching for the Skies" video, they do use footage of the Shuttleworth REAL SE5a chasing the Shuttleworth LVG C.VI, and a very nice Sopwith Pup and a replica Fokker Dr.I - those are the scenes to watch !! The best thing about this video is the interviews with real WWI pilots, including George Vaughn, Ray Brooks, Carl-August von Schoenebeck, Wolfram Eisenlohr, and others.

Greg

Thanks so much for the reply, I really love this movie, thank the great Lord that I got it when I was young!

[Rob_Owens]

Teufelhundchen, Have you seen the 4-part History Channel program "Four Years of Thunder?" Doesn't have any pilot interviews, or mock combat footage, but the aircraft are all real! You might be able to order it at historychannel.com Alles gute! Rob

I am looking right now for the video or DVD online! I looked on the history channel web site but no luck :-/. I love this forum, people are really helpful and nice. Also, Mr. Owens seems to know alittle history

[Rob_Owens]

If you can't get it, lmk, and we'll see what it might cost to get my copy duped. Mine was recorded from TV, so you might not get it "commercial free," but the real airplanes (or at least very accurate replicas in some cases) make it a vid to cherish. Rob