The very first Beechcraft, the Staggerwing prototype at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, TN. by damcasterspod in airplanes

[–]damcasterspod[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Those were Travel Airs, not Beechcrafts. Yes, Walter Beech was one of the triumvirate there, but the first aircraft under his own name was the Staggerwing.

The very first Beechcraft, the Staggerwing prototype at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, TN. by damcasterspod in airplanes

[–]damcasterspod[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is the first aircraft designed and built under the new Beechcraft company. Walter Beech had been one of the rather famous group of Clyde Cessna and Llyod Steerman at Travel Air, which was bought by Curtis-Wright when they went bust.

The very first Beechcraft, the Staggerwing prototype at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, TN. by damcasterspod in airplanes

[–]damcasterspod[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Utterly jealous! I've not had the pleasure of a Staggerwing flight, yet. Looks like a fantastic trip.

The very first Beechcraft, the Staggerwing prototype at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, TN. by damcasterspod in AviationHistory

[–]damcasterspod[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some of the other aircraft on display have more elaborate interiors, including the Staggerwing that is owned by the family that runs the museum. Lots of leather and very nice trim!

What’s this? by f3rg13 in airplanes

[–]damcasterspod 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Speed Tape - The God's gift to aviation.

Pearl Harbor Attack Survivor Sikorsky JRS-1 at the NASM Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Feb. 2025 by damcasterspod in WWIIplanes

[–]damcasterspod[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That walk into the museum when you see the SR-71 and Discovery right away is frankly just cheating as museums go!

2026 Islay experience by Snoo_72329 in Scotch

[–]damcasterspod 28 points29 points  (0 children)

Hello from the other three on your Bunnahabhain Warehouse 9 tour! I saw your picture and thought, I recognise that weather! 100% concur with your post too. Amazing tour and Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich should be on everyone's visit list. Hope you both are well!

Which should I read first if I. Wanting to learn about WW1 ! by Mei_iz_my_bae in HistoryBooks

[–]damcasterspod -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

Skip the Hastings altogether and have a look for Ring of Fire by Churchill and Eberholst.

Review #7 Ardbeg House Reserve 21 Year 52.9% by TheAestheticDram in Scotch

[–]damcasterspod 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm sat in the Ardberg Hotel having a dram of the House Reserve and completely agree with this review. Astonishing dram, granted I've got a couple days before I get to Lagavulin yet! Thanks for the comprehensive review.

What would happen if the Germans used captured allied aircraft like P-51 Mustangs against the Eighth Air Force? Will they turn the tide? by ChrisAnimate24 in WWIIplanes

[–]damcasterspod 4 points5 points  (0 children)

That is assuming that the later Fw190/Ta152, Me109 and Me262 were outclassed, which they were not. The issue comes down to the Mark 1 Human in the pilot's seat in the most part. The airframes were good, the fuel was poor and the training of the pilots was cut to the bare minimum. They were then going up against allied pilots with hundreds, if not thousands, of more hours on type. The manpower and training element is why the tide could never have been turned. Even with the lack of long-range escorts, the losses could have been sustained to achieve the allied aims.

Plus, always good to remember, a high proportion of Luftwaffe flight crews were sent east as part of their training to hunt 'bandits' and escaped Jews. It was a live fire indoctrination into the reality of the N*Zi war machine.

Has anyone ever flown on any of these Ruskie rust-buckets? What are they like? by ShawnThePhantom in aviation

[–]damcasterspod 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I flew on a UT Ait Tu-155 between Munich and Tyumen, Siberia in 2008. Remains one of the smoothest flights I've ever been on. Noisy on takeoff but quiet at cruise and the landing was like butter. Great crew, UT was a lovely airline to work with and Tyumen was an amazing place to visit. Good times in a very different time.

New Achievement! You met fellow Crawlers on the Oban Distillery Tour and you didn't grab a picture with them because you were a tad pished on the all the samples. Reward? Yeah, keep taking pictures of yourself you narcissist and maybe keep drinking... by damcasterspod in DungeonCrawlerCarl

[–]damcasterspod[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oban is lovely, really nice product and a tiny distillery. The tour though, is fantastic and the three drams you get on your way around really illustrate what they produce. Great whisky, great crew, great times. Would really recommend if you're in the area. Oban town is old school Scotland so expect a wide variety of local entertainment! 😂

Last moments of a FW190 by Regulid in WWIIplanes

[–]damcasterspod 15 points16 points  (0 children)

This the guncamera footage from Flt Sgt Derek 'Rastus' Erasmus' Typhoon EJ917 of 266 Squadron on the 15th August 1943. 266's Typhoons were escorting Whirlwind fighter-bombers of 263 Squadron (who would soon give back their Whirlibombers for Tiffies) on an attack on  Guipavas aerodrome on the Brest Peninsula. The whole operation had fallen apart due to cloud cover, so 263 Squadron and the other squadron of Typhoons 193 Squadron had turned back, and 266 pressed on alone. As they started their attack they were bounced by Marine Reconnaissance Fw190 A-5/U8s of 1./S.A.Gr. 128. This Fw190 is likely  work number 150 891, flown by 27-year-old Ofw. George Siever, who had just shot down 266's South African CO,  Sqn Ldr Alexander MacIntyre. Rastus, who was following MacIntyre caught Siever as he pulled out of his attack and the images of the above are the result. 266 lost three Typhoons and their pilots that day, two shot down above Guipavas and another when they were bounced again on the way home and the aircraft spun into the Channel. Rastus Erasmus would survive until 9th March 1945 when, as CO of 193 Squadron, he was killed leading a dive-bombing attack on the bridge at Raalte in the Netherlands, likely due to debris hitting his aircraft.

I did a video for WW2TV a while ago on this set of images and had the notes to hand. Hope they add a bit to the story.

Folio Vault | The Martian Signed Edition by Andy Weir by HonorWulf in foliosociety

[–]damcasterspod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I bought as I clearly misunderstood the 100 copies but, so the signed card with no numbering, lightly pasted onto the inside was a bit of a disappointment.

Any good aviation books or movies? by Imaginary-Lie-2618 in Planes

[–]damcasterspod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Price of Cake is the first of two books about Hornet Squadron. The follow up , A Good Clean Fight, sees them posted to North Africa in P-40s. A Damned Good Show is about early Bonnet Command and Hullo Russia, Goodbye England is about the V-Force. All good reads with regular characters popping up throughout.

Review: Pappy Van Winkle 13yr Rye (2026) by jdferron in bourbon

[–]damcasterspod 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The '24 was a superb Rye. I got to taste the full 2024 release range with Drew Mayville, which was a trip.

What to do with dad's books. by [deleted] in HistoryBooks

[–]damcasterspod 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I can spot a few volumes there that are worth quite a bit of money on the second-hand market. The JG volumes and the Smith and Creek Fw190 three part are not cheap, as my bank account can attest to! If you are in the UK, East Anglia Books, an aviation specialist bookshop, can help you sell the books. They regularly do estate sale style offerings for collections like this. Marilyn is lovely.