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From Balloons to Drones

@balloons2drones.bsky.social
1.6K followers 246 following 333 posts

Exploring the development of air power from the earliest days of flight to now and the future. Editors: Dr Ross Mahoney, Dr Maria Burczynska, Dr Mike Hankins, Dr Brian Laslie, Abby Whitlock and Luca Chadwick. balloonstodrones.com

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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
We publish review articles that examine the top ten books that have influenced writers on air power. To learn how to contribute to 'From Balloons to Drones,' visit our submissions page. balloonstodrones.com/submissions/ #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
Submissions
Established in 2016, From Balloons to Drones is an online scholarly platform that seeks to analyse and debate air power history, theory, and current operations in their broadest sense, including sp…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
#fromthearchives - #AirWarBooks by Dr Michael Hankins balloonstodrones.com/2021/09/22/a... #airpowerhistory #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
#AirWarBooks – Dr Michael Hankins
Editorial Note: In the next instalment of our Air War Books series, our Podcast Editor, Dr Michael Hankins, discusses the ten books that have influenced and shaped his writing as an air power histo…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
#fromthearchives - #BookReview – Eagles Over Husky: The Allied Air Forces in the Sicilian Campaign, 14 May to 17 August 1943. Reviewed by @brianlaslie.bsky.social balloonstodrones.com/2018/09/19/b... #airpowerhistory #WW2 #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
#BookReview – Eagles Over Husky: The Allied Air Forces in the Sicilian Campaign, 14 May to 17 August 1943
By Dr Brian Laslie Alexander Fitzgerald-Black, Eagles Over Husky: The Allied Air Forces in the Sicilian Campaign, 14 May to 17 August 1943. Solihull: Helion & Company, 2018. Images. Maps. Table…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
#FromtheArchives - #ReviewArticle – Bomber Command at War balloonstodrones.com/2025/09/16/r... #WW2 #airpowerhistory #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
#ReviewArticle – Bomber Command at War
Reviewed by Dr Dan Ellin Marcus Gibson, The Greatest Force: How RAF Bomber Command became the No.1 factor in Britain’s total, destructive defeat of Nazi Germany. York: Marcus Gibson, 2025. Illustra…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
#CallforSubmissions - From Balloons to Drones balloonstodrones.com/2023/02/04/c... #airpowerhistory #aviationhistory #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
Call for Submissions – From Balloons to Drones
Established in 2016, From Balloons to Drones is an online scholarly platform that analyses and debates air power history (including aviation history), theory, and contemporary operations in their b…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
#fromthearchives - #BookReview – Korean Air War: Sabres, Migs and Meteors, 1950-53 balloonstodrones.com/2022/09/14/b... #airpowerhistory #KoreanWar #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
#BookReview – Korean Air War: Sabres, Migs and Meteors, 1950-53
Michael Napier, Korean Air War: Sabres, Migs and Meteors, 1950-53. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2021. Images. Notes. Bibliography. Glossary. Appendices. Index. Hbk. 320pp. Reviewed by Dr Ross Mahoney…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
#fromthearchives - #ResearchNote - Wither Air Power Studies? balloonstodrones.com/2017/09/13/r... #airpowerstudies
balloonstodrones.com
#ResearchNote – Wither Air Power Studies?
By Dr Ross Mahoney I started writing this post several months ago, but for various reasons, it lay dormant until a recent Twitter exchange began with Brian Laslie. Brian suggested that Mark Clodfel…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
#fromthearchive - Blinded by the Rising Sun? American Intelligence Assessments of Japanese Air Power, 1920-41: Part 2 – 1930-1937 balloonstodrones.com/2017/08/29/b... #airpowerhistory #WW2
balloonstodrones.com
Blinded by the Rising Sun? American Intelligence Assessments of Japanese Air Power, 1920-41: Part 2 – 1930-1937
By Justin Pyke Editorial Note: In the second part of a three-part article, Justin Pyke examines American intelligence assessments of Japanese air power during the inter-war years. This second part …
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Call for Submissions - The Third Brother Revisited: The Development of the Royal Australian Air Force up to 1945 drrossmahoney.substack.com/p/call-for-s... #airpowerhistory #RAAF #plsRT
drrossmahoney.substack.com
Call for Submissions - The Third Brother Revisited: The Development of the Royal Australian Air Force up to 1945
A call for submissions for an edited volume on the development of the Royal Australian Air Force up to 1945
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Clearing the Skies for the Red Army – Part 2: The Destruction of Luftflotte IV balloonstodrones.com/2021/08/25/c... #airpowerhistory #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
Clearing the Skies for the Red Army – Part 2: The Destruction of Luftflotte IV
By Dr Luke Truxal Editorial Note: In the conclusion of a two-part series on the contribution of US air power to the conduct of the Second Iași-Chișinău Offensive, Dr Luke Truxal examines the role o…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Is there a need for an academic journal devoted to air power studies? drrossmahoney.substack.com/p/is-there-a... #airpowerstudies #airpowerhistory #plsRT
drrossmahoney.substack.com
Is there a need for an academic journal devoted to air power studies?
Do we need an academic journal dedicated to air power studies?
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Blinded by the Rising Sun? American Intelligence Assessments of Japanese Air Power, 1920-41: Part 1 – The 1920s balloonstodrones.com/2017/08/24/b... #airpowerhistory #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
Blinded by the Rising Sun? American Intelligence Assessments of Japanese Air Power, 1920-41: Part 1 – The 1920s
By Justin Pyke Editorial Note: In the first of a three-part article, Justin Pyke examines American intelligence assessments of Japanese air power during the inter-war years. This first part examine…
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Is there a need for an academic journal devoted to air power studies? drrossmahoney.substack.com/p/is-there-a... #airpowerstudies #plsRT
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
#ResearchNote - Project Suntan: The Huge Hydrogen Aircraft That Might Have Blown Up Southern California balloonstodrones.com/2023/08/23/r... #airpowerhistory #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
#ResearchNote – Project Suntan: The Huge Hydrogen Aircraft That Might Have Blown Up Southern California
By Dr Michael W. Hankins I am fascinated by aircraft designs that ‘could have been.’ Maybe it’s just my nostalgia for childhood drawings of imaginary aeroplanes, but I love looking at the concept f…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
#Commentary – How Iran’s Missiles Exposed the Achilles’ Heel of American Power balloonstodrones.com/2026/08/20/c... #airpower
balloonstodrones.com
#Commentary – How Iran’s Missiles Exposed the Achilles’ Heel of American Power
By Ayeza Areej On 28 February 2026, Iran launched Operation True Promise-4, a wave of ballistic missiles and drones into Israeli airspace. The strikes were launched in response to US and Israeli at…
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Don't forget to subscribe to my Substack to keep up to date with my musings about the history of air power.... drrossmahoney.substack.com #airpowerhistory
drrossmahoney.substack.com
Thoughts on Military History | Dr Ross Mahoney | Substack
This is the Substack of Dr Ross Mahoney. It serves as a platform for my reflections on various research projects, bibliographies, and book reviews related to my interests. Click to read Thoughts on Mi...
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Back in 2018, I put together a special edition of the 'British Journal of Military History' with Dr Michael Molkentin, focusing on the development of British air power during the First World War. It is open access. Check it out. journals.gold.ac.uk/index.php/bj... #airpowerhistory #plsRT
journals.gold.ac.uk
Vol. 4 No. 2 (2018) | British Journal for Military History
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Dr. Brian Laslie @brianlaslie.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
New from @universitypress.cambridge.org ! Book review @balloons2drones.bsky.social to follow!
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The English version of my article on the deployment of the RAAF to Southeast Asia in the 1960s has just been published by 'Vortex,' the journal of the French Air and Space Force. The French version appeared last month. www.calameo.com/cesa/books/0... #airpowerhistory
calameo.com
Vortex 10 En
N° 10 Vietnam: The Air War STUDIES ON AEROSPACE MILITARY POWER N°10 - JULY 2026 Vietnam: The Air War
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The Aviation Show @theaviation.show · 17/07/2026
I keep looking at the footage and images of the Blue Angel buzzing the beach at Pensacola and am left wondering, who is the more stupid? The pilot or the hundreds/thousands of commenters saying, "Do it again!" And of course, no action will be taken against the pilot. www.cbsnews.com/news/navys-b...
cbsnews.com
Navy's elite Blue Angels won't be reprimanded after video shows low flyover at Florida beach
The Blue Angels said an aircraft "flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas."
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
As Douglas later recollected in 1966, had 'there been an accident [...] it would have been a disaster of the greatest magnitude.' Douglas clearly learnt his lesson (as I suspect Park did). 4/4
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
On landing, Douglas assumed he would be praised. Instead, he rightly received a stern rebuke for his action from Air Marshal Sir Hugh Trenchard for endangering the 'lives of our royal guests.' 3/
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
At the first RAF Pageant at Hendon in 1920, the then Squadron Leader Sholto Douglas led a formation of 3 Handley-Page V/1500 four-engined bombers directly over the Royal Box. One of the aircraft was flown by Squadron Leader Keith Park. 2/
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
With all the furore over the Blue Angels display (and rightly so), I am reminded that mistakes of a technical or judgemental nature in formation flying are not new, and this is why stringent rules for their control exist. 1/
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Call for Submissions: Wither Air Power Studies? balloonstodrones.com/2026/01/13/c... #airpowerstudies #warstudies #CfP #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
Call for Submissions: Wither Air Power Studies?
2026 marks the 10th Anniversary of the establishment of From Balloons to Drones. To mark this anniversary, From Balloons to Drones plans to publish a series of articles examining the state of air p…
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
On 25 July, I will be talking at the 'Third Fort Lytton Military History Summit,' organised by the Queensland Military Historical Society. I will discuss how the death of Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, was treated in the official histories. #airpowerhistory #officialhistory #WW1 #plsRT
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Dan Ellin @danellin.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
I've not got round to it yet, no. I reviewed his book for @balloons2drones.bsky.social I'm not a fan. He's giving a talk at RAF Metheringham 29 July; I might go and ask some questions...
balloonstodrones.com
#ReviewArticle – Bomber Command at War
Reviewed by Dr Dan Ellin Marcus Gibson, The Greatest Force: How RAF Bomber Command became the No.1 factor in Britain’s total, destructive defeat of Nazi Germany. York: Marcus Gibson, 2025. Illustra…
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
#New #article - Learning Lessons: The Development of US Tactical Air Power and Air-to-Ground Coordination during the North African Campaign, 1942-1943 balloonstodrones.com/2026/07/02/l... #airpowerhistory #WW2 #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
Learning Lessons: The Development of US Tactical Air Power and Air-to-Ground Coordination during the North African Campaign, 1942-1943
By Major Darren Johnson During the Second World War, the United States (US) achieved success on the battlefield, largely due to its effective coordination of air and ground forces. The integration …
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean balloonstodrones.com/2026/06/19/t... #airpowerhistory #WW2 #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean
By Dr Ross Mahoney Editorial note: This article appears on the author’s website. It has been reproduced here with permission. D-Day, the Allied invasion of Europe in Normandy on 6 June 1944, has le…
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Well, my latest article on the deployment of the RAAF to Vietnam in the 1960s has just been published in French in 'Vortex,' the professional journal of the French Air and Space Force. The English version will be out shortly. Pleased to see this come to fruition! www.calameo.com/cesa/books/0...
calameo.com
Vortex 10 FR
N° 10 Vietnam : la guerre aérienne Études sur la puissance militaire aérospatiale N°10 - JUIN 2026 Vietnam : la guerre aérienne
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
It is 10 years since I established @balloons2drones.bsky.social. Thanks to all the editors, contributors and readers! balloonstodrones.com/2026/06/15/e...
balloonstodrones.com
#Editorial – From Balloons to Drones: 10 Years On
By Dr Ross Mahoney On this day ten years ago, From Balloons to Drones published its first post, an editorial announcing the new webzine. Since then, we have published a range of content, including …
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
#Editorial – From Balloons to Drones: 10 Years On balloonstodrones.com/2026/06/15/e... #airpower #airpowerhistory #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
#Editorial – From Balloons to Drones: 10 Years On
By Dr Ross Mahoney On this day ten years ago, Form Balloons to Drones published its first post, an editorial announcing the new webzine. Since then, we have published a range of content, including …
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
LinkedIn tells me it has been 10 years since I started @balloons2drones.bsky.social, though the first post went out on 15 June 2016. It has been a fun 10 years. Thank you to all our editors, contributors and readers. Hopefully, we have contributed to the field of #airpowerstudies.
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean open.substack.com/pub/drrossma...
open.substack.com
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean
A look at what the Royal Australian Air Force was doing in the Mediterranean as events unfolded in Northwest Europe on 6 June 1944.
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean drrossmahoney.substack.com/p/the-royal-... #airpowerhistory #dday #ww2 #RAAF #plsRT
drrossmahoney.substack.com
The Royal Australian Air Force on D-Day: Operations in the Mediterranean
A look at what the Royal Australian Air Force was doing in the Mediterranean as events unfolded in Northwest Europe on 6 June 1944.
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Got something to say about #airpower? Consider writing something for @balloons2drones.bsky.social! balloonstodrones.com/2023/02/04/c... #airpowerhistory #warstudies #MilHist #plsRT
balloonstodrones.com
Call for Submissions – From Balloons to Drones
Established in 2016, From Balloons to Drones is an online scholarly platform that analyses and debates air power history (including aviation history), theory, and contemporary operations in their b…
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Air War Books open.substack.com/pub/drrossma... #airpowerhistory #plsRT
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Justin Bronk @justin-br0nk.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
New report on Fast Jet Training Modernisation options and important factors to consider Based on almost two years of research work, including visits to many OCUs, training squadrons and flights in most of the main new trainer options. Download full report free here: www.rusi.org/explore-our-...
rusi.org
Fast-Jet Pilot Training Modernisation Choices
Air forces modernising fast-jet training should prioritise core airmanship skills with regular live flying over increasing tactical complexity at early stages.
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Don't forget to check out my new #Substack to follow my ramblings and rantings. It is mostly about #airpower, though occasionally I will delve into other areas. You can also subscribe to keep up to date. drrossmahoney.substack.com #airpowerhistory #MilHist #plsRT
drrossmahoney.substack.com
Thoughts on Military History | Dr Ross Mahoney | Substack
This is the Substack of Dr Ross Mahoney. It serves as a platform for my reflections on various research projects, bibliographies, and book reviews related to my interests. Click to read Thoughts on Mi...
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
The Role of History in Educating Air Power Strategists open.substack.com/pub/drrossma... #airpowerhistory #PME
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Justin Bronk @justin-br0nk.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
My latest on the UK’s purchase of GBU-53/B glide bombs for the RAF and the RN; and what it says about how best to increase effective combat mass to bolster UK and European ability to deter direct Russian aggression: www.rusi.org/explore-our-...
rusi.org
Order Missiles and Bombs to Increase European Combat Air Mass, Not Drones
The acquisition of glide bombs for the F-35B is a welcome and overdue way to efficiently increase practical UK combat air mass in a NATO context.
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
#BookReview – On the Wings of War and Peace balloonstodrones.com/2026/05/25/b... #RCAF #ColdWar #airpowerhistory
balloonstodrones.com
#BookReview – On the Wings of War and Peace
Reviewed by Dr Ross Mahoney Randall Wakelam, William March and Peter Rayls (eds.), On the Wings of War and Peace: The RCAF during the Early Cold War. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2023.…
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
The Historiography of Australian Air Power: Official Histories open.substack.com/pub/drrossma... #airpowerhistory #officialhistory
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
Chief of the Air Staff: What’s in a Name? open.substack.com/pub/drrossma... #airpowerhistory #RAAF
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
#Updated - Australian Air Power: A Bibliography drrossmahoney.substack.com/p/australian... #airpowerhistory #RAAF
drrossmahoney.substack.com
Australian Air Power: A Bibliography
Here you will find a bibliography based on my ongoing research into the history of Australian air power.
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From Balloons to Drones @balloons2drones.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
#BookReview – On the Wings of War and Peace balloonstodrones.com/2026/05/25/b... #RCAF #airpowerhistory #ColdWar
balloonstodrones.com
#BookReview – On the Wings of War and Peace
Reviewed by Dr Ross Mahoney Randall Wakelam, William March and Peter Rayls (eds.), On the Wings of War and Peace: The RCAF during the Early Cold War. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press, 2023.…
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Newark Air Museum @newarkairmuseum.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
A #NAMrestoration update photo from yesterday of the Blue Steel missile in the #NAMworkshop Plus a new #Draken display panel in #NAMHangar1 #UnleashTheDraken
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 25/05/2026
The Royal Australian Air Force Goes to War in Korea open.substack.com/pub/drrossma... #airpowerhistory #RAAF #KoreanWar #plsRT
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
Check out my new #substack page (I have brought back the name of my original website, 'Thoughts on Military History'). Expect articles and book reviews. Please take a moment to take a look and subscribe. drrossmahoney.substack.com #militaryhistory #airpowerhistory #plsRT
drrossmahoney.substack.com
Thoughts on Military History | Dr Ross Mahoney | Substack
This is the Substack of Dr Ross Mahoney. It serves as a platform for my reflections on various research projects, bibliographies, and book reviews related to my interests. Click to read Thoughts on Mi...
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Dr Ross Mahoney @airpowerhistory.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Air Vice-Marshal Professor R.A. ‘Tony’ Mason – A Reflection open.substack.com/pub/drrossma...
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