Documentary backdrop image for Planes That Never Flew (2003)

Documentary backdrop image for Planes That Never Flew (2003)

200347 minPGdocumentary

5.0/ 10(1 rating)• TMDB

Planes That Never Flew

200347 minPGdocumentary

5.0/ 10(1 rating)• TMDB

Four one-hour episodes investigate experimental aircraft projects, including two jet fighters and a nuclear-powered bomber, that never flew.

Genres

Synopsis

Four one-hour episodes investigate experimental aircraft projects, including two jet fighters and a nuclear-powered bomber, that never flew.

People

John Hedgescast

George Kerevancast

Synopsis

In the United States and the United Kingdom, ambitious aircraft projects faced significant hurdles. "Planes That Never Flew" presents four one-hour episodes detailing experimental designs that never became operational. The series covers two jet fighters, a supersonic transport, and a nuclear-powered long-range bomber. Each episode addresses the technical challenges and political decisions that led to the cancellation of these projects. The documentary provides a look at the designs and concepts that shaped aviation history.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Top Secrets of America - Classified Torpedos (2014)

Top Secrets of America - Classified Torpedos

Successful test drops of torpedoes were made at 2,000 feet with a speed of 350 knots, improving their performance during World War II.

Top Secrets of America - Classified Torpedos

Flight Power - Aircraft History (2019)

Flight Power - Aircraft History

Aviation technology has evolved through innovative designs and power systems, featuring unique aircraft like the Harrier jump jet with vertical takeoff capabilities.

Flight Power - Aircraft History

Tracking Mysteriously Lost Warplanes (2025)

Tracking Mysteriously Lost Warplanes

A C-47 transport plane crashes in Nebraska in July 1944, killing 28 people, including a group of trainee fighter pilots.

Tracking Mysteriously Lost Warplanes

The Jet That Broke the Sound Barrier (2026)

The Jet That Broke the Sound Barrier

Cutting-edge military technology, including advanced fighter jets and armored vehicles, is examined through the lens of engineering and battlefield history.

The Jet That Broke the Sound Barrier

The NB-36: America's Forgotten Flying Nuclear Reactor (2026)

The NB-36: America's Forgotten Flying Nuclear Reactor

The NB-36 "Crusader," a massive aircraft designed to carry a live, unshielded nuclear reactor, epitomized the 1950s' obsession with nuclear-powered bombers.

The NB-36: America's Forgotten Flying Nuclear Reactor

F-117 Nighthawk: The Invisible Stealth Strike Bomber (2025)

F-117 Nighthawk: The Invisible Stealth Strike Bomber

The F-117 Nighthawk stealth bomber is examined alongside high-speed phenomena, including supersonic trains and extreme sports car collisions, highlighting engineering advancements.

F-117 Nighthawk: The Invisible Stealth Strike Bomber

Fighter Jets: The Weapon That Changed The Face Of War (2025)

Fighter Jets: The Weapon That Changed The Face Of War

22% of a squadron was lost during a conflict, illustrating the high stakes and impact of naval aviation in modern warfare.

Fighter Jets: The Weapon That Changed The Face Of War

The Most Important Planes Of The Last 125 Years (2025)

The Most Important Planes Of The Last 125 Years

Significant advancements in aviation technology over the last 125 years are explored through four episodes of the acclaimed series 'Power'.

The Most Important Planes Of The Last 125 Years

The 1940s Supersonic Jet Fighter That Never Flew (2026)

The 1940s Supersonic Jet Fighter That Never Flew

The Lockheed L-133, a jet-powered interceptor designed in 1939, represents a pioneering yet forgotten chapter in aviation history before World War II.

The 1940s Supersonic Jet Fighter That Never Flew

Elaborate Bait and Switch Sting (2025)

Elaborate Bait and Switch Sting

Two F-4 Phantom fighters engage in a dogfight with MiG-21s over Phuc Yen Airfield, demonstrating the tactical challenges of aerial combat.

Elaborate Bait and Switch Sting

IF YOU LOVE THIS Planet (2015)

IF YOU LOVE THIS Planet

Dr. Helen Caldicott emphasizes the urgent need for nuclear disarmament through a powerful lecture, supported by archival footage of Hiroshima's aftermath.

IF YOU LOVE THIS Planet

Fallout: The Terrifying Dawn Of The Atomic Age (2024)

Fallout: The Terrifying Dawn Of The Atomic Age

As many as 70,000 people are instantly killed by the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, marking the start of the nuclear age.

Fallout: The Terrifying Dawn Of The Atomic Age

Explore Planes That Never Flew

People Topics FAQ

Where else to watch

Secrets in the Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works (2019)

Secrets in the Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works

2019•1h30m•★8.0TMDB

In 1943, engineers and designers began developing America's first jet fighter under a circus tent in Burbank, California.

Secrets in the Sky: The Untold Story of Skunk Works

Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370 (2024)

Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370

2024•59m•★7.5TMDB

One of aviation's greatest mysteries began when Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 vanished on March 8, 2014, during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Why Planes Vanish: The Hunt for MH370

The Aviators (2010)

The Aviators

2010•30m•★5.4TMDB

An award-winning weekly series features airline pilot training, aircraft construction, air traffic control operations, and aviation safety and career tips.

Planes That Changed the World (2015)

Planes That Changed the World

2015•46m•★6.8TMDB

The series features the stories of three of the most important commercial aircraft ever to take to the skies.

Planes That Changed the World

Spitfire (2018)

Spitfire

2018•1h39m•★7.2TMDB

Mary Ellis, a pioneering World War II pilot, reflects on the Supermarine Spitfire's design and impact during key battles, featuring insights from surviving pilots.

The Metropolis Case (2023)

The Metropolis Case

2023•44m•★6.5TMDB

Three supersonic airliner projects-the Concorde, TU-144, and Boeing 2707-failed during the Cold War, driven by national pride and espionage tactics.

The Metropolis Case

That's Impossible! (2009)

That's Impossible!

2009•1h•★5.4TMDB

Over 100 significant inventions and innovations are examined, revealing how once-impossible technologies have reshaped modern society.

That's Impossible!

Wings (1988)

Wings

1988•45m•★6.1TMDB

In divided Berlin, angels Damiel and Cassiel observe human life, leading Damiel to choose mortality for love and sensory experience with trapeze artist Marion.

Browse more like this

Tracking Mysteriously Lost Warplanes (2025)

Tracking Mysteriously Lost Warplanes

A C-47 transport plane crashes in Nebraska in July 1944, killing 28 people, including a group of trainee fighter pilots.

Tracking Mysteriously Lost Warplanes

No digital watch option in your country

The Jet That Broke the Sound Barrier (2026)

The Jet That Broke the Sound Barrier

Cutting-edge military technology, including advanced fighter jets and armored vehicles, is examined through the lens of engineering and battlefield history.

The Jet That Broke the Sound Barrier

No digital watch option in your country

The NB-36: America's Forgotten Flying Nuclear Reactor (2026)

The NB-36: America's Forgotten Flying Nuclear Reactor

The NB-36 "Crusader," a massive aircraft designed to carry a live, unshielded nuclear reactor, epitomized the 1950s' obsession with nuclear-powered bombers.

The NB-36: America's Forgotten Flying Nuclear Reactor

No digital watch option in your country

F-117 Nighthawk: The Invisible Stealth Strike Bomber (2025)

F-117 Nighthawk: The Invisible Stealth Strike Bomber

The F-117 Nighthawk stealth bomber is examined alongside high-speed phenomena, including supersonic trains and extreme sports car collisions, highlighting engineering advancements.

F-117 Nighthawk: The Invisible Stealth Strike Bomber

No digital watch option in your country

The Most Important Planes Of The Last 125 Years (2025)

The Most Important Planes Of The Last 125 Years

Significant advancements in aviation technology over the last 125 years are explored through four episodes of the acclaimed series 'Power'.

The Most Important Planes Of The Last 125 Years

No digital watch option in your country

The 1940s Supersonic Jet Fighter That Never Flew (2026)

The 1940s Supersonic Jet Fighter That Never Flew

The Lockheed L-133, a jet-powered interceptor designed in 1939, represents a pioneering yet forgotten chapter in aviation history before World War II.

The 1940s Supersonic Jet Fighter That Never Flew

No digital watch option in your country

Elaborate Bait and Switch Sting (2025)

Elaborate Bait and Switch Sting

Two F-4 Phantom fighters engage in a dogfight with MiG-21s over Phuc Yen Airfield, demonstrating the tactical challenges of aerial combat.

Elaborate Bait and Switch Sting

No digital watch option in your country

Stealth: Flying Invisible (2010)

Stealth: Flying Invisible

2010•46m•★10.0TMDB

One pilot was shot down in a stealth aircraft during the 1999 Kosovo War, recounting his experience alongside insights from the soldier who fired the missile.

Stealth: Flying Invisible

War Heroes of the Skies (2013)

War Heroes of the Skies

2013•45m•★10.0TMDB

A WWII aircrew officer extinguished a fire on his aircraft at 20,000 feet, while a phantom fighter pilot shot down four MiGs over Vietnam.

War Heroes of the Skies

Natalia Nikolaevna (2014)

Natalia Nikolaevna

2014•30m•★5.0TMDB

400 kilometers from Havana, an opera singer transforms a local park in Cienfuegos into her stage to support her family after a difficult divorce.

Natalia Nikolaevna

Enola Gay's Navigator: Theodore (Dutch) Van Kirk (2007)

Enola Gay's Navigator: Theodore (Dutch) Van Kirk

Theodore "Dutch" Van Kirk served as navigator on the mission that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945.

Enola Gay's Navigator: Theodore (Dutch) Van Kirk

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →