The Damcasters - The Aviation History Podcast

19/02/2025

18/02/2025

18/02/2025

This evening, 34 years ago, Jon Boyd was about to fly his first combat mission in his F-117A Stealth Fighter on night two of Operation Desert Storm. His reading into the "Black Jet" program is wild and includes a 16mm film. Really.

Jon Boyd also showed us around the aircraft he flew that night, F-117A Nighthawk 84-0810 'Dark Angel', which is being prepared for display at the Pima Air and Space Museum.

Check out our full interview here: https://youtu.be/yioUr7ESl-0
Watch that walkaround chat here: https://youtu.be/XkE2WmefZSY

17/02/2025

We got a nice rainbow over the Philippine Mars C-FLYK at Lake Pleasant, AZ.

17/02/2025

Today during our Air Legends Foundation participation in Laredo’s WBCA Air Show, our Douglas A-20 Havoc was forced to make an emergency landing. Because of the quick actions of longtime and well-respected warbird pilot, Stewart Dawson, the plane made it back to the airfield with no casualties. Stewart is in stable condition at a local hospital.

16/02/2025

Ben Smotherman was a B-17 and YB-40 pilot in the 8th Air Force. Shot down on his 7th mission over Germany, he took last minute avoiding action so that his crippled Fly Fortress would not crash into Dutch houses. Interned in Stalag Luft III, he filled his War Log with watercolours and portraits of his fellow POWs. He also created the intrepid Penny for the camp newspaper. Penny's adventures would prove a hit and Ben would wrap the comic strips around him during the forced match in the winter of 1945. His daughter, Astronaut Jan Davis joined us to tell her Dad's story. Check out our latest video for more!

🎬 https://youtu.be/wYl7KI7-5Fo
🎧 https://www.thedamcasterspod.com/podcast/the-cartoonist-of-stalag-luft-iii/

14/02/2025

in 1945, the US 8th Air Force arrived in the skies over Dresden. For two Bomb Groups, the 398th and 91st, they would have a very bad day. They bombed Prague by mistake. This is the story of the 398th Bomb Group's mission, available to all Patreon members Free and above.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/day-8th-air-and-122260941?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link



B-17G 44-8771 3O-B of 398th Bomb Group piloted by Lt. R.E. Steele of the 601st Squadron, flying as the lead aircraft for the 603rd Squadron on 14th Feb 1945. Lt. Bob Welty took this original colour photo. Photo: 398th Bomb Group Memorial Association

13/02/2025

Astronaut Jan Davis' father, Ben Smotherman, was a B-17 and YB-40 pilot during WW2. Shot down on his 7th mission, Ben was sent to Stalag Luft III where the artist-pilot created the Penny comic strip, a comic strip he would save through the infamous forces march of 1945. Join us as Jan tells us about her father's experience and introduces us to Penny.

📺 https://youtu.be/wYl7KI7-5Fo
🎧 https://www.thedamcasterspod.com/podcast/the-cartoonist-of-stalag-luft-iii/

Brought to you in association with the Pima Air and Space Museum.

12/02/2025

“Final Flight of the Martin Mars” video incoming. Thanks to Coulson Aviation for this highlight of the journey.

12/02/2025

11/02/2025

Our 99th episode is now available on Patreon for our fab supporters. Astronaut Jan Davis joins us to discuss her father's experience in Stalag Luft III and the comic strip he created and saved. Sign up now to learn about the show's upcoming changes!

https://www.patreon.com/thedamcasters

11/02/2025

So, how did The Royal Air Force Museum London end up with a Hawker Typhoon? Well, they swapped a Hurricane for it! In the late 1960s, Hurricane IIc LF686 was swapped with the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution for Hawker Typhoon MN235. LF686 was stored for decades before being restored and is now on display in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center.

Image: Hawker Hurricane IIc LF686 on display in the National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Washington, DC. In the background, B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay is visible. Photo - Matt Bone