C47 rudder deflections in Band of Brothers

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tmdarkansas

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Anyone notice the rudders in the scene of the C47s headed to Normandy. Having just completed tailwheel training makes me look at rudders a lot more appreciatively :). I always thought it was a cool scene in the series.

http://youtu.be/lamYp2WsJVA
 
Check out the size of the bomber patterns near the beginning of "12 o'clock high" (Don't have a clip handy.)
 
Yep, real C-47s! Also notice that the crews in the fly-by scenes are wearing DCs. In the cockpit scenes and rendered scenes, they're wearing something period... but in the clips of the real deal, you can see the green cans clear as day.
 
Still, by far, the best series of television I've ever watched...period.
 
tmdarkansas said:
Anyone notice the rudders in the scene of the C47s headed to Normandy. Having just completed tailwheel training makes me look at rudders a lot more appreciatively :). I always thought it was a cool scene in the series.

http://youtu.be/lamYp2WsJVA
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I did not take time to watch your clip, but I've seen the series multiple times.

I think one thing that might effect rudder action is I don't think the Gooney Bird had a steerable tail wheel.
 
Archammer said:
Still, by far, the best series of television I've ever watched...period.
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I have it on DVD. Once in a great while HBO produces a good series like that. I also have "From the Earth to the Moon" which I also thought was well done.
 
whatever it takes to keep it going straight...
 
Capt. Geoffrey Thorpe said:
Check out the size of the bomber patterns near the beginning of "12 o'clock high" (Don't have a clip handy.)
Click to expand...


If I remember correctly, the scenes you talked about were filmed in Florida or Arkansas. Later in the movie they used actual WWII combat footage.

Since the movie was made in 1949, B17's were cheap and plentiful, as were experienced pilots for them. What caught my eye in the early scenes was the first ship coming in was in a pretty hard bank right down to the runway. I attribute that to be a pretty experienced pilot flying it. Not a 300 hour, 20 year old rookie. It would really be fun to know more about the guys who flew those planes for that part of the movie.
 
MBDiagMan said:
I think one thing that might effect rudder action is I don't think the Gooney Bird had a steerable tail wheel.
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Correct. The tailwheel on the Gooney is not steerable, but it is locking. As soon as you line up on the runway, you lock the tailwheel.
 
Okay, I took a few minutes to watch the clip. I've seen it several times before, but I noticed something this time that I don't remember noticing before. After the last DC3 went over the anti aircraft guns, one of the soldiers standing on top of the equipment watching, was giving a sharp, strac, salute. I never fail to get emotional at one time or another when watching that series and this time was no different, even watching three minutes of it. As an old soldier myself, that sort of hit me.

An old friend of mine that I used to shoot skeet with, jumped in on D Day plus two. Before seeing that series, it never occurred to me the kind of horrendous anti aircraft fire those guys went through. I mentioned this to my friend and he just looked at me and said; "the flak was pure hell. all we wanted was to get out of the plane."

This guy now lives in a nursing home, and this makes me want to go by and say hello to him. His name is John Wayne Allen. After he answered that question, I always called him "John Wayne."
 
Fearless Tower said:
Correct. The tailwheel on the Gooney is not steerable, but it is locking. As soon as you line up on the runway, you lock the tailwheel.
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I expect that for those hard turns while taxiing they use lots of differential braking and assymetric thrust.
 
Archammer said:
Still, by far, the best series of television I've ever watched...period.
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Sons of Anarchy

Breaking Bad

Game of Thrones

Lost


Are you sure Band Of Brothers is the best?
 
SmashTime said:
Sons of Anarchy

Breaking Bad

Game of Thrones

Lost


Are you sure Band Of Brothers is the best?
Click to expand...

I loved Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones as much as the next person. But Band of Brothers to me is on another level due to its historical significance. The story line is all the more astonishing given that the story is true. I really enjoyed Ambrose' book. I was worried the serious wouldn't do it justice. Boy was I wrong to worry. The interviews with the actual soldiers sprinkled throughout the serious was fantastic. Dick Winters was something special. How he didn't get the CMOH is beyond me.
 
Another book that I hope translates well to the theater is Unbroken. Looking forward to watching that next month. Unfortunately I don't think it'll do well. Reason why I say that is we have so many movies like Forrest Gump, Curious Case of Benjiman Button and Secret Life of Walter Mitty, that I think the story will be lost amongst younger viewers. Hopefully they can appreciate the fact that this is a true story and the guy lived an incredible life.
 
Speilberg and Hanks are supposedly working on adapting the Masters of the Air to be released on HBO sometime in the next year or so.
 
I'll have to look into the band of brother series then, it was out when I was a young kid and wouldn't of been interested in such a series but now I'll give it a go.
 
SmashTime said:
Sons of Anarchy

Breaking Bad

Game of Thrones

Lost


Are you sure Band Of Brothers is the best?
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Definitely.

I haven't seen SoA, but I was hooked on Breaking Bad and Lost and am borderline hooked on GoT. Still, Band of Brothers beats them all - hands down.
 
CJones said:
Definitely.

I haven't seen SoA, but I was hooked on Breaking Bad and Lost and am borderline hooked on GoT. Still, Band of Brothers beats them all - hands down.
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That is a bold statement my friend.

1. Breaking Bad
2. GOT
3. SONS
4. LOST

I will start the series shortly and follow up once completed with a non biased review and ranking.
 
SmashTime said:
That is a bold statement my friend.

1. Breaking Bad
2. GOT
3. SONS
4. LOST

I will start the series shortly and follow up once completed with a non biased review and ranking.
Click to expand...

As already mentioned, when watching Band of Brothers, you have to realize that although the exact scenes may not have happened exactly as portrayed, the general circumstances of how the plot laid out is eerily accurate. Unlike BB, GOT, SONS, and LOST, the things you see in Band of Brothers actually happened..... to real people. If you watch it with a "holy crap, that really happened and somebody LIVED through that" as opposed to a "wow, that's cool... the whole island just moved" mentality, you will see what we mean.

Man... Now I want to pop open the Band of Brothers DVDs and watch them all again.
 
SmashTime said:
I'll have to look into the band of brother series then, it was out when I was a young kid and wouldn't of been interested in such a series but now I'll give it a go.
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Watch it on a surround system with a big subwoofer and the series delivers soul-rattling awesomeness! Carentan is probably my favorite for this.

I love GoT but I like Band of Brothers even better.

As a battlefield story there is none more compelling than that of Easy Company.

As others have said, these were real people that went through these events. Some lived and some died. What amazed me was that these very ordinary guys from all most walks of life (segregated army at the time) did some incredibly heroic things.

In addition to being a serious historian and biographer, Stephen Ambrose (author of the book Band of Brothers) was great at making historical events into stories. I've read many of his books and Band of Brothers is my favorite by far.



.
 
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I'm ****ed though because it's only 11 episodes. I generally don't even waste my time with single season shows cause I get wrapped up in them and like it to last....

That being said, due to the overwhelming reviews by you guys I'll have to check it out.

I really enjoyed the movie "fury". Hopefully the series is as good or better.
 
I don't get into many TV series, other than a few sitcoms like The Big Bang Theory, but Band of Brothers is amazing! I would go down to my basement/man cave and watch every episode. It was one that I really didn't want to end, great story line, great action scenes and like others have said it's based on actual events. I loved the interviews with the survivors! :yes: I need to watch it again the next time my wife is out of town! :D
SmashTime said:
I'm ****ed though because it's only 11 episodes. I generally don't even waste my time with single season shows cause I get wrapped up in them and like it to last....

That being said, due to the overwhelming reviews by you guys I'll have to check it out.

I really enjoyed the movie "fury". Hopefully the series is as good or better.
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SmashTime said:
I'm ****ed though because it's only 11 episodes. I generally don't even waste my time with single season shows cause I get wrapped up in them and like it to last....

That being said, due to the overwhelming reviews by you guys I'll have to check it out.

I really enjoyed the movie "fury". Hopefully the series is as good or better.
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Think of it as a 10-hour movie.
 
Exactly, it's not a "series" and we already know what's gonna happen (did happen) The other shows are fantasies.
 
I 2nd "Band of Brothers" and "From the Earth to the Moon" as two of the best mini-series ever made. Not only from the outstanding visual appeal, and the pretty darn close to historically accurate, but in their ability to make it seem as if you were in the middle of it.

Here's a lift of drink to those that served in WWII...both those that made it, and those that didn't. :drink:
 
Band of Brothers is an incredible series. It is an emotional experience for me, certainly because of the subject matter, but also for a different reason. I feel a sense of personal regret when I watch it. Those men did something so significant, and sacrificed so incredibly much, for their country and their fellow Americans. I know that I will likely never be involved in something of such significance. And as someone who has never served, I've failed to match their commitment and sacrifice, which in some sense is what I feel I owe those who fought and died for me.

I don't know if those of you who have never served have a similar emotion, but it hits me every time.
 
I put Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad up there as a couple of the most creative shows with great characters and story lines.

I absolutely love Band of Brothers too. The last episode of BOB had me on the verge of tears when they were playing baseball. I just kept thinking about how much they went through...truly the greatest generation. I was mad at myself for waiting so many years before watching it.
 
PPC1052 said:
I loved Breaking Bad, and Game of Thrones as much as the next person. But Band of Brothers to me is on another level due to its historical significance. The story line is all the more astonishing given that the story is true. I really enjoyed Ambrose' book. I was worried the serious wouldn't do it justice. Boy was I wrong to worry. The interviews with the actual soldiers sprinkled throughout the serious was fantastic. Dick Winters was something special. How he didn't get the CMOH is beyond me.
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Dick winters was a GREAT officer and a REAL effective soldier, but that's not what a CMH is awarded for. It is typically awarded for a single, selfless and heroic act.
 
asechrest said:
Band of Brothers is an incredible series. It is an emotional experience for me, certainly because of the subject matter, but also for a different reason. I feel a sense of personal regret when I watch it. Those men did something so significant, and sacrificed so incredibly much, for their country and their fellow Americans. I know that I will likely never be involved in something of such significance. And as someone who has never served, I've failed to match their commitment and sacrifice, which in some sense is what I feel I owe those who fought and died for me.

I don't know if those of you who have never served have a similar emotion, but it hits me every time.
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Once again, you put my exact thought into words.
 
asechrest said:
Band of Brothers is an incredible series. It is an emotional experience for me, certainly because of the subject matter, but also for a different reason. I feel a sense of personal regret when I watch it. Those men did something so significant, and sacrificed so incredibly much, for their country and their fellow Americans. I know that I will likely never be involved in something of such significance. And as someone who has never served, I've failed to match their commitment and sacrifice, which in some sense is what I feel I owe those who fought and died for me.

I don't know if those of you who have never served have a similar emotion, but it hits me every time.
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They don't call them "The Greatest Generation" for nothing.

I was born in 1949, the first child of a couple that got a late start having kids due to the interruption of the war. My dad served on a destroyer escort that was part of a flotilla that captured a German U-Boat, then ended up on the Secretary of the Navy Staff in DC where he served until the wars end while my Mom worked for the Navy Department. They celebrated VE and VJ Day in DC. I had several uncles who served admirably in the war as well.

I grew up hearing all the stories and experiences and took them all for granted. I served three years in the Army, but feel that I contributed nothing compared to those who sacrificed in WWII.
 
asechrest said:
Band of Brothers is an incredible series. It is an emotional experience for me, certainly because of the subject matter, but also for a different reason. I feel a sense of personal regret when I watch it. Those men did something so significant, and sacrificed so incredibly much, for their country and their fellow Americans. I know that I will likely never be involved in something of such significance. And as someone who has never served, I've failed to match their commitment and sacrifice, which in some sense is what I feel I owe those who fought and died for me.

I don't know if those of you who have never served have a similar emotion, but it hits me every time.
Click to expand...
Every time for me as well, asechrest. My dad landed on Omaha beach on D+1, and was outside of St. Vithe in the Bulge. I learned more from him about his experiences in the war during the 9 months when he was dying of cancer than I did in the other 45 years of my life up to that point. I was in awe, for possibly the first time in my life.
 
With all the BOB fans on here I wonder, how many of you have watched "The Pacific" it's another fantastic miniseries very much similar to BoB but obviously about the other side of the war. I just recently found it on Netflix. Totally worth the time to watch.
 
I heard about The Pacific, but don't get HBO. I have assumed, apparently incorrectly, that it would make it to the other networks. I am anxious to see it.
 
StinkBug said:
With all the BOB fans on here I wonder, how many of you have watched "The Pacific" it's another fantastic miniseries very much similar to BoB but obviously about the other side of the war. I just recently found it on Netflix. Totally worth the time to watch.
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I really didn't like "The Pacific". I watched the entire series, but really didn't think they did near the job of BOB.
 
SmashTime said:
That is a bold statement my friend.

1. Breaking Bad
2. GOT
3. SONS
4. LOST

I will start the series shortly and follow up once completed with a non biased review and ranking.
Click to expand...

Read the book first. Its an easy read. It won't harm your enjoyment of the series at all. In fact, I kind of liked knowing some of the details that they left out. I particularly liked the discussion in the book about the soldiers attitudes towards the citizens of the various countries they encountered.
 
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MBDiagMan said:
Dick winters was a GREAT officer and a REAL effective soldier, but that's not what a CMH is awarded for. It is typically awarded for a single, selfless and heroic act.
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Yeah. What do you think his assault on the 88 position was?

What do you think his leading the assault with just one squad on 300 German soldiers in operation Market Garden was?
 
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