Top of the World (1955)

[muskeg13]

F-82s, SB-17Gs (aka B-17Hs), Waco Gliders, the Fulton Surface-to-Air Recovery System (or a Pre-Fulton system) and a cameo B-36 Wing fly-by all in one film! What's not to like? YeeHaw!!!

Working in the garage on an antique firearm restoration project, I happened to pick an Amazon Prime aviation B-film, and Shazaam! was I surprised! Set in Alaska in the mid-1950s, I was shocked to see it was largely shot on site at Ladd AFB (Ft. Wainwright, Fairbanks, AK) with some scenes I believe from then nearby auxiliary, Eielson Field (Eielson, AFB, AK). I recognize the scenery, with the hangers still in operation today.

Plot? What plot? I was too busy watching the scenery, and not Evelyn Keyes or Nancy Gates. The ending with the B-36 fly-by might be models and 1950s photo-shopping.

Top of the World (1955 film) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

0:10:49 static F-82s on the flight line
1:01:30 Air Rescue 4 each, SB-17G/B-17Hs in flight
1:09:50 Waco Glider ops begins
1:13:10 F-82 mission begins
1:30:08 The End, B-36s cover the sky

Boeing B-17H

Waco CG-4 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Fulton surface-to-air recovery system - Wikipedia (Here's an example of wiki inaccuracy. Wiki says the Fulton System's first human recovery was in 1958, but this film was released in 1955, with most scenes shot in 1953

 

[GreenKnight121]

USCG PB-1G ex-USAF SB-17G life boat carrying air sea rescue aircraft:

 

[mikemike]

If you are interested in aircraft of the late 1940s, try "Jet Pilot", starring John Wayne, Janet Leigh and aircraft that were cutting-edge in 1949/50 when most of the film was shot but already obsolete by the time the film came into the cinemas, due to Howard Hughes fooling around with it - he just could't leave well enough alone. You see early F-86s with the door that was covering the gun muzzles, an early gun-only F-89, and a B-36 with its gun turrets run out. The plot is rather absurd, but the flying scenes are excellent.

 

[SaparotRob]

What Russian spy could resist The Duke?

 

[special ed]

If you are interested in aircraft of the late 1940s, try "Jet Pilot", starring John Wayne, Janet Leigh and aircraft that were cutting-edge in 1949/50 when most of the film was shot but already obsolete by the time the film came into the cinemas, due to Howard Hughes fooling around with it - he just could't leave well enough alone. You see early F-86s with the door that was covering the gun muzzles, an early gun-only F-89, and a B-36 with its gun turrets run out. The plot is rather absurd, but the flying scenes are excellent.

The outtakes show the XF-92A as a black painted MiG flying.

 

[manta22]

Top of the World 1953.

 

[GregP]

One of my favorites was "Chain Lightning" from 1950 staring Humphrey Bogart. There was good music, including "Bless Them All" by George Formby and the featured aircraft was the Willis JA-3. It was beautiful jet airplane, but one look at the landing gear tells us the basic underskin unit is a P-39.

The worst thing about the film was the complete lack of an air intake for the jet engine!

JA-3 below:

Nice proportions, reminds me of an F-86 without an air intake.

The guy in the cockpit was Paul Mantz. Hollywood looked all over for a pilot, but had to come back to Mantz when nobody would agree to be the pilot. He mandated that the mockup be built and stressed for flight, with working controls. The power was a rocket engine from a small missile. He was proven right when the mockup became airborne and he had to fly it around the pattern and land it! It worked out so well, they left the takeoff in the movie!

 

[SaparotRob]

Way cool!

 

[special ed]

Rocket powered groundhawg.