The Damcasters - The Aviation History Podcast

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

Air Vice Marshall Don Bennett CB, CBE, DSO was a singular man. His story of leading the Path Finder Force in the Second World War has gone down in legend. But what led him to that command? Ian Campbell, curator of the Bennett/Vial Archive at the Queensland Air Museum, has published the first volume of his biography of Bennett, Relentless Skies, which is superb. Ian joins us to discuss Bennett's life and career as we look at the making of the man who would become one of the RAF's foremost commanders.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://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 © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Introduction01:43 The Author's Perspective05:33 Exploring Don's Early Life09:13 The Transition to Aviation12:02 The Challenge of Writing17:02 Understanding Don's Character19:28 The Relationship with Risk22:33 Capturing Don's Early Years26:08 The Path to Aviation Career36:24 The Arrival of Arthur Harris41:01 Achievements and Licenses43:17 Conclusion

How did cultural perceptions influence Western assessments of Japanese military potential? Justin Pyke joins us to discuss the Allies' capabilities assessments of Japan in the years before hostilities started in December 1941. Join us as we delve into the intelligence failures and misconceptions that contributed to the underestimation of Japanese air power leading up to World War II.Join us on BlueSky!Justin Pyke - https://bsky.app/profile/justinpykehistory.bsky.socialThe Damcasters - https://bsky.app/profile/damcasterspod.com-----------------------------------------------------🛫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://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 © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Intro and 100th Episode!02:44 Understanding Capability Assessments13:28 Japan's Aviation Development Post-WWI19:46 Role of Military Attachés in Intelligence28:05 Impact of Foreign Assistance on Japanese Aviation33:58 Cultural Perceptions and National Characteristics41:00 Conclusions on Pre-War Assessments51:54 Japanese Aviation Development in the 1930s59:15 Observations from the China Conflict1:10:04 Misconceptions and Intelligence Failures1:20:24 Outro

🛫Visit the Ekster website today via my partner link: https://partner.ekster.com/Damcasterspod and use my code THEDAMCASTERS to get up to a 55% discount in the Ekster Black Friday Sale!!!-----------------------------------------------------Join us for Part 2 of our look at the Combat Bullseye tests with author Chris Gibson. Phase 2 of Combat Bullseye would see the Covair B-58 Hustler used as a conventional bombing platform as both a pathfinder and solo bomber. But, another aircraft was looming on the horizon, the General Dynamics F-111A. This would be the Hustler's last chance to prove itself and be deployed to Southeast Asia.🛩️Check out The Aviation Historian here: https://www.theaviationhistorian.com/🛩️Buy Chris Gibson's latest book, They Also Served - RAF Reconnaissance and Support Projects since 1945 here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781800353084Head to the Boney Abroad Bookshop today! 10% of each sale (UK Only) goes to supporting the podcast: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/boneyabroad-----------------------------------------------------🛫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://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 © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Intro and Ekster Ad Read02:30 The Hustler as Formation Bomber08:16 The Hustler as Conventional Bomber20:01 Solving TAC's SEAD Problem25:19 B-1 Segway!30:37 Potential B-58 Deployment41:27 Wrap Up and Become a Damcasteer!

🛫Visit the Ekster website today via my partner link: https://partner.ekster.com/Damcasterspod and use my code THEDAMCASTERS to get up to a 55% discount in the Ekster Black Friday Sale!!!-----------------------------------------------------Join us for Part 1 of our look at the Combat Bullseye tests with author Chris Gibson. In 1967, the US Air Force's Tactical Air Command reached out to their counterpart in the Strategic Air Command for some help. Bombing results in North Vietnam were poor, and the F-4s, F-100s and F-105s were suffering losses. Could SAC's speedy Convair B-58 Hustler be the answer? The Combat Bullseye tests would find out. 🛩️Check out The Aviation Historian here: https://www.theaviationhistorian.com/🛩️Buy Chris Gibson's latest book, They Also Served - RAF Reconnaissance and Support Projects since 1945 here: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781800353084Head to the Boney Abroad Bookshop today! 10% of each sale (UK Only) goes to supporting the podcast: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/boneyabroad-----------------------------------------------------🛫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://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 © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Intro and Ekster Ad Read03:13 TAC's Situation in Vietnam08:40 Combat Bullseye Begins12:58 Enter The Hustler!22:18 The Birth of the Slime Light25:37 Fighting Together33:27 Preview of Part 2 - The Conventional Hustler

🛫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-----------------------------------------------------Welcome to a new show on The Damcasters, where Andy Wright of Aircrew Book Review and I will discuss the latest in aviation books!🛩️Check out the Aircrew Book Review site here: https://aircrewbookreview.blogspot.com/🛩️Join the Aircrew Book Review Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aircrewbookreview/🛩️Follow Andy on Twitter/X here: https://x.com/aircrewbookrevuBook Review 1 - Stanford Tuck by Helen DoeBook Review 2 - From Biplanes to Fast Jets by Ken AedyBook Review 3 - Solo 2 Darwin by Amanda HarrisonBook Review 4 - Admiral VAT Smith by Graeme LunnBook Preview - Relentless Skies by Ian CampbellHead to the Boney Abroad Bookshop to grab your copy of all the books we discussed today! 10% of each sale (UK Only) goes to supporting the podcast: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/boneyabroad-----------------------------------------------------✈️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 © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Intro02:22 What does a Book Editor Do?28:35 Book Review 1 - Stanford Tuck35:03 Book Review 2 - From Biplane to Fast Jets39:46 Book Review 3 - Solo 2 Darwin44:22 Book Review 4 - Admiral VAT Smith49:12 Book Preview - Relentless Skies58:30 Wrap Up

Join us for Part 3 of our series on Boeing's Fortresses, the evergreen B-52 Stratofortress!🛩️Watch all of our Boeing's Fortresses mini-series as they drop here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpytFew7euhmG92JX9NVUkl4ZbgZ7VmSU🛩️Check out Ben Skipper's first visit to The Damcasters on Civil Aviation's First 100 Years right here: https://www.thedamcasterspod.com/podcast/100-years-of-civil-aviation-with-ben-skipper/🛩️Buy Ben's Flight Craft books from Pen and Sword at The Damcasters Bookshop (UK Only) here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/boneyabroad👉Follow Ben on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/WriteBenSkipper👉Follow Ben on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/benskipper.bsky.social👉Visit Ben's Fallout Substack here: https://fallout.substack.com/ -----------------------------------------------------✈️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/-----------------------------------------------------🛫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-----------------------------------------------------The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Introduction03:31 The Road to the Forever Bomber23:33 The Sublime B-47 Stratojet45:45 The Competition from the B-156:37 The New Engines75:55 Conclusion to Boeing's Fortresses

Join us for Part 2 of our series on Boeing's Fortresses, the remarkable B-29 Superfortress! Ordered from Boeing's drawing board and costing $3b in 1940s money, the delivery system for the atomic bomb cost even more than the weapon itself. But that is only part of the remarkable tale Ben Skipper has to share with us.🛩️Catch all the Boeing's Fortresses Mini-Series as they drop here: https://www.thedamcasterspod.com/tag/boeing-fortresses/🛩️Check out Ben Skipper's first visit to The Damcasters on Civil Aviation's First 100 Years right here: https://www.thedamcasterspod.com/podcast/100-years-of-civil-aviation-with-ben-skipper/🛩️Buy Ben's Flight Craft books from Pen and Sword at The Damcasters Bookshop (UK Only) here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/boneyabroad👉Follow Ben on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/WriteBenSkipper👉Follow Ben on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/benskipper.bsky.social👉Visit Ben's Fallout Substack here: https://fallout.substack.com/ -----------------------------------------------------✈️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/-----------------------------------------------------🛫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-----------------------------------------------------The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Introduction02:12 The B-29's Origins08:58 Design Challenges13:52 Curtis LeMay Returns21:16 The Battle of Kansas24:20 Engine Issues and Production30:48 Flying The Hump34:17 Psychological Impact on Japan42:33 Special Weapons49:26 Hiroshima and Nagasaki63:27 Legacy of the B-29

Join us for Part 1 of our series on Boeing's Fortresses, the incredible B-17 Flying Fortress!🛩️Check out Ben Skipper's first visit to The Damcasters on Civil Aviation's First 100 Years right here: https://youtu.be/upQyb-yEvzc🛩️Catch all the Boeing's Fortresses Mini-Series as they drop here: https://www.thedamcasterspod.com/tag/boeing-fortresses/🛩️Buy Ben's Flight Craft books from Pen and Sword at The Damcasters Bookshop (UK Only) here: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/boneyabroad👉Follow Ben on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/WriteBenSkipper👉Follow Ben on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/benskipper.bsky.social👉Visit Ben's Fallout Substack here: https://fallout.substack.com/ -----------------------------------------------------✈️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 909Apparel today! Check out their website here: https://www.909apparel.com/-----------------------------------------------------🛫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-----------------------------------------------------The Damcasters © 2024 by Matt Bone is licensed under Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International-----------------------------------------------------00:00 Introduction06:09 The Flightcraft Series Explained10:12 The Road to the B-1716:07 The B-17 in RAF Service20:25 USAAF Arrives in England28:40 B-17 in Combat30:48 The B-17's Adaptability43:45 B-17 Variants50:13 The B-17's Legacy59:44 Conclusion and B-29 Teaser