Few modern aircraft capture the attention of the hardened AVGeek more than the Rockwell B-1B Lancer bomber. Designed at the crux of the Cold War, the journey to the aircraft that would enter service after those tensions had thawed began in the heady days of the 1950s when higher, faster and further was the order of the day. To get to the B-1B, we have to start with aircraft like the B-70 Valkrie, the F-111 and, of course, the B-1A.

Kenneth P. Katz is an Air Force Veteran and career aerospace engineer, and he joins me to discuss his new book, the lavishly illustrated The Supersonic BONE, and the amazing journey that the US Air Force went through to get their hands on this remarkable aircraft.

In part one, we discuss the genesis of the B-1, its initial flight testing and how it came into the crosshairs of President Jimmy Carter.

You can follow Ken on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/kennethpkatz 

The Supersonic BONE: A Development and Operational History of the B-1 Bomber by Kenneth P. Katz is out now. It is published in the UK by Pen and Sword and in the USA by Casemate.

If you are in the UK, you can buy a copy of The Supersonic BONE at the Boney Abroad Podcasts Bookshop on the link below. 10% of every sale goes to supporting the podcast, and Bookshop.org will donate to help independent bookshops in the UK too. Get your copy here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781399014717 

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