Zeus

Profile Of A Flight Test Pilot

This film was developed by personnel at the Army Air Corps top secret Wright Field flight test facility during World War 2 to give pilots the low down on what to expect if they joined their aircraft testing program. As such, the film is both very informative and interesting, with plenty of info about flight testing at that time, including climb, level flight, take off and landing, test instruments, and pilot responsabilities. But, there is much more. You also get a look behind the curtain at Wright Field at some of the rarest and most bizarre aircraft produced during World War II, including one-off prototypes. You'll see a Bell P-63 Kingcobra doing aerobatic spin & stall tests, a Bell P-59 Airacomet jet fighter, a Plat-LePage XR-1A twin rotor helicopter, a tiny Bell XP-77 fighter, a Curtiss XP-60C with contra-rotating props, a weird hybrid B24/B-17, a beautiful 20-mm canon equipped test P-51A from the first Mustang production run, captured enemy aircraft,and more. This film is a real gem and beautifully preserved.