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An update on the Sahara P-40

Brings to mind this old made for TV movie. Anyone remember it? The first thing that came to mind when they found this plane was that it was left out there by the movie studio but that's not the case.


-Death race, a.k.a. State of Division, was a made for TV movie, that for the time especially, was very well done. The German tank actually had correct markings for one used in North Africa, the P-40 was about the right series, the clothing and weapons were all pretty much correct-except for two glaring goofs. Bridge's character sported a Luger pistol, and while this is an authentic German WWl sidearm, almost no command rank officer carried one, most favored the more modern and reliable Walther P-38. The only other readily apparent wrong is the P-40 supposedly had 20mm cannons as wing guns. No Curtiss P-40 of any series (B through N) was equipped thusly from the New York factory, and the only change the British made to theirs was changing the wing and cowl mount guns to .303 Brownings instead of the standard .30 caliber U.S. I actually enjoyed this movie for the most part, as it really was very authentic, and for someone like me (a confirmed military history buff!), the closer they get it to right, the easier it is to just watch and get lost in the story. I do wish it had been made longer, so more character development could have taken place. McClure's Culpepper starts off as a 'get by' kind of guy, not really caring much about the war or any greater ideal than his next meal or shower. They really rushed his change to a 'now I see why I should care' after a day and a half spent with the Thinne's McMillan, an Eagle squadron pilot, whom he starts taking a liking too through their shared dilemma. McMillan starts to explain why he enlisted with the British, why he put himself into harms way, but never gives the reason. The final 'battle' sequence at the end is pretty exciting, but again feels rushed. The movie runs approx. 90 minutes, so overall, except for the above listed comments, I feel this is an enjoyable movie for both the WWll buff or the action/drama movie watcher.

Directed by David Lowell Rich

Writing credits Charles Kuenstle

Cast:
Lloyd Bridges .... Hans Pimler
Roy Thinnes .... Arnold McMillan
Eric Braeden .... Stoeffer
Doug McClure .... Lt. Del Culpepper
Brendon Boone .... Pvt. Huffman
Christopher Cary .... British Radioman
Dennis Rucker .... Lt. Voelke
Dennis Dugan .... Pvt. Becker
Ivor Barry .... Maj. Waverly
William Beckley .... British Airman
Eric Micklewood .... British Officer
 
While not a P-40, another good desert movie that was a made-for-TV movie was "Sole Survivor", written I believe by
Rod Serling. It was about a B-25 that went down in the Libyan desert and was discovered years after war. An Air Force
recovery team is dispatched to recover the remains of the crew, whose story is told by their "ghosts" as they linger
around the recovery team.

Very good writing and acting as well. Definitely worth the time to watch.
 
Jimmy Stewart was in the original "Flight of the Phoenix" about a C-82 crash out in the desert in which they build a new aircraft out of the wreckage to fly their way out. There was a remake a few years ago that they used a C-119 in.
 
"Sole Survivor" was an episode on the original Black & White series Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone". You'll probably see it on SciFi Channels Twilight Zone marathon on the July 4th weekend.

"Flight of the Phoenix" was the original movie starring James Stewart back in the late 1960's if memory serves me. It involved a twin-engine C-82 or C-119 Flying Boxcar which was heavily modified to fly out of the desert on one engine.

Both worth the watch.
 
glh said:
"Sole Survivor" was an episode on the original Black & White series Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone". You'll probably see it on SciFi Channels Twilight Zone marathon on the July 4th weekend.

"Flight of the Phoenix" was the original movie starring James Stewart back in the late 1960's if memory serves me. It involved a twin-engine C-82 or C-119 Flying Boxcar which was heavily modified to fly out of the desert on one engine.

Both worth the watch.
Click to expand...

As a sidenote, the C-119 and the Phoenix they made from it are both available for FS9 from the usual two sites.
 
Unfortunately, a recent video (as of a one-two weeks ago) showed that the aircraft has been getting some abuse by the locals, including some fresh bullet holes in the cowl and windscreen, and all of the plexiglas side panels on the canopy have been punched out (with evidence of some of the parts initially found around the airplane, thrown through the plexiglas to brake them, as now they are resting inside the cockpit). These findings put forth the urgent measures to finally get this to press, by those that are involved in trying to get it recovered as soon as possible, so that hopefully, by having the story widely known, the support/backing that is needed is received in order to make the recovery happen. I believe the folks that initially found the wreck and posted the photos have been working with those interested and in a position to recover it, and they are all for its preservation.
 
glh said:
"Sole Survivor" was an episode on the original Black & White series Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone". You'll probably see it on SciFi Channels Twilight Zone marathon on the July 4th weekend.

"Flight of the Phoenix" was the original movie starring James Stewart back in the late 1960's if memory serves me. It involved a twin-engine C-82 or C-119 Flying Boxcar which was heavily modified to fly out of the desert on one engine.

Both worth the watch.
Click to expand...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sole_Survivor_(1970_film)

For some reason I thought Rod Serling had wrote the movie, but that was incorrect (He may have written the ep on Twilight Zone tho.). Vince Edwards is
good as the leader of the recovery team.
 
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