It seemed like an impossible task: military aircraft manufacturers were asked to build a fighter plane for the 21st century that would be adaptable (and acceptable) to all branches of the armed forces and perform tasks expected of no other aircraft in history. For the winner, a lucrative contract with the Department of Defense; for the losers, potential bankruptcy. And so began the contest to build the experimental aircraft known as the Joint Strike Fighter, a story wonderfully chronicled in this nail-biting, suspense-filled episode of NOVA. Gaining unprecedented access to previously high-security and highly-classified areas, the cameras dramatically follow the day-by-day account of the construction of the JSF by the two companies who eventually won the right to compete: Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Sure to appeal to any aviation fan, this engrossing tale (in which fact is more exciting than fiction) will also find favor with general audiences looking for a good yarn. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Carlson)
Battle of the X-Planes
(2003) 120 min. VHS: $19.95. WGBH Boston Video. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-57807-981-0. Volume 18, Issue 4
Battle of the X-Planes
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As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
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