The Aviation Show

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

✈️ This week, we examine the Wings Over the Rockies Museum's Rockwell B-1A Lancer in depth. Joe Wilding explains the differences between the B-1A and the operational B-1B and highlights the design changes made to the A-model to accommodate the evolving role that the B-model continues to fulfil today.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-----------------------------------------------------Chapters0:01 Introduction1:43 Exploring the B-1A Aircraft3:46 Transitioning to the B-1B5:45 Ejection Mechanisms Explained8:39 The Importance of Wing Design11:34 Overview of the Aircraft Structure17:04 Discussion on Bomb Bays27:32 Features and Capabilities of the B-129:35 Conclusion and Acknowledgments

✈️Stewart Bailey is the Curator of the Wings Over the Rockies museum in Denver, Colorado. Join us as he discusses Lowry Air Force Base's history and the Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum's amazing aircraft collection.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-----------------------------------------------------Chapters0:26 Introduction1:36 Stuart Bailey's Journey in Museums5:30 History of Lowry Air Force Base8:01 The Museum's Unique Aircraft Collection15:22 Challenges of Aircraft Curation17:42 Impact of COVID-19 on the Museum21:05 The Space Side of the Museum25:27 Apollo Boilerplate and Its History28:23 Hidden Gems in the Museum

Don Bennett was rated by the future Bomber Command boss, Arthur Harris, as "the most efficient airman" he had ever known. In part two of our chat with Bennett's biographer, Ian Campbell, curator of the Bennett/Vial Archive at the Queensland Air Museum, we get into the incredible record-breaking flights Don flew in Mercury and his return to the RAF at the outbreak of war.Relentless Skies: Volume 1 - The Most Efficient Airman (1910-1942) by Ian Campbell is out now! Buy your copy from The Damcasters bookshop and support the pod (UK only): https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781923020641-----------------------------------------------------🛫Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and a 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://www.twitter.com/pimaairhttps://www.youtube.com/c/PimaAirSpaceMuseum👕Get your aviation on with 909Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/-----------------------------------------------------The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Introduction01:57 The McPherson Trophy Race04:49 Meeting Ly, the Swiss Governess08:47 Leaving the RAF For Imperial Airways14:44 The Golden Age of Flying Boats18:28 The Mayo Composite Aircraft23:26 Record-Breaking Trans-Atlantic Flight28:04 The South Africa Record Attempt36:58 The North Atlantic Ferry43:09 Ian's Upcoming Talks45:40 Wrap and End of Year Thoughts