FLIGHT PLAN FOR FREEDOM

Series

Series Name

The March of Time 16th Year

Issue

Issue No.

3

Date Released

1951

Length of issue (in feet)

1702

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1FLIGHT PLAN FOR FREEDOM

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 1

Summary

The March of Time synopsis: In "Flight Plan for Freedom" The March of Time gives an account of the rapid expansion of the United States Air Force, and in particular of the work by the Strategic Air Command, already engaged in the round-the-clock programme of preparation for any eventuality.

At advance bases, such as those in British Isles, runways are being extended and facilities are being expanded to accommodate the B-29s and B-50s. These medium bombers are regarded as the backbone of the Strategic Air Command, and the film shows them on their routine training flights escorted by S.A.C.'s own F-84 fighters, whose mission is to protect the advance bases and to accompany the bombers to and from enemy territory. But it is with the high intercontinental bomber, the B-36, that the film is chiefly concerned. This sky giant, which is equipped with six pusher and four jet engines, is able to attain a speed of 435 miles per hour. Requiring 21,000 gallons of high octane petrol for a long-range mission, it can deliver a ten thousand pound bomb load five thousand miles away and return to its base without refuelling.
To tell its story, the March of Time takes the audience inside a B-36 on a 9,000-mile flight simulating a "maximum effort" combat mission. Before the flight beings the crew attend a general briefing. The camera then follows them as they board their plane and get ready for the take-off and, in the first scenes ever filmed inside the B-36, shows the crew carrying out their duties during the long flight - thirty-nine hours in the air.

When the ship is levelled off at cruising altitude, one of the engineers makes his first routine inspection of the bomb bays and wing compartments, to discover petrol leaks or any other troubles that might have developed. If need be he can crawl into the wings for closer inspection and minor repairs of the engines or of the twenty-seven miles of wiring, and check on the petril lines and on landing gear. Meanwhile, the crew has settled down for the long and arduous flight. To conserve their energies for the run over the target, the men who are not on duty must rest. Except during the crucial hours when the plane is approaching the target, the six bunks in the tail compartment are always occupied. Hour after hour, as the B-36 wings its way over the long course, the big plane reports its position to Air Force bases en route, from where they are relayed to the Central Control Room at the bomber’s home base. Here the plane’s progress is traced on the operations map by successive shifts of headquarters men working day and night. As the plane flies on toward the target the time draws near to climb to an altitude of 35,000 feet, in preparation for which every man on board must wear arctic clothing and an oxygen mask. With this equipment they are ready for any eventuality in case the pressurizing system should fail at high altitude, and from now on until after the bomb drop every man must be at his combat position. As the plane approaches the target, a special mobile radar unit on the outskirts of Detroit is waiting to record the accuracy of the simulated bomb drop, and the V-36 proceeds on its homeward course. Today, concludes the film, we have witnessed a peaceful flight to a practice target - but we have also glimpsed how America would retaliate should an enemy strike.

Researcher Comments

This story was included in Vol.17 No.2 of the US edition.

Keywords

Air force

Written sources

The March of Time Promotional Material   Lobby Card, Used for synopsis

Credits:

Production Co.

Time Inc.