History Channel - Dogfights

[Bobby Rico]

Anyone catch this show on the History Channel?  As a long time fighter plane buff and aficionado, this show is like a dream come true for me.  True accounts of actual dogfights, in addition to some superb computer generated effects (yes, they're not the best, but they're damn good for their purpose), as opposed to relying on stock footage to convey what goes on in an actual dogfight.  Personally, I think it's an excellent show.  It really goes to show you that dogfighting and fighter plane operations are more of an exact science than I think some people really understand.

Personal favorite episodes- anything dealing with the Korean war and the F-86 Sabre.  Love that jet.

 

[RCR Grunt]

I've seen a few episodes of this show, quite interesting!  Especially for someone who grew up with the dream of being a Top Gun."  (Damn you, Tom Cruise!)  My personal favorite was one involving a Crusader, titled "The Last Gunfighter."  I forget the name of the pilot, and quite a few other details, but the jist of it was him against 2 or 3 migs over Vietnam, no missiles left, guns jammed, and the bastard stays in the fight!  That guy must've had huge brass balls to pull something like that.  And your absolutely right, it shows you how much thought and training goes into a dogfight, its not just loops and rolls and "He's too close!  I'm switching to guns!"  Each move is calculated taking everything into account, speed, distance, strengths and weaknesses of both parties involved.  Really well done show, I enjoy it immensely.

 

[vonGarvin]

LOVE that show.  And it's followed by TANKS.  Very well done, and well told, complete with mini-cliffhangers at the commercial breaks.

 

[Petard]

very enjoyable program; here's a link to the history channel site for those who haven't found the show yet
http://www.history.com/minisites/dogfights/

I am really impressed with the detail put into each show, a good for instance: the sound of very short bursts when using guns.
The CGI are not too bad, about the same level of most contemporary desk top flight simulators, but I have not seen or read a better explanation of what can be very diffcult to visualize.