Few modern aircraft capture the attention of the hardened AVGeek more than the Rockwell B-1B Lancer bomber. Kenneth P. Katz is an Air Force Veteran and career aerospace engineer, and he joins me to discuss his new book, the lavishly illustrated The Supers
It is rare when you are doomscrolling Instagram that you find something truly wonderful. Out at Culver Props in Rolla, Missouri, Alaina Lewis makes wooden propellers and finding her on Instagram was a balm in a dark time. Seeing the incredible skill that
Out in Bemidji, Minnesota, AirCorps return fighters to the skies. In their Library is the more remarkable treasure trove of original documentation, including the horde of North American Aviation drawings saved by Ken Jungeberg. The Library’s manager, Este
The RAF’s journey to the fighting force that would go down in legend was one fraught with politics, blind alleys and hubris. In his new book, Rearming the RAF for the Second World War, Adrian Phillips looks at the failures and successes as the RAF raced t
Author and Historian James M. Scott joins me to discuss the horrific early hours of the 10th March 1945 when Tokyo was firebombed by a force of USAAF B-29 Super Fortresses. In one night, 16 square miles were incinerated, and more than 100,000 men, women,
For just about two years, I had the privilege of working with Alex Churchill, Zack White and the History Hack team making podcasts. During that time, I hosted 22 episodes of the Second World War aviation show Hedge Hopping. You can find them all here.
To see in the dark and to hit their target was the challenge Bomber Command faced in the Second World War. To see in the dark and stay hidden only complicated matters more. In Will Iredale latest book, The Pathfinders, he paints a vivid of the force set up to guide Bomber Command’s squadrons to their targets in Occupied Europe. The Pathfinders is a superior narrative history that pays the respect that is due and to the price that was paid.
The Strategic Bombing campaign of the Second World War is still one of the most controversial subjects of that conflict 80 years on. The destruction wrought upon hundreds of cities from Coventry to Tokyo brought the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, The Bomber Mafia, looks at the titular group of USAAF thinkers who believed that they had the tools at their disposal to bring high-altitude precision bombing to a realisation.
Perhaps, but perhaps your civilization is merely the sewer of an even greater society above you! I feel like I was mauled by Jesus. Stop! Don’t shoot fire stick in space canoe! Cause explosive decompression!…