Heads Up - "Strategic Air Command" on TV
 

I see the 1955 film "Strategic Air Command" starring James Stewart and June Allyson, in being broadcast on TV this Friday 30th June (11.00 to 13.15) on Film 4. (Virgin Channel 428).
Visually stunning with air-to-air shots of B-36s, B-47s and B-52s - one of my favourite aviation films and very well worth watching if only for its the sheer visual impact; the colour, clouds, and air-to-air photography is stunning. I was blown away by the shots of the B-36's contrailing into the sunset with all ten engines running.

As a bonus it’s something to see a flight deck that has no computer, digital display, or high tech flight control system.

Air-to-air sequences later in the film after “Dutch” Holland (James Stewart) converts to B-47’s are equally spectacular.

The dreamy music / love theme used to accompany the aerial sequences is “The World is Mine” by long established Hollywood composer Victor Young (one of his last compositions – he died in 1956, a year after the film’s release).
WT


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I can remember it when I was a kid - the horror of replacing B-36's with the B-47 & that short lived monstrosity the B-52 has lived with me ever since

*goes off to set it to record*

:ok:

One of the first films I recorded to VHS from BSB's 'The Movie Channel' back in 1990, then transferred to DVD 14 years later!

I see that there's a widescreen NTSC Region 1 DVD version available on Amazon....but quite pricey!

I believe there is a Freudian slip in the film. Stewart is supposedly a B-17 pilot who has been recalled to duty. Having seen the B-36, he comments to his wife "I thought the B-24 was big, but this.." I suspect he was meant to say B-17, but in the generated excitement he slips into reality; he was a B-24 driver in WWII. I guess no-one picked it up. If I'm wrong, blame many years since I last saw it. Also off to set the recorder.

I presume you meant to say the B-58….

Fantastic film
The B-36 had a fairly short service life .e.g Jimmy Stewart's B-36 '5734' (51-5734) was accepted by USAF in November 1952 but sent for scrapping in 1958.
Convair flew a swept wing solely jet powered version - the B-60 - but its thick wing and low powered engines meant it was no competition to the B-52.
There was also a cargo/passenger developed the XC-99 designed to carry 100,000lb of cargo or 400 equipped troops. The USAF ordered just one,

The B-36 was deployed to the UK where one came to grief running out of fuel in transit to Fairford. The crew abandoned the aircraft which crashed in Wiltshire.
Thankfully all of the crew survived and there were no injuries on the ground.

An excellent book on the plane is Magnesium Overcast by Dennis R Jenkins - published over here by Midland Publishing..

There are many things I'd say about or call the B-58, but monstrosity wouldn't be one of them ("deathtrap" would be appropriate - the accident rate was horrid). In fact I always thought the B-58 was a rather good looking aircraft.
If he indeed meant the B-52, I suspect he was being sarcastic.

Somewhat off topic, I saw a program on the B-1 a few days ago (interestingly they never mentioned it's "Bone" nickname). I always thought that - for a big bomber - the B-1 just looks right. Sort of a 'form follows function' beauty, while also looking suitably intimidating.

Much prefer it to a A Gathering of Eagles which I was exposed to as a command behaviours training file. I think it was clear SAC benefited from having an AFRes Colonel and qualified B-47 pilot as the lead actor. Allegedly it led to a 25% uplift in Airforce recruitment.

Herod, at one point Jimmy Stewart was a B-17 instructor at Kirtland before coming to the UK to fly the B-24. I think 'Dutch Holland' was supposed to be an ex B-29 pilot.

My wonderful Mother was an aviation lover who hated flying. Every time she saw contrails she said three words- Strategic Air Command.

Channel 300 or 301 (+1) on Freesat.

Dave
Thanks for the tip.
WT

Bombers B-52 (released in the UK as No Sleep till Dawn)
 

Those B52's, are there any air worthy examples still flying or maybe a good museum example anywhere?

A few undergoing restoration, I believe

It was hard to find a DVD copy of 'A Gathering of Eagles', but I eventually found a Region 4 NTSC version....

Strategic Air Command was the better movie!

Plus about 75 still in active service and about to have new (Rolls Royce) engines to extend their lives.

I wouldn't call a bomber which has been in service for over 50 years as being 'short lived'.

As I recall it landed short of the runway at Boscombe Down.
I saw one near Bovingdon in about 1954 although I doubt if it landed there.

SLXOwft; thanks for that about Stewart and the B17. Learn something every day.