The Aviation Show

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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It is rare when you are doomscrolling Instagram that you find something truly wonderful. Out at Culver Props in Rolla, Missouri, Alaina Lewis makes wooden propellers and finding her on Instagram was a balm in a dark time. Seeing the incredible skill that goes into making true customer propellers for custom aircraft is a joy. And then I got to meet Alaina. Our conversation is wide-ranging as we discuss how her family saved Culver Props, how she learnt the art from her Grandfather, the importance of reading specifications properly and, vitally, what the heck does a propeller actually do? The story Alaina tells is heartfelt and full of passion and skill and makes this podcaster with the softest of hands want to make things. I hope you enjoy it too. Once again, the Riverside app I use to record with my guests decided to play up, so my audio isn't what I hoped it would be. Alaina, though, sounds great, and that is the important thing.

You can find Culver Props on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/culver_props/ 

The Culver Props Lathe is at: https://www.instagram.com/the_propeller_lathe/ 

Alaina's YouTube Channel is: https://www.youtube.com/c/CulverProps

The Culver Props website is: http://www.culverprops.com/

Join the fun on Patreon! Click the link below to join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch.

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The sigh of relief that goes up when the phrase "there is a drawing for that" is uttered in aviation restoration houses around the world is palpable. The excitement when tens of thousands of original North American Aviation drawings were announced as being passed to the AirCorps Library was akin to a party. The tale of how Ken Jungeberg saved a treasure trove from the fire is only part of my conversation with the manager of the AirCorp Library, Ester Aube.

Ester is an archivist and one who manages the incredible resource that is the AirCrop Library, one that is available to everyone, not just the incredibly talented team at AirCorps out in Bemidji, Minnesota. In our chat, we discuss how the Library came into being, the intricacies of coping with microfilm, the joys of metadata, how Ken saved his treasure trove of drawings from being incinerated and, of course, this year's Oshkosh.

You can sign up for the AirCrops Library for just $6 a month or $60 a year. There you get access to an incredible array of manuals and technical drawings, perfect for the restorer, researcher, modeller or aviation geek. Check it out at: https://www.aircorpslibrary.com/

The AirCorps Library Blog with all the latest updates is at: https://aircorpslibrary.com/blog/

Find out the latest on AirCorps' latest restorations, including the fantastic ex-Jimmy Stewart and Jackie Cochran P-51C Thunderbird, at: https://www.aircorpsaviation.com/ 

The AirCorps Library Instagram is at: https://www.instagram.com/aircorpslibrary/ 

Join the fun on Patreon! Click the link below to join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch.

The Damcasters © 2022 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 'Spitfire Summer' of 1940 is lodged in the heads of the British psyche like few other conflicts. Yet, the mix of aircraft that the RAF fielded in the early years of the Second World War were not the ones many remember, and the types that would become famous as the conflict wore on were still years away. Historian Adrian Phillips joined me to discuss the politics and battles the RAF went through, internally and externally, as they raced to modernise and figure out just what type of war they would be fighting.

I found Adrian's book a fascinating read and one that certainly challenges many perceptions and ideas I have. I hope you find the discussion as interesting as I did.

Rearming the RAF for the Second World War: Poor Strategy and Miscalculation by Adrian Phillips is published by Pen and Sword and is available now.

You can follow Adrian on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/adriangphillips 

You can find Adrian's website at: https://www.adrianphillips.co.uk/ 

If you are in the UK, you can also pick up a copy of Adrian's book at the Boney Abroad Podcasts Bookshop. 10% of every sale goes towards supporting the podcast, and Bookshop.org supports independent bookshops too. You can grab your copy via this link: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781399006248

Join the fun on Patreon! Click the link below to join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch.

The Damcasters © 2022 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his new book, Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb, James M. Scott breaks down the journey of the USAAF to the use of Napalm on the populace of Japan and, eventually, the Atomic Bomb, in a way that is knowledgeable, sensitive and shocking. Reading the experience of the Japanese civilians on the ground in the early hours of the 10th March 1945 literally moved me to tears on the train to work.

It was a delight to chat with James about the book, and his research and I hope you find our discussion as fascinating as I did.

One note about the audio: Riverside, the app I use to record with my guests, randomly switched mics on me, so my audio isn't what I hoped it would be. Thankfully, James sounds great.

James' website can be found at: http://jamesmscott.com/

Follow James on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/jamesmscott3

James' Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100032787951220

Black Snow: Curtis LeMay, the Firebombing of Tokyo, and the Road to the Atomic Bomb is published in the USA by Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc. and is released on Tuesday 6th September 2022.

In the UK, Black Snow is published by WW Norton & Co and is released on Tuesday 8th November 2022 and you can pre-order it through 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. Pre-Order Here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781324002994

Join the fun on Patreon! Click the link below to join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch.

The Damcasters © 2022 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.