Poster for Great Planes

Discovery 2008 - 2012 3 seasons 46 eps Ended

Great Planes

2008 - 2012 3 seasons 46 eps

6.4

Season 3

No results found

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

45 min

S3 · E1 · Apr 25, 2012

Boeing B-29 Superfortress Episode 1

Great Planes looks into the stories behind the most influential, innovative and intriguing machines that ever took flight. Though mainly known as the plane that dropped the atomic bombs, the B-29 had a post war career in the “X” plane program and Korea.

45 min

S3 · E2 · May 2, 2012

Lockheed C-130 Hercules Episode 2

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport aircraft. The versatile airframe has found uses in a variety of other roles, including as a gunship (AC-130), for airborne assault, search and rescue, scientific research support, weather reconnaissance, aerial refueling, maritime patrol and aerial firefighting. It is the main tactical airlifter for many military forces worldwide. Over 40 models and variants of the Hercules serve with more than 60 nations.

45 min

S3 · E3 · May 9, 2012

Hawker Siddeley/British Aerospace/McDonnell Douglas AV-8 Harrier Jump Jet Episode 3

World's first vertical takeoff and landing fixed-wing aircraft; first jet to have hovering capabilities.

45 min

S3 · E4 · May 16, 2012

Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter Episode 4

The Northrop F-5A/B Freedom Fighter and F-5E/F Tiger II are part of a family of widely used light supersonic fighter aircraft, designed and built by Northrop in the United States, beginning in the 1960s. Hundreds remain in service in air forces around the world in the early 21st Century, and the type has also been the basis for a number of other aircraft.

45 min

S3 · E5 · May 23, 2012

Republic F-105 Thunderchief Episode 5

Biggest single engine fighter of its day; became known as the one-man air force; biggest single-engine, single-seat fighter aircraft ever built.

45 min

S3 · E6 · May 30, 2012

North American XB-70 Valkyrie Episode 6

The North American Aviation XB-70 Valkyrie was the prototype version of the proposed B-70 nuclear-armed deep penetration bomber for the United States Air Force's Strategic Air Command. Designed in the late 1950s, the Valkyrie was a large six-engined aircraft able to fly Mach 3+ at an altitude of 70,000 ft (21,000 m), which would have allowed it to avoid interceptors, the only effective anti-bomber weapon at the time.

45 min

S3 · E7 · Jun 6, 2012

Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II Episode 7

The A-10 Thunderbolt is also known as the Warthog, the 'flying gun' and the Tankbuster. The aircraft was used extensively during Operation Desert Storm, in support of Nato operations in response to the Kosovo crisis, in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

45 min

S3 · E8 · Jun 13, 2012

McDonnell Douglas AH-64 Apache Episode 8

The Boeing AH-64 Apache is a four-blade, twin-engine attack helicopter with a tailwheel-type landing gear arrangement, and a tandem cockpit for a two-man crew. It features a nose-mounted sensor suite for target acquisition and night vision systems. It is armed with a 30 mm (1.18 in) M230 Chain Gun carried between the main landing gear, under the aircraft's forward fuselage. It has four hardpoints mounted on stub-wing pylons, typically carrying a mixture of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and Hydra 70 rocket pods. The AH-64 has a large amount of systems redundancy to improve combat survivability.

45 min

S3 · E9 · Jun 20, 2012

North American Rockwell B-1 Lancer Episode 9

The U.S. Air Force B-1B took off at the end of a long line of American strategic bombers. Dubbed the “born-again bomber,” this sleek stealth based aircraft flies low and fast to avoid enemy radar.

45 min

S3 · E10 · Jun 27, 2012

Grumman F-111 Aardvark Episode 10

The General Dynamics F-111 “Aardvark” is a medium-range interdictor and tactical strike aircraft that also fills the roles of strategic bomber, reconnaissance, and electronic warfare in its various versions. Developed in the 1960s and first entering service in 1967, the United States Air Force (USAF) variants were officially retired by 1998. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the sole remaining operator of the F-111.

10 episodes in Season 3

Some details come from TheTVDB.

"Great Planes" was a subset of "Wings" episodes which focused on one particular aircraft type. The original "Great Planes" series was initially produced by Aviation Video International in Australia, and distributed by the Discovery Channel. When it initially aired in America, the majority of episodes were narrated by the series' Australian writer and director, Luke Swann, with some others written and narrated by John Honey. In 1991 (notably following the first Gulf War), episodes were re-edited to include interviews with pilots of the profiled aircraft types before and following commercial breaks, and the narration was re-dubbed with American narrators Ron David and Tom Hair.

Documentary History War

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Not streaming anywhere

Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.

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Cast

1 person

Paul Moga

Presenter - Himself

David Haycox Director · John Kavanaugh Director · Len Miller Composer

Director

David Haycox

Director

John Kavanaugh

Composer

Len Miller

Total runtime 34h 30m · Episode length 45 min · Type Documentary

Show info

Premiered

October 29, 2008

Final episode

June 27, 2012

Status

Ended

Networks

Discovery · Military Channel

Country

United States

Type

Documentary

Episode length

45 min

Total runtime

34h 30m

Original language

English

Languages

Spoken on screen

English

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Some details come from TheTVDB.

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