"Red Tails" – George Lucas' new project

This sounds, more or less, like an average day at AirVenture Oshkosh.

“Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free”

Let’s think about it….what aircraft would make this movie historically accurate? To train up we would need Stearmans, T-6’s and BT’s…

M

Just yesterday, by sheer chance while browsing in a local library, I ran across a newly published (2005) biography by a Tuskegee Airman named Alexander Jefferson. Entitled “Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free,” it’s a slender volume, just 133 pages, but filled with interesting bits of information and numerous drawings dating from his days as a POW, having been shot down on his 19th mission. Regarding aircraft types, they started out in PT-17 Stearmans, then moved on to Vultee BT-13’s “which we called the ‘Vibrator.'” He doesn’t mention them here, but later in the book he alludes to the AT-6, so we know that’s in the mix. His training in fighters, still in Tuskegee, was 10 hours in beat up, shark-mouthed ex-Burma P-40’s. He was then transferred to a field north of Detroit for additional fighter training in P-39 Airacobras, which he describes as “a sweet ship to fly.” He arrived at Ramitelli, Italy just as the P-47’s were being replaced with P-51B’s and C’s.

Harald

I remember reading about an earlier attempt to make this film 10 -15 years ago. At that time it was going to be made in Spain with Terry Gilliam directing.

Best Wishes,

Colin

I think some people have not give mr lucas the credit he deserves, true the film will probably have some CGI in it (as he owns the company that created it), but lucas has been a war film fan since he was a kid, star wars has referances to films like the dambusters in it, he also used war film footage to show how he wanted the space battle scene’s to look like so the visual effects people could cue off them.

curlyboy

Let’s think about it….what aircraft would make this movie historically accurate? To train up we would need Stearmans, T-6’s and BT’s….
M

Two former Tuskegee T-6s survive.
One is owned by a friend: 42-48884, a T-6C brought up to “G” standard (as 49-3190) postwar. When he bought it he didn’t know it’s historical connection. When doing research on the aircraft, the USAF historic branch told him it was ex-Tuskegee. That prompted a full restoration by Ezell Aviation (best know to Brits as the shop that put the Seafire Mk. 47 back in the air in 2004).

While it was impractical to backdate it completely to “C” standard, externally it was brought back to the earlier model.
It looks the part with authentic paint and is a popular attaction at airshows in the US. I had a flight in it and had a great deal of fun…
I’m sure my friend would be willing to rent it to Mr. Lucas…he tells me it’s an expensive beast to feed and house.

Let’s think about it….what aircraft would make this movie historically accurate? To train up we would need Stearmans, T-6’s and BT’s….going into fighters we would need P-40’s with a transition to early Razor back P-47’s, late model bubble canopy P-47’s, and eventually Razorback and bubble top P-51’s (think that covers ’em all…not really a Tuskegee historian…) Lots of these planes accessible except the Razorback versions of both P-47 and P-51, but still a few around….

Anything I missed?

M

Or better yet – use some real planes??

and not too many animators. I don’t want to be watching “Catch the Pigeon”.

You’ve got it exactly, tailspin. I couldn’t put my finger on it but the flight paths of so many CGI aircraft look so wrong. Pulling out of a dive using 20g and going impossibly fast etc. He needs to hire an aviation specialist to advise him, ie. me 🙂

and not too many animators. I don’t want to be watching “Catch the Pigeon”.

And a different director. In fact, let’s hope he puts himself in a cryogenic chamber or something and hands the whole thing over to his chum Shpiegelbeagle.

Lets hope he employs some decent scriptwriters then.

and not too many animators. I don’t want to be watching “Catch the Pigeon”.

Lets hope he employs some decent scriptwriters then.

apparently he’s been working on it since the 1980’s. can’t wait to see it though!!!