Customer Reviews

100 Years of Flight

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I was very pleased with the company. The wrong DVD was sent in the case the first time I received it, but they promptly sent me a new DVD. The DVD was not quite what I expected, it focused more on British Aviation and left out space exploration even though the cover show a rocket launch. I would purchase for this company again.

Beginning this voyage through a century of flight is a look at famous individuals who all had an impact on the advancement of human flight in its infant stages. These people of various nationalities were the ones that set the records, achieved the milestones, and pioneered new technology that would shape the early future of powered flight.

Significant events throughout the 20th Century would come to play a prominent role in the constantly changing environment of aviation. Starting with World War One and Two, these were periods that saw the evolution of aerial bombing and then the creation of new aircraft designs and features that incorporated these changes.

As the world saw the inception of the Atomic age following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the era of jet propulsion was not far behind. Several nations were involved in these efforts and with the realization that there could be a future nuclear threat to consider, engineers began designing subsonic and supersonic long range bomber aircraft capable of deploying nuclear weapons systems.

In the continuing evolution of jet technology, new and amazing stealth characteristics were introduced on specialized airframes rendering these aircraft virtually invisible to radar. Fighter pilots and their machines are featured next and this looks at advanced engineering through the decades on interceptors and high performance marvels that are incredible in many ways.

Air warfare at sea played important roles in history also. Explored in detail is aircraft launch and recovery from the decks of what are now virtual floating cities and massive fortresses in the form of gigantic aircraft carriers. The firepower and state of the art technology that these ships possess it truly astonishing to behold.

Military transport aircraft, comprising some of the largest airplanes in the world, are examined along with their importance over the last century. Following this is the previously unique but now highly versatile usage of VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) technology in many different airframes by a host of nations.

Commercial air travel, the final destination in this program, is given its proper due and it's well detailed in this presentation. Whether it be propeller driven aircraft, dirigibles, or huge passenger jets, they all have left their indelible mark on the aviation landscape. Finally, a nostalgic look is taken at what used to be supersonic air travel for the public on the now defunct British and French Concorde and the Russian TU-144 aircraft.

`100 Years of Flight' is the most comprehensive documentary I've ever seen on the entire spectrum of aviation history. I've watched many similar programs but this one has been the best so far. The narration is clear and distinct throughout and the sound options, which are offered in both DTS and 5.1 surround formats, is excellent. The video footage is a combination of black and white, color, and historical excerpts. Digital artifacts are present in some places and it is grainy in others but much of it is still relatively sharp and it does not detract from the overall viewing experience.