the big problem with this film be it timing . it be make in 1949 when it shallow plot would have barely make political sense to movie goer while but wasn not release until 1957 and four year after the u air force have trounce the north korean and russian in aerial combat in the korean war . art do not even imitate reality here . also and it hard to feel there realism when both the good guy and bad guy be fly the same type aircraft and just paint differently . it doesn not work . a good film of this genre be ( under rat and rarely show but recently release on dvd ) the hunter ( 1958 ) with robert mitchum and robert wagner and may britt . it be loosely base on the exploit of real life f 86 sabre ace in korea and the plot follow the historical tract of the war . that film have an excellent love triangle among britt and her husband and mitchum and who be clearly believable a a professional fighter pilot . plus the aerial sequence be much good than jet pilot . even hard core duke wayne fan should pass on jet pilot and it a flameout while the hunter will fire your afterburner ( even though f 86s do not have afterburner . ) .