The Biber (“Beaver”) midget submarine was not Germany’s most successful weapon in WW2. Designed hastily in Feb 1944 in a bid to compensate for the horrendous losses in the U-boat fleet, and in anticipation of an imminent Allied invasion, the Biber was a cheap, one-man submarine, capable...
The Naval and Maritime Museum at Patriots Point is pretty spectacular and definitely worth a visit if you are in the neighbourhood. By ‘neighbourhood’ I mean pretty much anywhere on the central east coast of the continent! The largest exhibit by far is the aircraft carrier, USS...
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) opened its new ‘behind the scenes’ visitor centre last week in northern France. Most people are aware of the CWGC, particularly when they visit a CWGC cemetery or memorial, but they are perhaps not aware of what the CWGC does or...
Space Center Houston¹ re-opened the Apollo Mission Control Center to the public yesterday, after a two-year restoration programme. The mission control room, which was used during the Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle eras and became a National Historic Landmark in 1985, has been returned to the state it...
I’ve saved the best for last, in the Portsmouth/Gosport museum reviews. The Explosion! Museum of Naval Firepower may be the least well-known of the National Museum of the Royal Navy sites, but I think it’s the most interesting. Or, put another way, it’s the one I would...
The Airborne Museum at Sainte-Mère-Eglise is a ‘must see’ for those touring Normandy, and it’s usually one of the first or last stops on a tour of the Normandy beaches because it’s out there on the western flank, which is exactly why the US airborne forces set...
Heathrow’s expansion plan forms the basis for a 12-week statutory consultation starting today on the airport’s proposed expansion, including the new runway and other airport infrastructure such as a new Terminal 6, and road access. The public will also be able to have their say on plans...
The hugely successful HBO series Chernobyl has triggered a surge of interest in nuclear tourism, not only to the Ukraine¹, but also to Lithuania where much of the TV series was filmed and there is a sister-reactor. Just one year after the catastrophe in Ukraine, a second...
We reviewed the German battery at Grandcamp Maisy in Normandy, last year (Oct 2018), but I was in the neighbourhood in April, so I stopped by to have a look for myself. I spent a happy 40 minutes chatting to Dan Sterne, the owner (Gary)’s son, and...
The final train in Virgin Trains’ fleet of 56 Pendolinos was fitted with new hardware in May, giving customers access to free WIFI and to its onboard entertainment hub, BEAM. The new connectivity is part of a range of improvements to improve customer experience on Virgin Trains...
The German battery at Azeville north west of Utah Beach was supposed to be taken on D-Day itself. It was still firing on Utah on the morning of D+3 (9th June). Azeville is a little different to other batteries in Normandy in that you spend the first...
Apollopalooza is a week-long celebration commemorating the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 and the future of human space exploration, held by the Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum in Denver, Colorado between 17 – 20 July. Each day will feature a lineup of content punctuated...
Airbus is celebrating its 50th anniversary today at its headquarters in Toulouse, France. The European aircraft manufacturer was formed when the original Airbus partnership agreement was signed at the Paris air show on 29 May 1969, and the company is celebrating with a flypast of Airbus aircraft...
The newly renovated Army Flying Museum held its official re-opening yesterday with their patron, HRH Prince Michael of Kent as guest of honour. I wrote about the changes in March, but this event gave me a chance to actually see the new facilities and exhibits… and there’s...
This is a niche blog about technically-minded travel. It reflects my own interests in the mechanical, technical, historical, engineering, transport and military world.
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