440mph Monster That Cracked Germany’s Air Force

At 8,000 feet over Dover harbor, a group of Fw 190s owned the sky. The English coast spread below them, defenseless. Then a British fighter appeared, closing fast. It had a massive four-bladed propeller, thick wings, and bold yellow stripes across its fuselage. The aircraft looked brutish, almost primitive compared to their sleek Focke-Wulfs. They dove to escape, but somehow the striped fighter stayed glued to their tails. Its engine screamed at full throttle, a sound unlike any aircraft powerplant they'd heard. Then came the 20-millimeter cannon fire. Weighed down by their bomb loads, the Fw 190s couldn't shake their pursuer. In desperation, they jettisoned everything, their ordnance splashing harmlessly into the channel below, while they headed back to safety. At 440 miles per hour, the striped fighter made clear the Luftwaffe’s dominance was over. --- Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between. As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.