Masters of the Air

[ATAG_Snapper]

I’ve watched the first two episodes (of 9 total) and found it really good. I swear I can hear Marlow calling for us to close up formation!

I think the colours are wrong, though. (Old joke that CLoD 3.0 players would get)

[IIJG27Rich]

If it's on anything other than apple tv let me know

[ATAG_Colander]

No forbidden fruit tv here either

[IIJG27Rich]

OH!!!...Fruit = Apple. I just got it hehehehe

[Lorena]

I am watching, you can easily find places to watch, VPN enable sites if you know what I mean haha
But let me tell you, the air scenes looks like a dirty googles point of view

[IIJG27Rich]

There might be other ways to watch it but that's naughty

[RAF74_Buzzsaw]

Good analysis of the historical background as well as the accuracy of the trailer is in the link below.

Hopefully the series is accurate in its portrayal of events and doesn't emphasize too much national bias, myth and propaganda.

Why? Because understanding the reality of historical events of the past instead of myth is key to humans not repeating the same errors in the present as well as understanding why decisions were taken in the way they were.

In most cases, a careful study of history can act as a guide to our actions in the present.



TF is hoping with FORTRESSES AND FOCKE-WULFS - DIEPPE, we can introduce the story of the beginnings of the 8th Air Force and its opponents in 1942.

[ATAG_Snapper]

That analysis was a good watch!

Although Masters of the Air is currently only offered on Apple TV, I’m sure it will soon be offered on other platforms, including DVD’s, YouTube, or website downloads. In my case, my daughter gave me Apple TV back in Christmas ‘22 where it sat in its white box until last Friday. Mrs Snapper reminded me of it and to my utter surprise it worked straight out of the box! I just hooked up an HDMI cord to my TV, plugged into the internet, and I was flying with the 100th!!!!

I’ve found a lot of comments on Facebook to be extremely harsh and derogatory, nitpicking to the nth degree. These chaps need to chill and just enjoy it for what it is. I thought the CGI effects were excellent, as were the perspectives from the POV of flight crews, ground crews, and even civilians. YMMV, I guess.

[Bussard]

1st part is for free with your Apple account. In this part you can see B17’s flying during day without fighter escorts taking a hard beating by the Luftwaffe fighters, exactly as it was in the early stage of the campaign. You see B17’s turn ablaze in no time, I wonder If they used the damage model of the BoX series. I would classify this as “Hollywood effect”, I never saw this in Luftwaffe gun camera footage. Another thing is that German fighters seem to fly very fast. For the rest it seems to be quite realistic. Apart from the realism issues I mentioned I found the 1st part absolutey worth seeing, I plan to see the rest of the series as well. TF6 Dieppe is gonna cover this as Buzzsaw already mentioned, so good material for developers.

[ATAG_Marlow]

... 'understanding the reality of historical events of the past instead of myth is key to humans not repeating the same errors in the present as well as understanding why decisions were taken in the way they were.

In most cases, a careful study of history can act as a guide to our actions in the present.'

As an ex-teacher who loved teaching History (amongst other subjects) I say:

For God's Sake somebody make Buzzsaw Prime Minister, quick.....and President of the USA at the same time! Salute!

[IIJG27Rich]

Make anybody else Prime Minister for that matter

[ATAG_Slot]

Seen first two episodes and like others have said will take some odd things with pinch of salt as just glad to have some WW2 flying action we can watch.

The base ground shots were all filmed at my local old RAF Abingdon air base and lucky enough to have access so took a couple of shots of some items I could get close enough too.
Sorry about grainy zoom quality but can upload a few others when reduced file size.

The control tower was rebuilt and the take off hard standings and warm up area were all on the far side so could not get close.
At one point about 6 x B17s grouped around ready for take off.
Have stood on the very spot the hard standing was set on fire.

It was fun to see the final version and spot the CGI filter out any modern stuff.

Some town shots were also filmed locally in Oxford and Aylesbury I think so will look out for that.

Makes you appreciate the bravery and sacrifice of those who flew on all sides.

[IIJG27Rich]

It's on "123 Movies" now https://ww2.123moviesfree.net/season...-1-1630856492/ ep 1,2,3 so far

[Kling]

To me the whole thing looks like a computer game. All the bad CGI makes it the look the same as Red tails, Flyboys and Red baron.

[Dazza]

For those who enjoyed this show there's a series of 1hr+ interviews with varied members in production that are enjoyable and informative. From author to effects production there's background info and addressing of inaccuracies, visual effects and viewer quibbles etc. Something for everyone !

Note these episodes are listed out of order compared to release. They were released on successive days.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...4SAy31XjqUxqey

Dazza

[ATAG_Snapper]

Thanks, Dazza!

Just finished watching the 9th/last episode on Sunday. Overall, I greatly enjoyed the series.

Looking forward to watching these interviews!

[Mysticpuma]

Wasted opportunity. The series was like wanting to watch a play through of a great game, but all they did was side quests with occasional dips into the main story.

***SPOILERS***

Things they really should have had in a series called "Masters of the Air".

A historical researcher that could have pointed out they should have had B-17G's in the series, that the D-Day briefing wasn't on the date they showed as D-Day was delayed, someone who was aware that Mustangs never flew through a bomber group at close formation, they flew above and also someone who should have known that when the enemy fighters turn up, the Mustangs don't climb towards them without jettisoning their drop tanks

An episode in the US with the young men leaving their families, flight training and then the transfer to the UK, there was absolutely no character building, the men looked very similar and there was no emotional investment if we lost someone.

An episode from a Luftwaffe pilots point of view. They could have detailed exactly the opposite sides view of attrition of men. The 8th lost thousands, the Luftwaffe lost thousands of Fighter Pilots, we could have seen the war weariness of an experienced pilot as so many young inexperienced pilots came to their groups, headed into the skies and took on the B-17's and Mustangs. Then looking around back at base at so many empty revetments. This would have corresponded perfectly with the "Bloody" 100th.

An episode from the 8th air force fighter pilots, finally getting their Mustangs and being able to escort deep into Germany and see what the 100th faced, then taking on waves of enemy fighters, returning to base and not being able to believe what they have just witnessed.

An episode (not completely but based around) the ground crews. Literally one mention where one man fixes a magneto! These were the engine room of the Bomb Group. They worked tirelessly through the night to get the aircraft ready to fly in the next mission. Often the episodes would show the B-17's coming back, shredded, battered, barely making it to base........yet magically they were back in the air the next day. There was so much respect from the crews for their ground crew, the ground crew would wait with trepidation for their aircraft to return, if it didn't, they would often be concerned it may be down to something they had done. The shot of Whisky the crews received on RTB, they would often save this and give it to their Ground Crew as a thank you for their efforts.

D-Day!!! I mean, what an absolute cop-out. They spend the entire start of an episode detailing how important this is, the magnitude, build up to it......then we literally see a few more seconds of footage than in the intro titles and Crosby is told "yeah, you slept through it, you should have seen is Cros". Yes, we bloody well should! They spend all that time and then basically say "stuff happened", then we are in August. God, I was irritated!

Things they really shouldn't have had in the series.

The absolutely useless story about Crosby's girl in the UK and her SOE storyline. Pointless waste of screen time.

Pointless story about sex with a Polish woman in London

The empowered female Subaltern (Crosby's girl again) being in the Officers mess to deliver an agenda affirming message.

Let's be honest, the entire Tuskegee Airmen side quest. There was absolutely no way they should have been in the show, literally it shoehorned them in, even saying they were based in Italy and with the 15th Air Force and the only way they could leverage them in was via Operation Dragoon. This was nothing to do with the 8th Air Force and to think of all the Fighter Groups they could have chosen from P38/40/47/51 pilots, (maybe the 352nd "Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney") rather than follow history, they go thousands of miles off course to use the 332nd simply as a token gesture. That really stood out as beyond pathetic! Then during the interrogation the Tuskegee airman says about racism "My country is trying to do better", just modern day propaganda.


Moving on.

I'll be honest, when the show got things right, they really did get it right. The aerial combat (mostly) looked superb. The CG really gave a sense of scale, and really helped sell the story. Sadly though, the CG also had times when it looked 'wrong' or 'off'. This isn't the fault of the 332nd, but the entire sequence of the Mustang trying to release its drop tanks was probably the low point of CG in the series.

Overall I'd give the series a 4 out of 10, that's based on most of the aerial combat. The characters were never really fleshed out, the CG was temperamental, too many side quests and not enough time spent on the base.

Overall, a missed opportunity.

[IIJG27Rich]

Wasted opportunity. The series was like wanting to watch a play through of a great game, but all they did was side quests with occasional dips into the main story.

***SPOILERS***

Things they really should have had in a series called "Masters of the Air".

A historical researcher that could have pointed out they should have had B-17G's in the series, that the D-Day briefing wasn't on the date they showed as D-Day was delayed, someone who was aware that Mustangs never flew through a bomber group at close formation, they flew above and also someone who should have known that when the enemy fighters turn up, the Mustangs don't climb towards them without jettisoning their drop tanks

An episode in the US with the young men leaving their families, flight training and then the transfer to the UK, there was absolutely no character building, the men looked very similar and there was no emotional investment if we lost someone.

An episode from a Luftwaffe pilots point of view. They could have detailed exactly the opposite sides view of attrition of men. The 8th lost thousands, the Luftwaffe lost thousands of Fighter Pilots, we could have seen the war weariness of an experienced pilot as so many young inexperienced pilots came to their groups, headed into the skies and took on the B-17's and Mustangs. Then looking around back at base at so many empty revetments. This would have corresponded perfectly with the "Bloody" 100th.

An episode from the 8th air force fighter pilots, finally getting their Mustangs and being able to escort deep into Germany and see what the 100th faced, then taking on waves of enemy fighters, returning to base and not being able to believe what they have just witnessed.

An episode (not completely but based around) the ground crews. Literally one mention where one man fixes a magneto! These were the engine room of the Bomb Group. They worked tirelessly through the night to get the aircraft ready to fly in the next mission. Often the episodes would show the B-17's coming back, shredded, battered, barely making it to base........yet magically they were back in the air the next day. There was so much respect from the crews for their ground crew, the ground crew would wait with trepidation for their aircraft to return, if it didn't, they would often be concerned it may be down to something they had done. The shot of Whisky the crews received on RTB, they would often save this and give it to their Ground Crew as a thank you for their efforts.

D-Day!!! I mean, what an absolute cop-out. They spend the entire start of an episode detailing how important this is, the magnitude, build up to it......then we literally see a few more seconds of footage than in the intro titles and Crosby is told "yeah, you slept through it, you should have seen is Cros". Yes, we bloody well should! They spend all that time and then basically say "stuff happened", then we are in August. God, I was irritated!

Things they really shouldn't have had in the series.

The absolutely useless story about Crosby's girl in the UK and her SOE storyline. Pointless waste of screen time.

Pointless story about sex with a Polish woman in London

The empowered female Subaltern (Crosby's girl again) being in the Officers mess to deliver an agenda affirming message.

Let's be honest, the entire Tuskegee Airmen side quest. There was absolutely no way they should have been in the show, literally it shoehorned them in, even saying they were based in Italy and with the 15th Air Force and the only way they could leverage them in was via Operation Dragoon. This was nothing to do with the 8th Air Force and to think of all the Fighter Groups they could have chosen from P38/40/47/51 pilots, (maybe the 352nd "Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney") rather than follow history, they go thousands of miles off course to use the 332nd simply as a token gesture. That really stood out as beyond pathetic! Then during the interrogation the Tuskegee airman says about racism "My country is trying to do better", just modern day propaganda.


Moving on.

I'll be honest, when the show got things right, they really did get it right. The aerial combat (mostly) looked superb. The CG really gave a sense of scale, and really helped sell the story. Sadly though, the CG also had times when it looked 'wrong' or 'off'. This isn't the fault of the 332nd, but the entire sequence of the Mustang trying to release its drop tanks was probably the low point of CG in the series.

Overall I'd give the series a 4 out of 10, that's based on most of the aerial combat. The characters were never really fleshed out, the CG was temperamental, too many side quests and not enough time spent on the base.

Overall, a missed opportunity.

Agree agree agree..and like always with me all I want is a little point of view from the other side. They did it so well in the 1969 Battle of Britain. Today the only way you're going to get a view of the other side is to pick up an old book.

[niladri]

The first part, available for free with your Apple account, showcases B17s flying during the day without fighter escorts, enduring heavy attacks from Luftwaffe fighters. While the portrayal may contain some "Hollywood effect, it still offers a compelling glimpse into the early campaign stages. The speed of German fighters appears exaggerated, but overall, the realism is commendable. Looking forward to exploring the rest of the series.

[benjamin]

Masters of the Air evokes thoughts of aerial supremacy, bravery, and strategic ingenuity during wartime. It reflects the awe-inspiring courage of pilots, the technological advancements of aviation, and the historical significance of air warfare, shaping narratives of heroism and sacrifice in the skies. spelling bee answers

[ATAG_Lenny]

In part why those people were part of what some call “The Greatest Generation”.
Lenny