Boeing B-29 Superforts Go to War DVD- Volume 2
*
B-29s Over North Korea: The 19th Bomb Group Attacks Bridges Near
Sinanju plus 19th BG Nose Art Color Scrap Book (B&W & Color,
1950, 22:00) Exclusive release from Military Arts Pictures. We created this video from a recently released reel of
silent, raw and unedited and undocumented footage shot by the US Air Force in Korea in
August-September, 1950, apparently intended for a documentary that
was never released.
The highlight of the film shows an early morning briefing for 19th
Bomb Group (28th, 30th and 98th Bomb Squadrons) at Kadena Air Base on
Okinawa. Reminiscent of scenes from the World War 2 classic "Target
for Today," the briefing is for mission against the all
important rail bridges near Sinanju Station, North Korea and the port
of Nampo, as part of the preparation for the Inchon landings and the
breakout from the Pusan perimeter. (The film also has incidental
footage taken of B-29s from the 307th Bomb Group, "Square Y.")
Through careful research, we've been able to reconstruct the
briefing and the mission, including target footage taken at the time,
along with corresponding satellite photos showing the same locations
today. And as a special bonus, we've added "19th BG Color Nose
Art Scrap Book," a collection of remarkable Kodachrome slides
taken of 19th BG B-29s by SSgt. George J. Amthor, an armorer with the
19th BG, 30th Squadron, at Kadena in 1950-51. Footage of the heroic and very costly B-29 operations in Korea is extremely rare, so we are very pleased to release this new documentary.
* B-29 Flight Engineer (1944 B&W 36:00) NEW! Digitally restored. Excellent B-29 footage here, showing the aircraft in detail, inside and out. Systems management on the very complex (and often unreliable) B-29 was a critical function. The Flight Engineer was responsible for everything from an extensive per-flight check, through managing engines and other critical systems in flight, to ensuring that all necessary repairs and maintenance were preformed after touch down. All aspects of an Engineer's role are shown in detail in a complete mission in this film. Appropriately for the B-29, the flight is far from trouble free, adding an extra dimension of realism. And as an added bonus, the role of the the Engineer is played by Hollywood legend John Payne and the narration is memorably delivered by Ronald Reagan.
*
The Last Bomb Outtakes Reel (Color 1945, 23:00) Exclusive from Military Arts Pictures. From the vaults of
the National Archives comes a newly discovered reel of outtakes,
expanded scenes, and new footage from the Academy Award winning World
War 2 B-29 classic, "The Last Bomb." Includes never before
seen footage showing an B-29 engine repair facility on Saipan,
expanded scenes showing General Curtis Le May and XX Bomber command
planning a mission to Tokyo, inside the cockpit photos from an
actual B-29 mission and more. (Inside the aircraft shots in the theatrical
release of "The Last Bomb" are all recreations shot in a
Hollywood studio.) The good news for the B-29 fans is that almost all
of the footage on this reel is in better condition than the
best surviving copies of the theatrical release and we've added much more realistic sound effects taken from actual B-29s,P-51s and 50 cals. machine guns. And
there's a big bonus for fighter fans. The section of the original
film that shows P-51 Mustang squadrons ranging over the Japanese
mainland seeking targets of opportunity is expanded and in very good
condition, yielding some of the most exciting color gun camera
footage we have seen from World War 2.
*
Birth of the B-29 (1944, B&W, 20:00) This documentary was
produced during World War 2 to introduce the American public to the
fabulous new Boeing B-29 Superfortress. The film shows how the war
against Japan necessitated the development of a super long range
bomber that could strike the Japanese Empire from distant bases in China, India, and the Marianas Islands. A highlight of the film
focuses on a tour of a giant B-29 plant, showing all aspects of
production, including the extensive use of sub assemblies that were
manufactured elsewhere, using the worlds biggest flow chart to
achieve high precision and amazing output.
*
Air Strikes Against Japan (1950, B&W 25:00) This documentary was
produced after the War using archival footage, complimented with
additional maps and graphics. It gives a clear overall picture of
the Allied air offensive against the Japanese home islands. While
the video focuses on the deployment and use of the revolutionary B-29
Superfortress, you'll see much more, including Jimmy Doolittle's
inspiring raid on Tokyo and rare late War footage of carrier based
strikes against the Japanese mainland. A good overview of an under
reported aspect of World War 2 Air combat operations.
* How
NOT to Fly the B-29: A file of recent accident cases presented for
study and discussion. Vol 1, Number 2 1945 12 pages in Adobe Acrobat .pdf file format. This neat
little booklet is part of a series that was produced by the Army Air
Corps to alert pilots to the causes and possible solutions for recent
stateside B-29 accidents. Five actual case studies are discussed in
detail, along with a review by a panel of experts on how each mishap
might have been avoided or handled better.
*
B-29 Pilots' and Flight Engineers' Training manual (51-126-6)
12/15/1945 194 pages with color highlights in Adobe Acrobat .pdf file format. This is the final and
definitive flight manual for the B-29 produced during World War 2.
Extensive documentation includes charts, diagrams and performance
index.
* Flight
Operating Instructions USAF Model YB-29J Aircraft (Basis for the
RB-29J reconnaissance Aircraft) 12/15/1950 125 pages with color
highlights. The YB-29J was a short series of 6 aircraft produced by
Boeing to test upgraded engines and other enhancements designed to
improve B-29 performance and reliability. Although this version
wasn't rolled out into full production, four of these test planes
were converted to fast and high flying RB-29J reconnaissance aircraft that were used
extensively during the Korean War. This edition of the B-29 manual
was probably produced for those few crews, making it very rare.
Extensive documentation includes charts, diagrams and performance
index.
Pilot's manual viewable on computer DVD player.
Don't have a DVD player on your computer? We can put the manual on a separate CD-ROM! (Click here for info,) 
