https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/197288c0-48ed-4edf-98bf-f3502e2bc1f1 This “restricted” United States War Department Film, a black-and-white production of the First Motion Picture Unit Army Air Forces, dramatically introduces the viewer to “Flight Characteristics of the A-20.” (The Douglas A-20 Havoc was an American attack, light bomber, intruder aircraft of World War II.) “There they are! A-20s, the most powerful light bombers in the world,” the narrator proclaims at the start of this circa 1943 film as a line of aircraft flies in formation. “We call them Havocs. The RAF call then Bostons. And the Luftwaffe — well, they just know they’re poison. Wherever they fly and by whatever name they’re known, they’re still a twin-engine bundle of dynamite.” The bombers, we are told at mark 01:25, played a vital role in the defeat of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in Libya and North Africa. “Yes, the Luftwaffe was beaten in Africa, just as it will be beaten eventually in every theater of operation,” the narrator continues as the camera pans across an airfield of smashed Nazi planes. Such victories, he continues at mark 02:15, are the result of intense training, as the film cuts to a pair of American pilots surveying the bombers. “Over in Egypt they looked like glamour gals to us,” one pilot says in the scripted scene. “As a matter of fact we thought they were the best looking babies that had been up and down the Nile since Cleopatra retired.” The scene continues as the officers detail the importance of a pre-flight check, including reviewing the safety of tires and landing gear, and checking nacelles and the fuselage for fuel leaks. At mark 4:35, the pilots continue their conversation in the cockpit, again stressing the importance of thoroughly going over a checklist before taking off — which the scene then does, spotlighting some of the important steps. The bomber taxis down the runway at mark 06:15, with the senior officer reminding the other pilot of proper takeoff protocol, including the checklist. Once airborne, the conversation continues with talk of manifold pressure and practicing a power-off stall. “If you find yourself in a spin at 5,000 feet or less, the only thing to do is jump. That’s where you and the queen call it quits,” the captain advises the lieutenant at mark 11:00. “It’s better than breaking your neck.” After practicing banks and turns, the pilots take the bomber into a dive at mark 12:00 to simulate a ground strafing, and learning how to avoid a stall in the process. “Pullouts should never be violent,” it’s explained, before moving into a detailed discussion of emergency hydraulic pressure procedures and how to react to a total engine failure before safely returning to the ground. “Yes, men who know their ships, men who are destroying the enemy on every front, all agree — the A-20 is the sweetest attack ship in the sky,” the narrator says at mark 18:55 as the film draws to a close. The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) was an American attack, light bomber, intruder aircraft of World War II. It served with several Allied air forces, principally the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), the Soviet Air Forces (VVS), Soviet Naval Aviation (AVMF) and the Royal Air Force (RAF) of the United Kingdom. Soviet units received more than one in three (2,908 aircraft) of the DB-7s ultimately built. It was also used by the air forces of Australia, South Africa, France, and the Netherlands during the war, and by Brazil afterwards. In British Commonwealth air forces, bomber/attack variants of the DB-7 were usually known by the service name Boston, while night fighter and intruder variants were usually known as Havoc. An exception to this was the Royal Australian Air Force, which referred to all variants of the DB-7 by the name Boston. The USAAF referred to night fighter variants as P-70. Motion picture films don't last forever; many have already been lost or destroyed. We collect, scan and preserve 35mm, 16mm and 8mm movies -- including home movies, industrial films, and other non-fiction. If you have films you'd like to have scanned or donate to Periscope Film, we'd love to hear from you. Contact us via the link below. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD and 2k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpGcFnqnfwo Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Fri, 12 Jun 2026 03:28:29 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/197288c0-48ed-4edf-98bf-f3502e2bc1f1 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.