One of the greatest flyers

[Oddball]

Forget all the great flyers of history (Alcock and Brown, Amy Johnson, Emilia Erhart etc) Ladies and Gentlemen of the forum I give you "Wild Bill" Kelsoe Captain of the USAAC 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsldZ6S_sa8

[TheSoccerMom]

Haa, that guy is so funny.   

I just love the part where the chart is over his face.....  just like trying to read a chart on a cross-country, eh??!?

 

[Frank N. O.]

Hahahaha, great indeed! Remember the scene where he falls off the wing? According to what I read that was actually an accident but was left in the movie since it fitted the character

Also did you read one of the comments to that YouTube clip? "Sky Captain has really let himself go!" That was so funny! That movie was set 3-4 years before 1941 (although in an alternative reality) and Sky Captain and Kelso both flew P40, although I can't remember if both of them also had connections to the Flying Tigers.

Btw, deviating slightly on topic, Ian, in Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Angelina Jolie played an RAF Squadron Leader and it was said that she, on her own time, conducted several hours worth of interviews with WWII pilots taking notes etc. to get the speech and behaviour spot-on. Some critics have said that she didn't sound right as an RAF pilot, what do you think? I think she sounds smashing and seems very inspiring as a leader and aviator. It could be that her critics are americans who never heard a proper british pilot speak, like when they said to Charles Shaughnessy to get Daniel Davis to teach him how to sound english (doesn't that just boggle the mind? For those that don't know, Charles Shaughnessy is born and raised in England of english family, but Daniel Davis is an american from Arkansas. Davis also displayed his talent for acting british as a great Moriarty on Star Trek TNG).

Frank

[Oddball]

Thing was I almost walked out during that film, only thing that stopped me was the Ex's kids they where blocking the aisle and I was near the middle of the row.  Anglena looked nothing like a R.A.F Squadron Leader....................She did not have the big bushy moustache of the higher ranks

[Frank N. O.]

Hahahaha, but how about the rest? Vocabulary, posture, accent and such? I thought it sounded very british and noble, without being stuck-up, and I mean that in a good way. I especially loved the way she asked "What is that?" When Polly tries to climb down the wing after landing on the flying airbase, that was hilarious, and appearently improvised by Jolie.

I can't help but think though that the Mantas remind me of something from a comic book, specifically one of the many classic comics from western Europe (Belgium, The Nederlands and France mostly).

Frank

[Oddball]

Still say she was VERY dodgy acting as a R.A.F Ossifer Frank. (again not having the bushy moustachce let her down, Its a MUST have)

[Frank N. O.]

Haha, Ossifer, right-o, moustachce it is then. Fairfax and Carstairs for instance just wouldn't have looked the part without them.

Back on topic: Was it a real P-40 or a model used in the move 1941? And was the character based on a real WWII pilot?

Frank

[Oddball]

Dont think it was based on a real pilot and some of it looks like a proper P-40 but could be a later mark like a P-40N maybe.

Edit: Here you go Frank hope this link answers your question it was real P-40's used

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=46891

[Frank N. O.]

Thanks for the link

Frank