Don't Miss Showdown: Air Combat

JET ACE: F-86 SABRE vs. MiG-15
In 1950, the Korean War brought two jet fighters face-to-face. Even though the MiG-15 and the F-86 Sabre were designed for very different purposes – the MiG-15 was an airborne defender and the Sabre was an offensive weapon – they were so evenly matched that their dogfights are some of the most remembered duels in history. In addition, the air battles between these two fighters gave birth to a new kind of fighter pilot: the jet ace. This episode re-creates the May 20, 1951, dogfight in which United States Air Force Capt. James Jabara flew his Sabre in an epic dogfight that earned him his fifth victory over the Russian MiG-15. Check when this episode airs.

BIRTH OF AN ACE: P-38 LIGHTNING vs. ZERO
Speed and maneuverability are two of the most vital features of a combat fighter. The Japanese Zero had both, making it one of the deadliest planes in the Pacific theater during the early months of World War II. When the P-38 Lightning was deployed, it was equally as fast as the Zero but not nearly as agile. This episode goes back to Dec. 27, 1942, when U.S. rookie pilot Richard Ira Bong took on the Zero for the first time, employing cutting-edge dogfighting techniques to change the equation against Japan's premier fighter plane. Check when this episode airs.

DOGFIGHT OVER GUADALCANAL: ZERO vs. F4F WILDCAT
For the United States Navy, the top fighter at the beginning of World War II was the F4F Wildcat. This episode chronicles skilled pilot James “Pug” Southerland’s navigation of the slower and far less agile Wildcat in a duel with Japan’s Saburo Sakai and his Zero. For his service, Southerland was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and a Purple Heart. Check when this episode airs.

THE THACH WEAVE: F4F WILDCAT vs. ZERO
Even at the start of World War II, most aviators understood that the Japanese Zero was a more capable fighter plane than the United States Navy’s F4F Wildcat. However, naval aviator John Thach devised aerial tactics that he believed would put the Wildcat and the Zero on equal footing. These tactics became known as the “Thach Weave” and Thach himself would be the first to test them in one of the most critical air battles in American history. Step inside a A6M5 Zero cockpit.

PROTECTING THE HEAVIES: P-51 MUSTANG vs. Me109
During the bombing raids of World War II, German pilots were determined to take down the bombers that were destroying major cities across their homeland. American escort fighter pilots were just as resolved to protect the vulnerable bombers and their crews. On May 27, 1944, United States pilot Clarence “Bud” Anderson flew his P-51 Mustang against a group of Messerschmitt Me109s in one of the war’s most gut-wrenching dogfights.

PAPPY OVER RABAUL: F4U CORSAIR vs. ZERO
Notorious World War II fighter pilot Gregory “Pappy” Boyington was known for his tendency to disregard orders. Still, this rogue pilot scored a number of victories over the Japanese Zero in his F4U Corsair. The Corsair was so fast and lethal that Japanese pilots nicknamed it “whizzing death.” This episode explores the Jan. 3, 1944, battle in which Pappy tangled with a group of Zeros, which proved to be one of the most perilous dogfights of his life. Step inside a A6M5 Zero cockpit. Step inside a F4U Corsair cockpit.