Through fascinating archival footage, this program examines the Allied bomber offensive against Nazi Germany during World War II. You'll review the political and military situation before the Strategic Bombing Campaign, portraits of leaders and commanders, the dual objectives of disrupting German war production and hurting civilian morale, weapons and tactics, and the results of the campaign itself. B&W and color, 1 hr. 40 min.

A real B-17 Bomber flight manual would be great to look at while watching a movie about the B-17.

Early aviators chucked grenades from their open cockpits on the enemy below. Today's strategic  bombers can deliver their multi-ton payloads with pinpoint accuracy from miles above the target. Bombers is an explosive tour through the history of these mighty airplanes. Trace the incredible  advances that were made in just a few years during World War I, when the planes evolved from a  curiosity into a legitimate threat. Get an up-close look at planes like the B-17 bomber and B-29 bomber, which played a vital role in World War II, and see extensive footage of them in action. Former pilots recall what it was like to fly over Nazi Germany, and today's pilots reveal what it is like in the cockpit of some of the most advanced aircraft ever built. From the birth of aviation to the awesome B-1B, this is a comprehensive  look at the mighty planes that rain death from above. 50 min. Video.

Description 
Baptized in the aerial battlefields over Europe and Asia the immortal B-17 bombers rewrote the strategies of World War 2. Superb footage from the hell of battle, this video salutes the most battled-honored bomber in history. 
 

Running time 1:26. Two great World War 2 aviation documentaries. Fight for the Sky - Narrated by Ronald Reagan. 8th Air Force armadas of B-17s batter Germany while  P-38, P-47 and P-51 fighters sweep the land and sky. Superb gun camera shots of  low level action and air-to-air combat. Report from the Aleutians - John Huston  documents the rugged flying conditions on Adak Island. P-38s, P-39s and B-24s take off in a foot of water to bomb Japanese outposts. A PBY crew flies a night bombing  raid on a Japanese held island. (Wartime color) Black Cats - The PBY Catalina struck  terror in the Japanese Fleet in the Pacific. These patrol amphibians were converted to night bombers and dressed in black nightgowns to stalk their prey in the dead of  night. (B&W, 20 min.)

The Story of the Flying Fortress in Combat Three great World War 2 documentaries. Running  time 1:12 Conquest by Air - The 8th Air Force Bombs and strafes occupied Europe. Dramatic aerial footage of B-17 and escort fighters, German gun camera film of Me-109s blasting the Forts. Excellent ground and low level footage! (B&W, 20 min.)  Mission Accomplished - The first all American Fortress raid over Europe. Covers the  Norden bombsight, loading bombs, briefings, take-off, flak, bombing runs and more. (B&W, 10½ min.) Army Air Force Report - 1943. Gen. H.H. Arnold describes U.S. mobilization, aircraft production, crew training and Army Air Force organization. Each  numbered Air Force and its mission dramatized by combat film footage. A great documentary! (B&W, 41 min.)

The official 'Crew Chief' guide. The pre-flight inspection is divided into three parts:  Exterior airframe inspection, Interior Airframe Inspection and Engine Check. Covers  what to look for: skin, fabric, de-icers, fuel tanks, cockpit, crew stations, props, and  the engine warm-up and operation. Running time 40 min.

Takes you inside the EAA Foundation's B-17 Flying Fortress "Aluminum Overcast." See  the magnificent restoration and find out what it is like to fly this big four-engine bomber. Features extensive camera mount footage and in-flight cockpit video. 23  min.

The story of the 8th Air Force’s stunning daylight raids on Anklam, Marienberg,  Danzig and Gdynia, filmed as it happened. Bomber groups from all over England are  coordinated for this maximum effort bombing. Follow the crews through 3 a.m.  wakeup, briefings, take-off and join-up. Fly with them on the raids and see the  bombs fall on the German factories and airfields. German fighters are shot down... and we watch some of the B-17 Bombers go down too! One of the finest documentaries on  the air war over Europe. Gen. Arnold called the raid "...the greatest strike ever." Video 92  min.

Running time 1:42 Flying the P-47 - In three parts, almost anything you might ask about the famed Thunderbolt fighter. Here is detailed coverage that begins with pilot  familiarization, ground handling, take-off, normal flight, landings and high altitude  flight and aerobatics. Includes tips on what not to do. (B&W, 1 hr., 9 min.) Thunderbolt: Ramrod to Emden - The story of the 56th F.G. (8th A.F.) P-47 escort mission on Oct. 1, 1943. Covers the Thunderbolt pilot briefing, the take-off, joining up and rendezvous with the B-17s and B-24s. Excellent combat footage. We shoot down a few Fw-190 bandits... but we lose some B-17s, too! (B&W, 33 min.)

Comprehensive pilot training film made by the Army Air Force and the Boeing Airplane  Company for training new pilots about to enter combat with the B-17 Flying Fortress. Walk with the  pilot as he does his pre-flight. Sit in the cockpit as he checks all the systems, runs  up the engines and takes off to perform flight operations. (B&W, 1 hr. 28 min.) Fortress in the Sky - Story of the B-17 Flying Fortress from design concept, through  engineering, to production. Witness early test flights and fly off to combat in  'Glamour Girl'. (Color, 22 min.) Video.

It was greatest air battle in history. For months on end, Allied bombers relentlessly pounded German cities while Luftwaffe fighters and massive bombardment threatened to send the crews spiraling to their deaths at any moment. Mission Berlin uses a remarkable combination of dramatic re-enactments, actual footage from World War II raids, and the personal recollections of the bomber crews from letters and diaries to piece together a detailed portrait of what it was like to fly a daytime mission over Berlin. This one-of-a-kind video vividly brings to life the incredible drama and ever-present fear of the aerial  battlefield, filled with thousands of droning bombers, towering clouds of flak and fighters screaming to  the attack. Go inside a restored B-17 Flying Fortress for an up-close look at one of the most effective warplanes ever built, and climb into the claustrophobic cockpit of a German interceptor. Mission Berlin  was made in association with the world-famous Imperial War Museum, the leading institution for the study of World War II. 50 min. Video.

3 Video Set.

The History of Aviation Relive the exciting history of aviation. From Montgolfiers' hot  air balloon to the Douglas DC-3, climb aboard legendary aircraft including: the Lilienthal glider, Sopwith Camel, P-51 Mustang, B-17 Flying Fortress, Ryan ST, Boeing 247, and the Spirit of St. Louis. Meet pioneering pilots such as Charles Lindbergh, Wiley Post,  Howard Hughes, Lincoln Beachey, Harriet Quimby and many others in this  unforgettable series produced by Air & Space magazine. Approx. 3 hours on three Video cassettes.

They filled the skies over Germany during World War II. From high above Vietnam, they rained death and destruction on the jungle below. Their pinpoint accuracy played a vital role in the Gulf War. But do  heavy bombers have a place in the military of the future? Bomber Group is a comprehensive look at the history of strategic bombing. Fly along on some of the very first missions in World War I, and see how  American general Billy Mitchell revolutionized the tactics and strategies during World War II. Stunning  footage from some of the most important bombing raids in history show his theories in action. Military  experts detail the technological advances that transformed the lumbering planes into devastating  weapons, while former pilots and crewmembers tell what it was like to fly in classic bombers like the B-17 and B-29. Finally, examine the controversial role of heavy bombers today since cruise missiles can strike targets without risking the lives of airmen, are the days of the mighty, high-flying bomber finished? 50 min.

This video contains three action films of the B-17 Flying Fortress: "Conquest by Air" features the B-17 bomber in air combat throughout WWII. "Mission Accomplished" features  more footage of the B-17 in European combat, emphasizing its early introduction. Finally, "Bombers Over North Africa" features B-17s of the 321st Bomb Group, with  rare German gun camera footage of enemy fighters attacking our aircraft. Approx. 55  min. total run time.

As a youth, Robert Morgan was a sweet-talking ladies man who rubbed elbows with the Vanderbilts. But  WWII changed this lothario into a combat soldier - as pilot of the famed Memphis Belle, Morgan oversaw  a crew that flew a successful 25 missions without losing a single member. Video 30 Minutes.

The B-17 Flying Fortress vs. the Luftwaffe Dubbed the "Flying Fortress," the B-17 bomber was a legendary force in the key victories over Germany and Japan. And now she's  ready to fly again. Pilot a B-17 bomber during a deadly raid on "The Big B," Berlin; experience  intense wartime footage from the Fortress's cockpit; see one of the few remaining  B-17 bombers still flying; and hear dramatic stories from surviving members of the 100th Bomb Group. Video Running time 52 min.

     Aerospace Publishing Ltd.
     179 Dalling Road 
     London W6 0ES 
     UK 
Suggestion thanks to Mark Schiller 

amazone.com essential video 
   The wartime memories of surviving World War II bomber squadrons were still crystal clear when this acclaimed drama was released in 1949--one of the first postwar films out of Hollywood to treat the war on emotionally complex terms. Framed by a postwar prologue and  epilogue and told as a flashback appreciation of wartime valor and teamwork, the film stars Gregory Peck in one of his finest  performances as a callous general who assumes command of a bomber squadron based in England. At first, the new commander has little  rapport with the 918th Bomber Group, whose loyalties still belong with their previous commander. As they continue to fly dangerous  missions over Germany, however, the group and their new leader develop mutual respect and admiration, until the once-alienated  commander feels that his men are part of a family--men whose bravery transcends the rigors of rigid discipline and by-the-book  leadership. The film's now-classic climax, in which the general waits patiently for his squad to return to base--painfully aware that they  may not return at all--is one of the most subtle yet emotionally intense scenes of any World War II drama. With Peck in the lead and  Dean Jagger doing Oscar-winning work in a crucial supporting role, this was one of veteran director Henry King's proudest  achievements, and it still packs a strong dramatic punch. --Jeff Shannon 

amazone.com 
   If you've never seen an aviation movie before in your entire life, you'll be blissfully ignorant of the fact that Memphis Belle shamelessly  (and yet gloriously) incorporates just about every cliché in the flight-movie handbook. If you're a big fan of aviation movies--especially  movies about World War II bomber crews--you'll be glad that the genre's clichés have been handled with such professional flair. As it  follows the crew of a B-17 bomber on its final and most dangerous mission over Germany, Memphis Belle may be little more than a slick and highly authentic presentation of familiar thrills and characters, but it's a rousing piece of entertainment. Featuring an ensemble cast of  fresh faces who've since enjoyed thriving careers (including Billy Zane, Sean Astin, Eric Stoltz, D.B. Sweeney, and Harry Connick Jr.),  the movie exists as a fitting tribute to the men who fought and often died in the air over hostile territory. It's the Hollywood version of a 1944 wartime documentary made by legendary director William Wyler (whose daughter served as one of this film's producers), and as  such it's a bit contrived and melodramatic. And yet, this exciting movie is almost certain to grab and hold your attention, offering an honorable reminder of the bravery and integrity that were crucial ingredients of any bomber's crew. --Jeff Shannon 

amazone.com 
   There was no better director than Howard Hawks at depicting group action. Because of his sense of character and pacing, Air Force transcends its propaganda purpose. It's well crafted all the way around, from the acting to the writing to the aerial fighting to James Wong  Howe's painstakingly striking cinematography. A B-17 takes off from San Francisco in December of 1941 headed for Hawaii only to  witness the Pearl Harbor attack from above, so it lands and takes off to thwart an oncoming attack. Reassigned to Manila, the crew  (which includes the always cynical John Garfield, Gig Young, Arthur Kennedy, George Tobias, and Harry Carey) is thrust into the thick of battle. Incidentally, Hawks enlisted William Faulkner to rewrite a death scene that resulted in a sublime sense of honor. He also added  some epigrammatic polish to some dialogue, such as Tobias's dismissal of California: "The sun shines and nothing ever happens, and  before you know it you're 60 years old." --Bill Desowitz