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Empire Flying Boat to Australia with Phil Vabre
Ep. 26
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Flying to Australia is a chore today, but 85 years ago, Imperial Airways and Qantas launched an audacious service with the wonderful Shorts C.23 Empire Flying Boat. These aircraft cut the journey from Southampton to Sydney to around nine days and, more importantly than the passenger service, allowed for a new rapid air mail service across the Empire. Phil Vabre is the President of the Civil Aviation Historical Society in Australia and runs the superb Airways Museum at Essendon Airport, just on the edge of Melbourne. Phil is the chap to talk to about the flying boat service to Australia and in part 1 of a two-part chat, we look at the origins of the service, the creation of the C-Class flying boat and what logistics were required to keep these marvellous aircraft in the air.
You can learn more about the Civil Aviation Historical Society and the Airways Museum at Essendon at their website here: https://www.airwaysmuseum.com/
You can check out Phil's flying boat articles in The Aviation Historian, issues TAH9, TAH17, TAH31 and TAH32 via their website where you can get the back issues and subscribe here: https://www.theaviationhistorian.com/
- Please check out our sponsor, the Pima Air and Space Museum, through the links below: Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website here: https://pimaair.org/
- Learn more about the Titan Missle Museum here: https://titanmissilemuseum.org/
- Find out who is in the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame here: https://pimaair.org/about-us/arizona-aviation-hall-of-fame/
- Want to know how the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum is progressing? Find out more here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/
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107. The Sinking of the Cap Arcona: 3rd May 1945
16:08||Ep. 10780 years ago, on the 3rd May 1945, Hawker Typhoons of the RAF's 2nd Tactical Air Force attacked German shipping in Lubeck Bay, north of Hamburg. They succeeded in sinking three large ships and damaging another. Tragically, these ships were crammed with Concentration Camp prisoners that had been evacuated from the Neuengamme concentration camp; over 7000 were killed in the last days of the Second World War.Join us as we look into what happened on that terrible day 80 years ago.Sources:- A Disaster in Lübeck Bay: An Analysis of the Tragic Sinking of the Cap Arcona, 3 May 1945 - Dr Daniel Long PHd - 2nd Tactical Air Force, Vols. 3 and 4 - by Chris Shores and Chris Thomas- Sea of Death: The Baltic 1945 by Claes-Goran Wetterholm- Survivor by Sam Pivnik- The Last Survivor by Frank Krake about Wim AloserijPlease do follow the @neuengamme.memorial and @husumschwesing channels.-----------------------------------------------------🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow-----------------------------------------------------✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!Website: https://pimaair.org/https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpacehttps://www.instagram.com/pimaairhttps://x.com/pimaairhttps://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseumCheck out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/👕Get your aviation on with 909 Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/-----------------------------------------------------The Damcasters © 2025 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------0:00 The Tragic Attack on Lübeck Bay1:31 Intelligence Failures in the Final Days3:32 The Ordeal of Concentration Camp Prisoners5:26 Mistaken Targets and The Fog of War7:17 The Deadly Assault on Cap Arcona10:47 Survivors' Harrowing Experiences14:09 The Aftermath and Burial of Victims14:57 Reassessing Historical Narratives
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102. Conserving Aerospace History At the National Air and Space Museum
39:54||Ep. 102🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow-----------------------------------------------------Malcolm Collum, Chief Conservator at the Air and Space Museum, joins us to discuss the nuanced distinction between conserving and restoring artifacts, emphasizing the importance of understanding an object's historical context and condition. We discuss the Flak Bait's status and check out what is going on in the Conservation Lab at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.Find out more about how to get into conservation at the American Institute for Conservation website: www.culturalheritage.org-----------------------------------------------------✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!Website: https://pimaair.org/https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpacehttps://www.instagram.com/pimaairhttps://x.com/pimaairhttps://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseumCheck out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/👕Get your aviation on with 909 Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/-----------------------------------------------------The Damcasters © 2025 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------0:00 Introduction2:15 Journey to Conservatorship2:27 Conserving vs. Restoring Aircraft5:03 The Flak Bait Aircraft7:36 Innovative Preservation Techniques11:49 The Art of Preservation15:54 Managing a Large Collection16:58 Preservation Challenges of Historic Aircraft22:04 Restoring the Starship Enterprise26:05 Analyzing Aircraft Components28:24 Discovering Historical Artifacts33:11 Unique Historical Technologies34:51 Repairing Historic Fabrics37:33 The Never-Ending Preservation Process38:56 Resources for Conservation Education
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01:15:21||Ep. 101The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)'s annex at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC. To call it an annex is misleading, this place is massive! Home to an incredible collection of aircraft, this episode, our 101st, is just me trying to talk you around the place while trying to take it all in, especially when confronted with Enola Gay.----------------------------------------------------- 🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow ----------------------------------------------------- ✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials! Website: https://pimaair.org/https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpacehttps://www.instagram.com/pimaairhttps://x.com/pimaairhttps://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum Check out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/ 👕Get your aviation on with 909 Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/ ----------------------------------------------------- The Damcasters © 2025 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International -----------------------------------------------------0:00 Welcome to The Udvar-Hazy Center18:12 Exploring The Historic Aircraft Collection22:02 Discovering Iconic Aviation Milestones42:22 Insights on Conservation Practices1:00:14 The Legacy of Aircraft Innovation1:13:50 Reflections on the Aviation Experience
100. Our 100th Episode at the National Air and Space Museum
38:31||Ep. 100Here it is, our 100th Episode! And the first under the new name! In February, my daughter and I headed to the USA and visited several aviation museums to celebrate reaching our 100th episode. So went for the OG of museums for the 100th, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. While it is still undergoing the renovations, it was my first time back in nearly 35 years. Join us as we look around.-----------------------------------------------------🛫 Join us on Patreon! Join from just £3 + VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt, and receive a personalised welcome pack. Click here for more info: https://www.patreon.com/theaviationshow-----------------------------------------------------✈️Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum by following their socials!Website: https://pimaair.org/https://www.facebook.com/PimaAirAndSpacehttps://www.instagram.com/pimaairhttps://x.com/pimaairhttps://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseumCheck out the Tucson Military Vehicle Museum here: https://www.tucsonmilitaryvehicle.org/👕Get your aviation on with 909 Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/-----------------------------------------------------The Damcasters © 2025 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------0:00 Celebrating 100 Episodes14:22 The Wright Brothers and Their Legacy15:26 Women in Aviation20:50 Racing and Speed in Aviation21:40 Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum24:10 The Mercury and Gemini Missions29:51 The Moon Landing and Beyond33:13 The Future of Aviation and Space