Zeno’s Warbird Video Drive-In February 2009 Newsletter
Hello World War 2 plane fans —
You’re invited to drop by Zeno’s Drive-In www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com to view this month’s action packed collection of six memorable documentary films.
As always, all of our films show for free, for the enjoyment of World War II aviation fans everywhere.
Now showing “At the Matinee”
“Research Test of Convair Model 7002/XF92A Airplane at U.S. Air Force Test Base Muroc, California” COLOR This airplane was the world’s first jet aircraft to fly using the radical delta-wing configuration pioneered by Germany’s Dr. Alexander Lippisch. This rare color film shows the 7002 being tested by Consolidated in 1948 at the Muroc Test Base in California. It’s hard to imagine a more influential aircraft, as the delta wing was not only adopted in the Convair’s F-102 and B-58, but also in a long series of other US, British, French, and Russian designs. The Convair Model 7002 was completed in 1948 as a flying mock-up for the proposed delta wing XP-92 interceptor. The Model 7002 was designed to investigate delta wing behavior at low and high subsonic speeds. It was formally delivered to the USAF on May 14, 1949, and named the XF-92.
White Tailed Marauders The 323rd Bomb Group and their B-26s Color Exclusive! Rare color film of B-26 Marauders in action in the Spring of 1945. See the 453rd, 454th, 455th, and 455th Bomb Squadrons operating against Germany from their base in Laon, France. All color footage really brings this bygone era startlingly back to life. Special treats include escorting P-38s and a round trip mission. A must for Marauder fans everywhere!
“Thunderbolt!” A Drive-In favorite COLOR This exciting film chronicles the exploits of the P-47 Thunderbolt pilots of the “Fighting Gamecocks” of the 65th Fighter squadron, 57th Fighter Group. Based on the island of Corsica off the northwest coast of the Italian boot, they flew from behind the enemy’s flank. As part of “Operation Strangle,” they continuously attacked highways, bridges, ammo dumps, railroads and just about anything that moved to choke off the flow of supplies to the Axis front line. This film not only features one-of-a-kind P-47 combat footage, it also shows day-to-day life on a MTO forward air base, including vintage pilot slang.
“Hochfrequenz Kriegsführung” (High Frequency Warfare) New! (In German) Exclusive We get many requests for World War II military films produced by the Axis, but other than a few newsreels, they are hard to find. High Frequency Warfare" was developed by the Luftwaffe to show the German people how high frequency signals were used in radio direction finding, signals jamming and radar detection. An attacking British bomber force is identified, their navigation signals are jammed, and fighters are vectored to intercept. Radar is employed to protect convoys in the Mediterranean, and radar jamming is used to cover the Channel Dash of the Battle cruisers Scharnhorst & Gneisenau during their escape from Brest. You’ll see a working Luftwaffe air defense control room and contemporary equipment like Lichtenstein airborne radar." I don’t speak German, but I found it pretty easy to follow the plot. Seeing this film is like having a look inside another world." Zeno. (If you speak German and have suggestions about this film description, contact us)
“Target Invisible Remarkable” remarkable documentary on how airborne radar was used for navigation and bombing on B-29 night strikes against Japan. Rare footage of radar in action on an actual Superfortress mission. This story was so highly classified, it couldn’t be told to the American people until after Japan surrendered.-
“The 98th Bomb Group:Liberators Over North Africa” Exclusive production. This recently discovered footage shows Medal of Honor winner Col. John R. "Killer " Kane and the men of the 98th Bomb Group in the Summer of 1943, shortly before the heroic, costly Ploesti mission, at their desert base in Benghasi/Benina, Libya. You’ll see legendary B-24s like 'The Vulgar Virgin, “The Sandman,” and “War Cloud.” Sadly, several of these ships were filmed here for the last time before they were lost over Romania. There’s an unexpected gem too. Soon after the Axis surrender in Tunesia, 9th combat cameraman Jim Bray hitched a ride on a B-24 and filmed all the major North African targets the 98th had hit from the air, from El Alemein to Tunis. You’ll see Tobruk, Tripoli, Benghazi, Bizerte and more from the air, the way pilots and crew saw them during the Desert War. And the big Liberator goes in low too so you can take in sunken warships, clamoring liberty ships unloading their cargoes, and bombed out harbors that have long since been rebuilt. This is a priceless time capsule.
If you haven’t stopped by Zeno’s Drive-In before, we also feature 1940-45 vintage WWII Army & Navy films and pilot’s manuals on how to fly the F4U, F6F, P-38, P-39, P-40, P-47, P-51, P-61, TBF/TBM, AT-6/SNJ, B-17, B-24, B-25, A-20, A-26, B-26, B-29, and Stearman N2S .Alert! – Alert! There’s been an F-86 jet sighted over Zeno’s Drive-In!
That’s over 16 hours of rockin’ World War II props for free viewing over the Internet!
Tally-ho!
Zeno
Zeno’s Warbird Video Drive-In /World War II Aviation Videos. Celebrating 12 years on the Internet 1997-2009 http://www.zenoswarbirdvideos.com
PS, If you have any concerns about using the RealNetworks RealPlayer to watch our videos, I recommend using the “RealAlternative” media player instead. (It’s what I use.) It will play RealVideo files just fine, is independently produced, and has none of the vices (adverts etc) of RealNetworks RealPlayer. You can download the RealAlternative player here:
http://www.free-codecs.com/download/real_Alternative.htm
Online Vids: XF-92 Tests, WWII RADAR, African B-24s, Marauders, Tbolts!