Men Against the Sky

Men Against the Sky movie poster.

Movie (1940)
French title : A l'assaut des cieux

Starring:
Richard Dix (Phil Mercedes)
Kent Taylor (Martin Ames)
Edmund Lowe (Daniel M. "Dan" McLean)
Wendy Barrie (Kay Mercedes)

(Synopsis needed)

Stearman C2B

Reg. NC4099 was a Stearman C2B (c/n 110) later upgraded to C3 standard registered from 1928 to 1948.

The model used for flight action is slighty different in the paint scheme.

This aircraft, like many others, is represented by a fairly realistic model... except for the always grotesque kinematics !

Crash scene with the aircraft bouncing against the roof!

Curtiss C-46

McLean Aircraft Prototype

First the scale model in and out the wind tunnel :

Continuity error as the first model -now broken- has wings of the second one !

Building the prototype. Note the Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior engine on the trolley. The Hughes H-1 was powered by a special one tuned-up to put out 50% more horsepower than the basic version.

Fairchild 24 C8C

Reg. NC15346 Fairchild 24 C8C c/n 2689 built in 1935. Registration expired on 27.10.2017.
Same aircraft in other movies at Frequently Seen Aircraft (Civil Fixed-Wing).

McLean Aircraft Prototype

Roll out.
Reg. NX258Y could not hide the real NR258Y of the Hughes H-1 acting here as a prototype for a new fighter plane designed by McLean Aircraft Corporation.

Once in flight, archive footage of Howard Hughes running high speed at very low altitude.
Or action using a model for aerobatics and high altitude test, including this closeup on the canopy. Compare with the takeoff action above.

Unidentified Aircraft

Piper J-2 ? Aeronca 50 (or 60 or 65?) ?

Design Bureau and Prototype Workshop

Short footage showing all the steps, from the design to ground testing including tooling and assembly.

Roll out of the second prototype, NX258T ... still the Hughes H-1 in disguise.

Ryan ST-A

Reg. NC17364 Ryan Aeronautical ST-A c/n 177 built in 1938. Civil registration cancelled on May 2015.

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See also

• Men Against the Sky at IMDb
• Men Against the Sky at Wikipedia
• Men Against the Sky at IMCDb