Father and daughter team David and Lindsey Goss run one of the world's leading warbird restoration and maintenance companies, GossHawk Unlimited. Back in February, they kindly welcomed us to have a tour around the shop, learn about how GossHawk came about and, this week, what goes into rebuilding Focke-Wulf Fw-190s. Next week, we tour the world's last airworthy Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer. Watch the video version on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/KxTgQ_XbMbI ★Visit the GossHawk...

When filmmaker Mary Haverstick started pre-production on a film about the Mercury 13, which selected and tested women for spaceflight, she knew the key was the legendary Jerrie Cobb. Mary's relationship with Cobb led to her uncovering much more about the aviator and a trail that led to the CIA and the Kennedy assassination. Mary's 10-year journey resulted in her book, A Woman I Know, which chronicles her journey to uncover the secrets held by a very secretive woman. ★Buy A Woman I Know:...

SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy, was a joint program by NASA and the German Space Agency at DLR which put a 2.5m reflecting telescope in the back of an ex-Pan Am Beoing 747SP. Dr Dörte Mehlert, head of education and public relations at the German SOFIA Institute (DSI), joins us to take us through the incredible discoveries SOFIA made. ★NASA's SOFIA Mission Page: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/sofia ★Deutsches SOFIA Institut (DSI) Mission Page:...

The oldest Boeing B-52 Stratoforetress in the world, 52-0003 "The High and Mighty One", has just been lovingly restored at the Pima Air and Space Museum and is now on public display once again. On our recent visit, Matt and aircraft designer Joe Wilding (who is also a fabulous Damcasteer on Patreon) were allowed to crawl around the aircraft and check out the time capsule that is the X-15 Mothership. Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below: ★Visit the Pima...

On the 80th Anniversary of the last major RAF Bomber Command attack on Aachen (11/12 April 1944), Dr Philip Blood returns to discuss the raid that lasted all of 7 minutes. For those on the ground, it would be seven minutes in hell. Phil takes us through the raid and the implications of the orders for it, as well as the wider context that has become a major part of his new book, War Comes to Aachen. ★Follow Phil on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/HistorianBlood ★Phil's Academea.edu page with...

Convair's B-36 Peacemaker was intended as an intercontinental bomber and was the size of a small continent. Join us for this bonus episode as the Pima Air and Space Museum's CEO, Scott Marchand, as he tells us the tale behind the museum's monstrous B-36J 52-2827 “City of Fort Worth”. Get the latest from 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 Missile Museum here:...

We return to the 390th Bomb Group Memorial Museum to tour their Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress 'I'll Be Around' with the museum's Business and Operation Manager Alex Chambers and Executive Director Bill Buckingham. While this B-17 didn't see combat, her service history makes her a unique survivor. We then head upstairs with Director of Archives and Collections Keith Cook to check out the museum's remarkable collection of original A-2 flying jackets from the men of the 390th Bomb Group. ★Be sure...

This week, we explore the fascinating background of aircraft that have undergone restoration, rebuild, or are newly built, focusing on their representation in museums and the complexity of their historical authenticity. We highlight the stories of four specific aircraft in the museum's collection: the Bristol Bolingbroke, the Curtiss P-40E Warhawk, a P-51 Mustang, a Hawker Hurricane and a B-24J Liberator named 'Star of India.' With each aircraft, Pima's CEO Scott Marchand and Director of...

Friend of the show Joe Wilding returns to discuss the first aircraft we worked on as an aircraft designer, the Adam A500. Conceived as a composite business aircraft, Joe takes us through the process that went into the design and the features, and issues, the aircraft faced. Images: Erik Johnson ★Follow Joe on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/joe_wilding ★Check out 909 Apparel's full range of great aviation-themed t-shirts, hoodies and more here: https://linktr.ee/909apparelco Get the latest...

Pima's Director of Collections, Andrew Boehly, takes us on an in-depth look at the Pima Air and Space Museum's vast collection and brings out some of the hidden gems of the Pima collection. Also, Boney realises he's been doing something silly... ★Check out 909 Apparel's full range of great aviation-themed t-shirts, hoodies and more here: https://linktr.ee/909apparelco Get the latest from the Pima Air and Space Museum through the links below: ★Visit the Pima Air and Space Museum’s website...

The Focke-Wulf Fw 200 Condor was a savage airliner. Kurt Tank's elegant design evolved from a luxurious civil aircraft into a feared maritime reconnaissance bomber and transport aircraft. Naval air historian Matthew Willis joins us to look at the operational life and legacy of the Condor. ★Buy Matt's book, Eagles of the Luftwaffe: Focke-Wulf Fw 200, at The Damcasters Bookshop. 10% of each sale goes to supporting the podcast: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/11015/9781911658658 ★Follow Matt on...

Welcome to the SPOILER FREE Damcasters review of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hank's new Apple TV+ war series, Masters of the Air. In this review, Boney looks at the first two episodes, out on the 26th January, and his feelings about the series. Get subscribed for episode deep dives each week! Many thanks to the Apple TV UK Press Team for all their help. ★ Sign up for Apple TV+ here or via the app: https://tv.apple.com/ ★Check out 909 Apparel's full range of great aviation-themed t-shirts,...

War historian James Rogers joins us to discuss his new book, Precision: A History of American Warfare, as we look into what precision actually means and what lengths have been gone to achieve it over the last 100 years. ★ Follow James on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/jamesrogershistory/ Check out James' website at: https://www.jamespattonrogers.com/ Buy Precision: A History of American Warfare at the Manchester University Press shop here. Use code WARFARE30 for 30% off:...

How has the portrayal of the fighter pilot on film reflected and refined the image of the pilot we know today? Military historian Abby Whitlock joins us as we look at the OG flying films Wings (1927), Howard Hughes' Hell's Angels (1930) both Dawn Patrols (1930 and 1938) and Aces High (1976) to see how the First World War in the air shaped the image of the fighter pilot down to Top Gun and Blackadder. ★Check out 909 Apparel's full range of great aviation-themed t-shirts, hoodies and more here:...

Host Matt Bone tackles a variety of topics from a different perspective, adopting an 'Ask Me Anything' format. Following a brief discussion about delayed scheduling and cyberpunk 2077, Matt responds to listeners' questions via Patreon and Twitter. The conversation ranges from general queries about Matt's background and interest in the Typhoon to more complex queries about his research for the podcast episodes. ★Check out 909 Apperal's full range of great aviation-themed t-shirts, hoodies and...

We are back! It is a new year, and I'd love your feedback as the planning spreadsheet gets filled up. There are also updates to our Patreon levels, so now is a great time to become a Damcasteer! Plus, with Masters of the Air mere weeks away, we highlight a great novel of the 8th Air Force, Robert Radcliffe's Under An English Heaven. ★Become a Damcasteer today on Patreon! Join from just £3+VAT a month to get ad-free episodes, chat with Matt and grab some merch. Click here below for more info:...

Historian John Concagh joins us to look at the experience of Black volunteers in the RAF in the Second World War. This episode delves into the experiences of Black West African and Caribbean volunteers in the RAF during WWII. John explains their hardships, victories, and post-war influence in their home countries' fight for independence. ★Follow John on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/BadSocialism ★Follow John on Bluesky at: https://bsky.app/profile/badsocialism.bsky.social ★Check out John's...

Dr Kit Chapman, a science historian from Falmouth University, takes us into the historical context and significance of atomic cloud sampling, a dangerous method employed during the Cold War era. The focus is on the Ivy Mike nuclear test in 1952, where pilots flew into a thermonuclear bomb cloud to gather data, contributing to element discovery and the development of atomic science. The ramifications and loss experienced due to this risky operation are also discussed, shedding light on the...

The Convair B-58 Hustler is regarded as one of the USAF's missteps in strategic bomber design from the 1950s and 60s. The claims that it was expensive and dangerous to fly led to its removal from service in the 1970s in favour of the Boeing B-52. But is that really the case? Former B-58 Navigator/Bombardier Col. Geroge Holt Jr. Rtd. joins us to reflect on his time on the Hustler and do some well-needed myth-busting. ★You can buy George's book, The B-58 Blunder: How the U.S. Abandoned its Best...

Paul Crickmore has been chronicling the story of the Lockheed Blackbird family of aircraft, the A-12, YF-12 and SR71, for over 35 years. Paul has had incredible access to the designers, maintainers and pilots of the Blackbird over the years. Paul joins us today to tell us some of the stories he has captured in his final book, Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Mission - The Missing Chapters, which is out in the UK on the 23rd November and the 5th December in the US and Canada. ★You can buy...

Mélanie Astles is a remarkable aerobatics pilot, is also the only woman to have won a Red Bull Air Race event at Indianapolis in 2017 and has just placed 5th at the World Advanced Aerobatic Championships in Las Vegas for Team GB. A passionate advocate for aviation and an ambassador for the Pima Air and Space Museum, it worked out that when Mel popped into the Museum last week, she found the time to chat with me about her life in aviation and just what goes into making her aircraft defy the...

Following their eventful dropping of the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions on D-Day, the IX Troop Carrier Command's C-47s were not ideal. Historian Adam Berry joins us to discuss the resupply operations in Normandy, the incredible medical evacuation flights, Operation Dragoon and the resupply of the 101st in Bastogne as we look at what the IX TCC did next. ★You can follow Adam on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/Agrbez  ★You can follow Adam on BlueSky here:...

Friend of the show, historian James Jefferies joins us to discuss the much maligned Bristol Blenheim. When the aircraft was developed, the Blenheim was faster than the RAF's latest fighters. But, come the outbreak of war, fighter design and the environment the Blenheim would be operating in would be very different. So, was the Blenheim really that bad? James tries to convince us otherwise. . ★You can follow James on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/jamesjhistory ★You can follow James on...

Amelia Earhart looms large in aviation history, but she was one of a cohort of incredible female flyers in 1920s America who fought hard to break the mould and show that they could out-fly and out-race the men at their own game and, in Louise Thaden, would claim their highest prize. In Fly Girls, New York Times bestselling author Keith O'Brien looks at this remarkable group of women who took to the skies and opened the throttle like no woman had before. - ★In the UK, you can buy Fly Girls at...