Meet some of the most daring and heroic pilots, and see the aircraft they relied on in this 8-DVD collection WWII: Battles in the Sky. See actual footage of bombing runs, America’s best planes, enemy aircraft, and documentaries starring Hollywood actors, including Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan and Craig Stevens. State-of-the-art technology was used to digitally remaster and create pristine transfers from the original source materials in order to ensure this set contains the highest quality collection of war films available anywhere. Since 1934, the National Archives has been responsible for the acquisition, preservation, and public dissemination of the permanent records of the United States government. Select materials from this inestimable national resource have been assembled to produce WWII: Battles in the Sky. Product Features • More than 12 hours of film, footage and documentaries • Featuring the B-26, B-47, German bombers & more • 24 direct and uncut National Archives films • Includes acting and narration by Hollywood stars, such as Jimmy Stewart, Ronald Reagan and Craig Stevens • Includes films on enemy planes, such as the Heinkel 177, the Ju88 and the Focke-Wulf 190 • See gun-camera footage during combat and bombing missions Land and Live in the Artic A fighter pilot is forced down with engine trouble in arctic territory. Be there as the pilot attempts to aid in his own rescue. Evasion Learn the do’s and don’ts of evasion and survival during World War II. The techniques were developed to help American pilots avoid capture after being shot down. Land and Live in the Desert Actor Craig Stevens stars in this documentary on desert survival. Academy Award®-winning actor Van Heflin narrates. Suckerbait See the tricky ways Nazi agents extract military information from talkative American pilots. Starring Hollywood actors. 24’s Get Back Celebrate the effectiveness of the B-24 Liberators and the men who flew them. The B-47 Follow the engineering, testing, and ultimately, the “how-to� of this jet bomber built around an engine that could provide more speed, altitude and range than ever before. The Fight for the Sky: Our Fighter Pilots Versus the Luftwaffe in Western Europe General James H. Doolittle lays out a bombing mission in this film. Plus, see gun-camera footage during combat and bombing missions. Flak Take an in-depth look at the weapons and methods of German and Japanese anti-aircraft activities. DZ Normandy Nazis believed Normandy was an “impregnable barrier.� Watch as planning and preparations are made for the invasion from above. Air Reconnaissance and Observation What are the roles, capabilities and limitations of air reconnaissance? Learn some required skills. Making a Gunner Follow the exploits of waist gunner Sam Brady as he is transformed from a raw recruit to a highly skilled fighter in the U.S. Air Force. Medium Bombardment and Attack Aviation After ground crews learned to stretch the range of A-20 and B-25 planes, while still piling on guns, these fighters proved to be a powerful team against Japanese air forces. How to Fly the B-26 Airplane Don Porter stars as a flight instructor responsible for the B-26 Marauder training of a young lieutenant pilot, played by Peter Gunn actor Craig Stevens. Bombers Over North Africa Watch General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s homage to the effectiveness of the U.S. Air Force in the victory in Tunisia. B-29 Flight Procedure and Combat Crew Functioning This indispensable film for airmen-in-training is on how to pilot the biggest, fastest bomber flown during World War II. B-29 Flight Engineer See what the flight engineers had to go through to fly this important bomber. Fighter Combat Formations: Attacks and Escort Ronald Reagan stars as a pilot instructor teaching fighter formations designed for sighting of enemy planes. Aerobatics A straightforward how-to guide gives viewers instruction in some of the basic, but extremely exciting, aerobatic moves used by pilots. Eyes Aloft This film honors the work of the Ground Observer Corps of the Aircraft Warning Service. Recognizing the Heinkel 177 This short film schools American pilots on the best ways to sight Germany’s only operational long-range bomber, the “He 177.� Recognizing the Ju88 American pilots learn how to watch out for Germany’s versatile twin-engine, multi-role aircraft. Recognizing the Focke-Wulf 190 Learn about the Luftwaffe’s single-seat, single-engine fighter in this film. The FW 190 was the go-to plane for a variety of roles. Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress A documentary directed by William Wyler on the final World War II bombing mission of the famed crew of the Memphis Belle B-17 Flying Fortress. Thunderbolt Narrated by Lloyd Bridges and Eugene Kern, and with an introduction by Jimmy Stewart, this World War II film shows the life and death struggle of a P-47 squadron in the air war over Italy.