CHAPTER TITLES: 1. Wings of Disaster; 2. Death Rides the Storm; 3. The Toll of Treachery; 4. Battle in the Clouds; 5. The Fatal Blast; 6. Stark Terror; 7. Flaming Doom; 8. The Plunge of Terror; 9. Torturing Trials; 10. Flash of Fate; 11. Terror of the Storm; 12. Winning Warriors.
Newsreel stock footage is used from 1931 of the Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro that is piloted by Amelia Earhart.
The real planes shown in this movie... Bell YFM-1 Airacuda, Fairchild 24W-9, Fairchild Super 71, Kellett KD-1, Monocoupe 90 (archive image), Pitcairn PCA-2 Autogiro (stock footage), Sikorsky S-45 prototype (but never went into production), the Aero Engineering Aeroneer 1-B, and the Spartan Executive 7W. All of the other planes shown are miniature models.
In Chapters 10 and 11 when the airplane hits the telephone pole and crash lands, this whole scene is originally from The Phantom Creeps (1939). These airplane crash scenes are used again in The Mysterious Mr. M (1946), Chapters 12 and 13.
The "pursuit" plane at the center of the plot is the Aero Engineering Aeroneer 1-B, a prototype trainer developed in the mid-30's. The design was a little ahead of its time in 1936, featuring all-metal construction, cantilever wings and tail assembly, and an enclosed cabin. This was the only unit completed, as the anticipated orders from civilian flying schools never appeared, and Aero Engineering's assets were sold to a James Phillips, forming Phillips Aviation (not to be confused with the aviation division of Phillips Petroleum). Phillips upgraded the engine to compete for the US Army Air Corps basic trainer contract in 1939, but the Army chose other basic trainers (the Fairchild PT-19 and Ryan PT-20/21/22) instead.
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