Wings (1988)
Aviation history series which aired on the Discovery Channel family of networks. Originally called Great Planes.
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Wings
1988Seasons & Episode
In 1913, aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss became the first to develop the flying boat. From the start, these large seaplanes surpassed land planes in both size and range. By 1920, they had become the first airliners, the first American aircraft to engage in combat and the first to conquer the Atlantic Ocean by air.
From twin-engine patrol planes to six-engine bombers, flying boats offered versatility and mobility to combatants on both sides of World War II. Without these dependable work horses, the Allied forces might have lost the battle of the Atlantic as well as the Pacific island-hopping campaign.
By the 1950s, flying boat operations in the United States Navy were in decline. Ironically, Navy planners began developing radical new designs including the jet-powered "Seamaster" and the supersonic "Sea Dart." In the end, however, these water-based aircraft could not compete with the obvious efficiency of traditional land planes.
Today, only Japan, Canada and Russia still produce large flying boats and seaplanes. Designed for special utility and military applications, these modern seaplanes have kept up with the advance of technology. In particular, the jet-powered Russian "Albatross" may lead a new generation of flying boats into the future.
Aviation history series which aired on the Discovery Channel family of networks. Originally called Great Planes.
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