Fighters

When a pair of bicycle mechanics first lifted off from a North Carolina beach, they had no idea that their invention would transform the way wars are fought. Yet within a few years, the Army came knocking on the Wright brothers' door, and a new age of combat began. From the dawn of aviation to the awe-inspiring jets of today, this is a comprehensive history of fighting aircraft. See extensive footage of the Wright brothers' historic first flight and precision attacks on Baghdad during the Gulf War. Fly with the brave pilots of the Battle of Britain, who led their undermanned and outnumbered air force to victory over the vaunted Luftwaffe, and take to the skies over Korea and Vietnam. And hear what it is really like in the confusion and chaos of a dogfight from some of the world's finest aviators, men who have risked their lives in the air and pushed the edge of the envelope.

• documentary