When Anna climbs into the two-seat jet, there is a canopy support visible. When she taxis away and lowers the canopy the support is missing. The support is used to prevent the canopy from accidentally closing when ground crew are working on the plane.
The aircraft making the night interception on the B-36 was an F-94C. In later scenes, doing the break off and turn away, it was clearly an F-80 or T-33. The empennages are much different as the F-94C had an afterburner configuration also. This was not seen markedly protruding as would be seen on an F-94C.
When Lt. Marladovna is taken to the General at Headquarters she is seen wearing her full dress uniform.
She wouldn't have her dress uniform with her on flight operations, and she didn't have a bag large enough to carry such uniform when she landed at the US base.
She wouldn't have her dress uniform with her on flight operations, and she didn't have a bag large enough to carry such uniform when she landed at the US base.
The Russian jet at the beginning of the film is identified by the American pilot as a Yakulef Yak 12. The Yak 12 is not a jet but a STOL propeller aircraft.
Anna was wearing two awards of the "Hero of the Soviet Union" decoration. It is the highest decoration for bravery approximately equal to the "Medal of Honor." A few women, ninety-two, with fifty receiving it posthumously, were awarded it once, but records do not show that any woman ever received it twice.
As of the Cold War period, all fighter jets were flown by the Navy, Marines, or Air Force. Wayne's character is clearly wearing an Army uniform throughout the beginning of the film. The US Air Force was part of the US Army until it was made into a separate branch in 1947 by the National Security Act of 1947. The movie was filmed in 1949 and 1950. This was a transition period for both uniforms and procedures for the newly formed service, so Wayne and the others wearing Army uniforms would have been likely. Later in the General's office the General was wearing the new Air Force blue uniform.
When Anna's plane flames out, it would have no thrust, so it should immediately start to slow down and lose altitude, and Jim would notice right away. But he doesn't notice, and Anna has to tell him that she has flamed out. The two jets keep flying smoothly in close formation, revealing that one is seeing film of two jets both under power.
When the fighter breaks off after the radar intercept, the markings on the plane are backwards (flipped film).
Anna, despite being a stereotypical Russian agent in an American movie from the Cold War, surprisingly lacks a Russian accent.