Red Tails – Pics emerge from new Lucas project

The first images for the forthcoming George Lucas pet-project Red Tails have emerged. The movie which is to be directed by long-time TV director and assistant Anthony Hemingway tells the story of World War II fighter pilots.

More specifically it tells the story of the Tuskagee Airmen, the first African-American pilots to fly in a combat squadron during WWII. The name derives from the fact that their aircraft all had a red tail, not exactly the most stealthy of paint-jobs but effective nonetheless. Suffice to say that the battles here will be against both the Nazis and their fellow compatriots, meaning that the action on the ground should match the calibre of the dog-fights.

With Lucas being a huge fan of digital imagery it’s no surprise to see green screens in the images, but it’s also refreshing to see actual aircraft, some of which mark the finest hand-crafted machinery ever built.

This movie is sure to be a hit with WWII buffs and plane-spotters alike. There’s no confirmed release date as of yet but I suspect it will be early 2011.