The Aviation Show

Dr. Jennifer Levasseur, the Space Shuttle and International Space Station curator at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, joins us for a walkaround Space Shuttle Discovery in her home at the National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center. Jennifer tells us all about caring for objects as big as a Space Shuttle and as personal as the watches the astronauts wore to space. Join us for an out of this world episode! (Yes, I went there)-----------------------------------------------------🛫 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 Welcome to The Aviation Show2:09 Astronaut Food Myths Debunked4:50 Exploring the Legacy of Discovery8:37 The Care of Space Artifacts12:34 The Fragility of Shuttle Tiles16:07 The Role of Enterprise25:38 Insights into Shuttle Engines30:26 The Evolution of Space Lab34:05 Curating Iconic Space Artifacts37:48 Preserving Stories for Future Generations42:33 Celebrating Women in Space

🛫 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

The 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

Here 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

We are re-branding and broadening out! The Damcasters is no more, welcome to The Aviation Show. This video explains why I've changed the name and we also have a sneak preview of our #CentennialSeries of episodes, which we filmed in the USA in February. Exciting times!-----------------------------------------------------🛫 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👕Get your aviation on with 909 Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/-----------------------------------------------------The Aviation Show © 2025 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------

🛫Ben Smotherman was a B-17 pilot who was shot down on his 7th mission over occupied Europe in 1943. He was captured and ended up in the POW camp Stalag Luft III. While he was interned, he drew and painted his experiences in the camp. He also created the intrepid war correspondent Penny, the star of one of the camp newspapers comic strips. His daughter, astronaut Dr Jan Davis, joins us to tell us about her father through the pages of his war log.📖Get your copy of Air Born: Artistic Musings of a WWII Pilot and POW by Jan Davis from Ballast Books here: https://ballastbooks.com/purchase/air-born-artistic/📖Get your copy of Air Born: Two Generations in Flight by Jan Davis from Ballast Books here: https://ballastbooks.com/purchase/air-born/Visit Jan's website at: astronautjandavis.comFollow Jan on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/AstronautJanDavis/Follow Jan on X here: https://x.com/astro_jan-----------------------------------------------------🛫 Become a Damcasteer today 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/thedamcasters-----------------------------------------------------✈️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👕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-----------------------------------------------------0:01 Welcome to the Damcasters2:35 Meet Ben Smotherman20:30 Life in Stalag Luft III31:47 The Adventures of Penny44:22 The Journey Home47:10 Wrap Up

This week, we examine the mysterious crash of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator AL-523 on July 4, 1943, which claimed the life of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, the Polish Prime Minister in Exile. Chris Wroblewski and Garth Barnard, authors of the book "Sabotage! An In-Depth Investigation of the 1943 Liberator Crash that Killed Polish General Sikorski " join me to delve into the myriad of conspiracy theories that have surrounded this incident for decades and the theory my guests have to explain what happened.Buy Sabotage! An In-Depth Investigation of the 1943 Liberator Crash that Killed Polish General Sikorski from The Damcasters bookshop in the UK and support the show: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781911667902Follow the Sabotage! Facebook page for all the latest developments here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563813795339The Grub Street Publishing page for Sabotage! is: grubstreet.co.uk/product/sabotage-signed-copy/Garth's Twitter is: x.com/garthbarnardGarth's website can be found at: https://aviationresearch.my-free.website/Chris' LinkedIn is: www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wroblewski-62b0ba38/-----------------------------------------------------🛫 Become a Damcasteer today 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/thedamcasters-----------------------------------------------------✈️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👕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-----------------------------------------------------Chapters:0:00 Introduction2:27 The Begining of the Investigatio15:36 The B-24 Liberator Overview20:59 Sikorski's Last Evening27:15 The Pilot, Edward Prashal28:15 The Crash Events34:53 Conspiracy Theories Emerge43:39 Early Theories and Investigations46:39 Investigative Theories Evolve56:29 The Working Theory1:07:23 The Book and Its Insights1:11:04 Upcoming Episodes and Closing Remarks

🛫Join us as Joe Wilding helps us explore the store of the McDonnell-Douglas F-110A Spectre, which became the legendary F-4 Phantom II, filmed at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum. We have a look at how the lessons learned in the development of the F-101 Voodoo shaped what could be the perfect fighter aircraft.Find out more at the Wings Over the Rockies website: https://wingsmuseum.org/Check out their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@Wings_MuseumFollow them on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/wingsmuseum/-----------------------------------------------------🛫 Become a Damcasteer today 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/thedamcasters-----------------------------------------------------✈️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/@PimaAirSpaceMuseum👕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-----------------------------------------------------Chapters0:00 Introduction3:16 Design Features of the F412:41 Air Force Adaptations and Tail Hook14:26 Lessons Learned from the F418:51 The MiG-23: A Contemporary Comparison20:41 Final Thoughts on the F-101 and F-4

Joe Wilding returns to explore the rich history of the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo, filmed at the Wings Over the Rockies Museum. We discuss the significance of the F-101's twin-engine design, comparing it with other Century Series aircraft and shedding light on its influence on the F-4 Phantom's design.Find out more at the Wings Over the Rockies website: https://wingsmuseum.org/Check out their YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@Wings_MuseumFollow them on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/wingsmuseum/-----------------------------------------------------🛫 Become a Damcasteer today 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/thedamcasters-----------------------------------------------------✈️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/@PimaAirSpaceMuseum👕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-----------------------------------------------------Chapters0:00 Welcome to the Damcasters3:25 The F-101 Voodoo Uncovered10:15 Behind the Scenes at Wings Museum10:51 Unique Tail Features of the F-10115:12 Tail Layout vs. Performance23:51 Lessons Learned for the F-4