MASTERS OF THE AIR

[Dave Hadfield]

I'm one of those people without streaming success. I live in a very small clearing within a tall-tree forest in Canada on the north side of a hill.

DVDs are golden. Perfect. Lasting. You OWN them. They don't stop-and-start.

However, if this series doesn't have actual airplanes flying, just computer simulations, I don't have a lot of hope.

Example: the PBY in the Hanks movie Greyhound was ridiculously fake in the way it moved on the screen. The shipboard scenes were fine even though they were often also faked; but that's because there's only 2 dimensions. Everything changes when you go to three. It's not 1/3 more complicated -- it's more like 30 times!

I've admired most of his movies for decades and quote dialogue from them frequently. But I suspect this decision was not a good one.

[Zac Yates]

I use my game console as my disc player. I'm increasingly buying aviation movies and series where I can so that I know I have them.

I've been excited for Masters Of The Air since it was announced. Call me weird but I'll reserve judgment on the CGI until I see it!

[hurricane_yank]

I'm one of those people without streaming success. I live in a very small clearing within a tall-tree forest in Canada on the north side of a hill.

DVDs are golden. Perfect. Lasting. You OWN them. They don't stop-and-start.

However, if this series doesn't have actual airplanes flying, just computer simulations, I don't have a lot of hope.

Example: the PBY in the Hanks movie Greyhound was ridiculously fake in the way it moved on the screen. The shipboard scenes were fine even though they were often also faked; but that's because there's only 2 dimensions. Everything changes when you go to three. It's not 1/3 more complicated -- it's more like 30 times!

I've admired most of his movies for decades and quote dialogue from them frequently. But I suspect this decision was not a good one.

DVD's are an imperfect medium as they are very very easily damaged...if you want lasting go with Blu-ray discs and if you want lifelong lasting go with M-discs.

[p51]

Call me weird but I'll reserve judgment on the CGI until I see it!

An open mind. How refreshing, online. I like it!
Anyone who has seen the Catch 22 remake can confirm that CGI can be done well if there's attention to detail done. They only had two B-25s for that series but it looks like a full group in those scenes.
I, too, am withholding judgement for when I see the finished version.
It's astonishing that even after seeing the photos of the two full sized mockup B-17Fs they made for this, that some still question the attention to detail.

[Zac Yates]

Call me weird but I'll reserve judgment on the CGI until I see it!

An open mind. How refreshing, online. I like it!

I like to think it's a good reason to keep me around

[VaBeachEd]

A question for "The Collective:....

Thinking about the 100th BG while looking forward to the upcoming Masters of the Air, I got to thinking about something I read MANY years ago. (I fortunately still had the book)

In his very good book Flying Fortress (Doubleday 1965) Edward Jablonski recounts the "infamous tale" of how the "Bloody 100th" became the target for special attention from the Luftwaffe.

According to the account (on page 179) "...the plane of Captain R. Knox initiated the infamous legend"

Without quoting a long passage of the book -- basically the plane had battle damage, and lowered her wheels. "According to the Code of the Air" cites Jablonski, this was a signal to the Luftwaffe that the plane had surrendered, and attacks on the plane ceased. "German fighters formed up on the plane to guide her to a German airfield." Shortly thereafter, the engine trouble was solved, and the planes' gunners blasted the German fighters out of the sky and made a run for home. "Within 50 seconds the maddened German fighters tore the plane to pieces and she went down.

Thereafter, the 100th BG was marked for extinction by the Luftwaffe. They would ignore the other planes in the formation, and concentrate upon the 100th. "...it was a personal grudge; the Luftwaffe against the Bloody 100th."

Here's the question - I have never seen/heard/smelled that story in any other place other than Jablonkis' book. To my knowledge, he does not cite where he got the story. No other book, personal story, etc. is mentioned. That absence leads me to wonder about the truth of the tale - Though I am certainly not accusing Jablonski of "telling of tall tales" (Not another Martin Caidin!)
There are writers who "won't let the truth get in the way of a good story."

Have any of you ever seen this information anywhere else?

Standing by for your thoughts and/or abuse.

[Richard W.]

The 100th BG association has a long page dedicated to the legend.

Seems as if it's doubtful that it happened, but there are those who disagree.

https://www.100thbg.com/index.php?option=com_bombgrp&view=personnel&id=2861&Itemid=334

[JohnB]

Wow, eighty years after the fact there are disagreements about history.
Go figure.

Let's just honor and remember the brave guys who flew from there a long time ago.

Certainly, the 100th has a special place in history, so much so I sought out Thorpe Abbotts on a recent UK trip.

Sadly, not many buildings or hardstands remain, but they have a nice museum with interesting displays...and a great diorama showing you how it looked during the war.

The volunteers were very welcoming...and made my wife and sister in law welcome in their tea room while I was occupied.

Even driving through the countryside on the narrow farm roads enroute to the airfield was entertaining.
The immediate area is largely unchanged, with a little imagination you could picture what it was like when the 100th was there.

[Waltz41]

Apparently a trailer drops tomorrow.

About a year ago, I saw a unfinished trailer from my wifes uncle who works in the 'biz', sent straight to him from Tom Hanks. Some of the CGI was a bit rough, but overall looked good and it got me excited for this series. Not sure what happened but according to that trailer it was due out last spring (2023). I dont remember it all, however one thing that stuck out was it did show the Red Tails a bit in Mustangs and what appeared to be a PW scene w a Tuskeege pilot in it. It will be interesting to see this finished product now as we inch closer to the release date.

[p51]

Apparently a trailer drops tomorrow.

Well, it's about time.
If you'd told me there would be NO trailers or released scenes less than 2 months before such a high profile release, I'd say I'm glad you weren't with the studio marketing team!

[Thomas_Mac]

Cheers to Waltz41

[OD/NG]

I'm sure it will be an awesome script/story line and be very entertaining, but the CGI still looks fake as hell. From this trailer at least, the CGI looks not much better than "Redtails" from over a decade ago. I guess the technology/computing power hasn't improved much since then. With all this being said, I'm still looking forward to seeing it!

[Spitty]

I'm sure it will be an awesome script/story line and be very entertaining, but the CGI still looks fake as hell. From this trailer at least, the CGI looks not much better than "Redtails" from over a decade ago. I guess the technology/computing power hasn't improved much since then. With all this being said, I'm still looking forward to seeing it!

The formations looked too uniformed to me...Too Flight Simmy...

[Mark Allen M]

The CGI technology is there (a friend of mine is a CGI wizard in LA who knows the power of CGI currently, and there’s been several really well done CGI films from folks in Japan over the years). It’s a couple of things other than the technology imo regarding CGI aerodynamics in this series. One being a lack of real interest in bomber stream reality and flight dynamics from CGI programmers and the other is overall audience engagement. Nine out of ten viewers haven’t a clue, nor do they care, about the reality of actual flights of bombers during WWII. General audiences have a short interest span and the high level of realism we usually expect is far above and beyond the average audience. Most folks, other than us, will be in awe from all the overkill CGI. And that’s exactly what the investors want.

[Zac Yates]

I thought it looked fantastic and it got my heart racing. For me it seems the wait will be well worth it.