Went to see Wonder Woman today which you probably know is set during WWI. No, I'm not going to go into the plot - I'd just say that I was well entertained; although I know nothing of the character from the comics, and can't remember the old television series that well, I have to say that I was highly impressed that they have been able to make a respectable film on the basis of, let's face it, one of the more bizarre superheroes.
I simply want to talk about the aeroplanes. Movies are always problematic, aren't they, when they reference a subject you know something about. I knew from the trailers that some of our beloved aircraft would feature, so I braced myself for a pleasurable nitpick. First, we see a Fokker monoplane crash into the sea, after apparently flying well beyond its limited range. It's also carrying bombs. We see more of them in a busy airfield scene, where I believe I spotted a Sopwith Strutter. Perhaps it was a captured machine, never mind.
But...
I was happy with all of that, until the bomber appeared. What bomber was this, you ask? You may well ask. To me, it looked vaguely like a Forssmann Giant, the first R-plane built by SSW, but given a hefty dose of whatever The Incredible Hulk is on. It's of metal construction and in truth it looked more authentic to 1920s technology, eg. with its radial engines. In the story, the plane is prepared to deliver a devastating weapon to drop on London.
My outrage - totally manufactured in order to whip up some argument here on the forum - derives from the fact that in reality the Germans had an even bigger bomber available, which they did indeed use to drop heavy ordnance on London. I would say that the R.VI looked just as imposing and dramatic as the cobbled up machine in the film. So, when a perfectly good and historically accurate aircraft type is there ready to be used by the film makers, why invent one???
A penny for your thoughts, if you've seen the film!
Mark
