Bat*21

Front cover of the french DVD issue of Bat*21

Movie (1988)

Director: Peter Markle
Starring:
Gene Hackman (Lt. Col. Iceal Hambelton)
Danny Glover (Capt. Bartholomew Clark)
Jerry Reed (Col. George Walker)
David Marshall Grant (Ross Carver)
Clayton Rohner (Sgt. Harley Rumbaugh)

A 53 years old Lieutenant Colonel, expert in missile intelligence, is stranded in a Vietnam war zone after his electronic reconnaissance plane is shot down by a Sam-2 missile. The movie tells the story of his difficult rescue. Based (loosely) on a true story.

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King

A Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King comes to fetch Iceal from the golf green

The Sea King takes Iceal to the Command Center

Douglas EB-66 Destroyer

The electronic reconnaissance version of the Douglas B-66 Destroyer (in fact, a model was used for the movie ; go here [1] to see a picture of the real plane)

The hit EB-66 is going down

Cessna O-2 Skymaster

The Cessna O-2 and its distinctive "pull-push" configuration ; the real hero of this movie

A view of the rear coaxial engine and the twin tail booms of the Skymaster. Notice that this is in fact a civil version of the plane : here [2] is a picture of the military version with additional glass panes for better visibility

Low flying reconnaissance

Firing rockets after a fellow pilot was killed by the enemy

Flying low dodging mist

Swift little beaut

Bell UH-1A Huey

"The" Vietnam War helicopter, on the first rescue mission

Reconnaissance pass, with a gunman at the side

Scrambling at low altitude after the gunman was hit

Second rescue mission next morning

Coming to the rescue...

...only to be shot down

Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King (as HH-3E Jolly Green Giant)

In formation with a Huey on the first rescue mission. Note that the real Jolly Green Giant (Sikorski HH-3) is a larger helicopter, see here [3]. The Super Jolly Green Giant (Sikorsky HH-53) is even larger, see here [4]

Hovering over the rescue site, under cover of the Huey, with the Cessna O-2 about to dive for scouting

Going closer down under the cover of the Huey

Close to the ground

Almost there

Hit!!

Forced landing

Northrop F-5

Two F-5 Freedom Fighters appearing for a strafing run

Low flying strafe

Close-up of one F5

North American F-100D-50 NH Super Sabre

Rolling over for a bombing run

Releasing bombs

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See also

• Bat*21 at Wikipedia
  
• Bat*21 at Imdb
• Bat*21 at Aeromovies (in french)
• At Wikipedia : The story of the actual rescue