303 Sqn Hurricane

[cynicalint]

Mods, if this is duplicate please remove,. I did search and found nothing.
I have just watched for the first time the film, Hurricane 303 Sqn, covering the Polish involvement in the Battle of Britain. Wonderful aerial photography and a good insight into the strategic planning by Fighter Command. To me. it reflected exactly the camaraderie of a Sqn, the requirements of leadership, the psychological pressures and the efforts needed to make the command structure adjust actions and processes. A wonderful, entertaining, moving film which is a down-to-earth complement to the Battle of Britain Film. The link to modern flying is the efforts by the leadership to instill moral, discipline, pride in one's Sqn and the operational effects WITHOUT any EDI actions, but rather ability and personality.. Wonderful film. Today's leaders would be well advised to watch this for a military perspective on leadership, rather than the political aspects they are currently selected and trained for.

[rolling20]

Originally Posted by cynicalint

Wonderful aerial photography.

I think most of it is CGI and I found it very unrealistic.

[Martin the Martian]

Originally Posted by rolling20

I think most of it is CGI and I found it very unrealistic.

I agree. It is horrendous.

[Herod]

There are at least two 303 Sqn films. If you get the chance, watch the Polish production. Much better. Yes, there is GCI and mock-ups, but whoever did them knew his job. Natural language throughout, with subtitles in the other language. The only fault I found in it was that Beatrice Shilling was portrayed as the Polish girlfriend of one of the pilots. Artistic licence, but they had to get her contribution in somehow.

[rolling20]

Originally Posted by Herod

The only fault I found in it was that Beatrice Shilling was portrayed as the Polish girlfriend of one of the pilots.

Always thought it odd that the issue of the engine cutting out with negative g was only discovered during Battle of France/ Britain.
You would have thought it would have been discovered earlier, or if it was, it wasn't deemed an issue.

[POBJOY]

Fighting the Blue

Fighting the blue is on a various times at present and contains some great comments from the Polish pilots of 1940.
Having 'made themselves operational' by just attacking anything they saw their contribution was immense.
One particular comment from a survivor summed it up, having got themselves airborne looking for trade one of their number called up control in poor English with 'We are up, we are up where are the Huns' amazing guys.

[POBJOY]

Following the 109's

Originally Posted by rolling20

Always thought it odd that the issue of the engine cutting out with negative g was only discovered during Battle of France/ Britain.
You would have thought it would have been discovered earlier, or if it was, it wasn't deemed an issue.

I think the rich cut issue only became an problem when mixing it with the 109's (injected engines). The original Merlin could not cope with negative G and this would not have been a issue against bombers, but a 109 could just push forward and escape if threatened.

[cynicalint]

I was rather hoping for more of a discussion on the enthusiasm of the pilots, the leadership actions of the Sqn amd Fighter command attitudes and is there evidence of continuity or change in todays RAF ( Apples and Oranges I know!), Nevertheless, interesting comments on aircraft capabilities, thanks.

[longer ron]

Originally Posted by cynicalint

I was rather hoping for more of a discussion on the enthusiasm of the pilots, the leadership actions of the Sqn amd Fighter command attitudes and is there evidence of continuity or change in todays RAF ( Apples and Oranges I know!), Nevertheless, interesting comments on aircraft capabilities, thanks.

Since none of the films are an accurate representation of the the real story - not sure one could really draw any conclusions from any of them.

[uxb99]

Not Polish but Czech. A very good film.
Dark Blue World - Wikipedia