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And here's one IRL. This is the 1929 Travel Air 4000 in which Louise Thaden won the x-country air race known (annoyingly) as the Powder Puff Derby. (Pic by me, at the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita.)

Blue and brown single-engined biplane displayed on the floor in a museum gallery. Unfaired fixed main gear, cowled radial engine, 2 bladed prop. PoV 10 o'clock level.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 28/09/2026

Here's a pic (by me) of the SPAD XIII displayed in the "FWW in the Air" gallery at NASM's museum on the Mall in DC. It was flown in combat by US ace Ray Brooks, who gained the last 2 of his 6 victories in her.

Biplane suspended in a museum gallery. Overall o.d. color, US FWW roundels on lower wing undersides, r/w/b vert stripes on rudder. Red numeral 20 and sqdrn insig (wht star on circ blue field w/ red comet tail) on fuselage.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 24/09/2026

Ahoy, @alixeharrow.bsky.social, see what my excellent county librarian has lent me. I'm a bit of a foreign visitor here as I don't usually read in the "fantasy" pile. But, hey the Rocket and all...looks pretty good, think I'll have a go. Will check back in a couple days.

Cover of Alix Harrow's Hugo-winning "The Everlasting". Ornate graphic of a sword, vertical with a single watchful eye and surrounding wreath of leaves. Overall autumnal colors. Pull quote: An utter masterpiece...I loved every single page.-Rachel Gillis

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 22/09/2026

What was your first computer growing up?

A K&E slide rule in good conditon for being about 60 years old.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 22/09/2026

That's CHICAGO pictured, on floats. Here's a recent pic of her (by me), displayed on wheels in the Pioneers of Flight Gallery at NASM's museum on the Mall in DC:

Large single-engined biplane; mostly o.d. with silver cowl. Interwar US roundel insignia on underside of lower left wing. White # 2 on rear fuselage. p.o.v. is 10 o'clock low. Yellow Piper Cub visible behind.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 20/09/2026

Quote this with a picture of the aircraft you'll accept as a bribe.

Yellow Beech Staggerwing biplane in Goodyear livery. Displayed in a museum.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 14/09/2026

Ahoy, @naomikritzer.bsky.social, look what my county librarian has lent to me (after a too-long delay between request and availability☹️; I've gotten spoiled). Anyway, so glad to have it now, will check back in a couple days.

Cover of "Obstetrix" by Naomi Kritzer. Graphic: A hypodermic syringe upright, sharp pointing down. It casts a false shadow on the pink background. The shadow has the shape of a Christian cross. Low to the right a quote in faded, barely visible white says "O Lord, deliver us."

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 07/09/2026

Ahoy, @johnchu.bsky.social, look what my esteemed county librarian has lent to me. It looks very cool; I'll cycle back in a few days after I've digested it.

Cover of "The Subtle Art of Folding Space" by John Chu. Pull quote: "A work of crystalline vision and meticulous humanity."-Max Gladstone Graphic: Asian restaurant vessels arranged vertically, holding dumplings at top and planets at bottom; two hands wield chopsticks. Blue background.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 06/09/2026

Ahoy, @lauriestories.bsky.social, look what was seen in the wild today at Barnes & Noble in Tysons Corner, VA. Prominent front-facing display in front-of-store non-fiction, and on sale to boot! Nice to see strong merchandising for such a fine book.

Bookstore shelf showing Laurie Gwen Shapiro's "The Aviator and the Showman" prominently displayed.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 06/09/2026

Ahoy, @vermontgmg.bsky.social, look what was seen in the wild today at Barnes & Noble in Tysons Corner, VA. Seems B&N has an eye on the calendar and your backlist is working for you. Prominent display in front-of-store non-fiction. Nice to see good merchandising for a very fine book.

Bookstore shelf with Garrett Graff's "The Only Plane in the Sky" displayed prominently.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 06/09/2026

Ahoy, @alanallport.bsky.social, look what was seen in the wild today at Barnes & Noble in Tysons Corner, VA. Front-facing display in the "New & Notable Non-Fiction" at front of store. Very nice merchandising for a very fine book.

Bookstore shelf showing Alan Allport's "Advance Britannia" on prominent display.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 04/09/2026

"Alles Kaputt" was Col. Hal Watson's squadron hack during Opertion Lusty as he scoured Europe "liberating" advanced German aircraft. Sad it wasn't preserved. (Ref: "American Raiders" by Col. Wolf Samuels, UPress of MS 2004)

Cover of AMERICAN RAIDERS by Wolfgang W.E. Samuel. Subtitle: The Race to Capture the Luftwaffe's Secrets. Graphic: B&W pic of a bunch of GIs swarming over a forlorn looking captured Me-262.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 01/09/2026

Cy Bettis won the '25 Pulitzer race flying this Curtiss R3C (pic by me) now displayed (on floats in its Schneider Trophy config - it was on wheels for the Pulitzer) in the NASM Mall building in DC. (1/2)

Racing biplane suspended in museum gallery. On floats, race number 3 on fuselage, AAF interwar insignia on underside of lower wing. Seen nose to left, p.o.v. 9 o'clock low.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 20/08/2026

Curtiss R3C-2, as currently displayed in the Pioneers of Flight Gallery on th Mall in DC. Won the '25 Schneider Trophy race piloted by Lt. J.H. Doolittle. Entered in '26 but didn't win. (Pic by me, Aug 2025)

Small black biplane on floats suspended in a museum gallery. P.o.V. is 9 o'clock low.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 17/08/2026

To this point, here is the Bf-109G-6/R3 as displayed in NASMs recently opened WW2 in the Air gallery. This is an updated paint scheme, as recent scholarship has revealed more about the a/c's provenance than was known as of the old display. Max effort on historic accuracy here.

Messerschmitt Bf-109G for museum display, in Luftwaffe camouflage paint scheme with original iconography (i.e., swastika and balkenkreuz) shown. Right side view, about 3 o'clock level p.o.v.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 17/08/2026

Ahoy, @jessicagolds.bsky.social, look what my excellent county librarian has lent to me! Three chapters in, having a delightful read thusfar; will check back in a couple of days.

Cover of "Retro", Jessica Goldstein's novel. Pull quote says "Puts a fresh spin on the time travel genre - shrewd, witty and original". Graphic shows an undulating pathway of multi-colored lines and curves against a black background spangled with small golden stars.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 16/08/2026

On just that topic, do read @dougmost.bsky.social 's fine book "Launching Liberty".

Cover of "Launching Liberty" by Doug Most, showing bow-on view of a Liberty Ship about to be launched. Subtitle reads: "The epic race to build the ships that took America to war"

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 14/08/2026

Great photo. The airplane can be seen at the Museum of the USAF in Dayton, OH. (pic by me, Sep '17)

Silver 4 engined bomber on museum floor.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 05/08/2026

Here's the XF-92A as displayed at the Museum of the USAF in Dayton. (pic by me, Sep 2017)(Nice thread, Thanos. Thanks!)

Smaii white airplane on museum display. Round nose intake; rounded canopy; delta vert stab; mid-mount wing. POV: 1 o'clock level. USAF insignia on fuselage fwd of wing. Labeled XF-92A in small black characters.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 03/08/2026

The #2 X-15 is now displayed at the Museum of the USAF in Dayton, OH. (Pic by me, Sep '17)

Black rocket-plane in museum shown from 2 o'clock level, big whte supersonic bomber in background.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 01/08/2026

Started reading Jon Parshall's "1942: The Crux of War" (thanks, esteemed county librarian!). So far, so terrific. Stats: 1,105 pgs not counting notes, biblio., index. Weight 4 lb, 14 oz. List $45, a bargain! (Do look at the lines below that I copied from the pub data page. Really!! I love this guy.)

Cover of Jon Parshall's "1942: The Crux of War". Graphics include charging infantry, a dive bomber, tanks, an aircraft carrier.

Text copied from pub. data page of Jon Parshall's "1942: The Crux of War"; "Illustrated, designed and typeset [!!!] by Jonathan Parshall" (he *TYPESET* his own book!...and "No artificial intelligence was used in the research and writing of this book. (And it probably shows.)" Hah!

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 31/07/2026

I like the B-36 just fine, but the B-47 was both gorgeous and incredibly influential. With its swept wing and podded under-wing jets, it's the direct ancestrr of almost all the air-transport aircraft flying now. (Pic by me, back in May)

Lovely B-47 parked at KS Aviation Mus. in Wichita.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 27/07/2026

Ahoy, @doctorow.pluralistic.net, look what I've got from my excellent county librarian. Looks like a treat; I'll be back about it in a day or two (good train-reading time today).

Cover of Cory Doctorow's "The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI". Subtitle: How to think about AI - Before it's too late. Graphic: White background; model figure of a standing nude human from feet up to waist that then transitions into an equine head; it stands on broken plate glass.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 21/07/2026

Ahoy, @marthawells.com, look what I've *finally* got from my excellent county librarian after weeks(!) in the queue (there are 5 copies circulating, but I was tardy & wound up in a long line.☹️) Anyway, into it tonight, will check back in a couple of days to enthuse about it.

Cover of Platform Decay: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Pull quote: Light, a little violent, and laugh-out-loud hilarious."- the WSJ re: the older "System Collapse". Graphic: Space-suited humanoid form appears splayed in a dark vacuum.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 18/07/2026

Saw this one in Wichita a month or so ago:

Weinermobile parked in front of a brick bldg.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 04/07/2026

70 years ago today, 4 July 1956, CIA pilot Hervey Stockman flew the first mission in the Agency's USSR overflight program in this Lockheed U-2C that's now displayed in NASMs museum on the Mall in DC at the entry to the new Modern Military Aviation gallery (opens in Nov.)(pic by me)

Jet airplane suspended in a museum. Buff & blue camo paint with USAF insignia Viry high aspect ratio straight wing. POV from 10 o'clock low.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 01/07/2026

Nice pic of Neil. That is X-15 #1 behind him; coming up on 70 y.o., it is lovingly displayed in the Milestones of Flight gallery at NASMs museum on the Mall in DC. (pic by me)

Sleek black rocket-plane suspended in a museum. Letters USAF on wing. POV is 10 o'clock, v. low.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 30/06/2026

Ahoy, @korystamper.bsky.social, after a bit of a wait, look what my esteemed county librarian has lent to me! Having enjoyed Word by Word so much, I look forward to delving into it this evening; I expect it'll be fascinating. (Will watch for the "twist".)

Cover of True Color by Kory Stamper. Subtitle: The Strange and Spectacular Quest to Define Color-from Azure to Zinc Pink. Pull quote: Wildly entertaining and bountifully informative. I couldn't have enjoyed myself more. - Benjamin Dreyer. Graphic: On an off-white background, an array of a dozen rectangular layered color samples, credited as a clothing color-sample chart.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 27/06/2026

Ahoy, @edashtonwriting.bsky.social, my excellent county librarian has lent this to me. Very much looking forward to diving into it this evening; will check back anon.

Cover of The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton. Graphic shows an isolated figure on a rugged landscape looking on several sharp rocky spires that rise cathedral-like silhouetted against an orange sci-fi sky.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 21/06/2026

I get to admire this every week. (pic by me)

A large model of the Enterprise from Star Trek, illuminated and mounted in a museum display case.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 19/06/2026

Here's my favorite (pic by me), the Curtiss R3C. Winner of the '25 Schneider Trophy race piloted by Lt. J. H. Doolittle. A short time earlier (and fitted with wheels) it won the '25 Pulitzer Cup race piloted by Lt. Cy Bettis. Displayed in Pioneers of Flight gallery at NASMs museum on the Mall in DC.

A small black biplane on floats suspunded for display in a museum gallery. POV 9 o'clock low. Interwar US air corps roundel on underside of left wing; race number "3" in white on aft fuselage.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 09/06/2026

Ahoy, @lmbd1418.bsky.social, see what my excellent county librarian has acquired at my urging, and lent to me this day. It looks terrific; I'm looking forward to diving in tonight & will check back in a few days.

Cover of "Jungle Commandos" by Lucy Betteridge-Dyson. Subtitle: The Battle for Arakan Burma 1945. Pull quote: 'A brilliant debut' - Robert Lyman. Graphic: B&W pic of a river, jungle encroaching the banks; a half-dozen riverine military craft in view, all loaded with troops

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 04/06/2026

Affirmative (pic by me on 9/11/2017)

F-84H Thunderscreech, pov is close 2 o'clock level. 3 bladed prop prominent.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 25/05/2026

If you will, on this Memorial Day join me in raising a glass to the memory of my uncle, T4 Edmund J. Peters, Jr. Eddie was an 11th ABDiv trooper who was KIA 2/17/1945, aged 21 years, in the assault on Ft. McKinley, Luzon, PI. He rests now in the Manila cemetery maintained so well by ABMC.

Smiling, handsome young soldier in WW2 uniform; cap with Glider Infantry badge is tipped jauntily to his right.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 25/05/2026

Ahoy, @dougmost.bsky.social, look what my fine county librarian has just lent to me. Really looking fwd to digging into it; will check back in a few days.

Cover of "Launching Liberty" by Doug Most. Subtitle: The epic race to build the ships that took America to war. Graphic: Bow on shot of Liberty ship SS Patrick Henry on the ways, a crowd gathered at the base of the prow and festive bunting decorating the forepeak.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 24/05/2026

KC was home 'drome for Teeny-Weeny. Their Moonliner (one of several replicas) rises above their former HQ building downtown. (pic by me, Aug 25)

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 22/05/2026

We have X-15 ship #1 displayed in the Milestones of Flight gallery at NASMs museum on the Mall in DC. #2, the speed record holder at Mach 6.72, is displayed at the Air Force museum in Dayton. #3 was lost in a fatal mishap. (pics by me)

X-15 #1, a sleek black aircraft suspended in amuseum gallery. View from 10 o'clock, very low. ,"USAF" on underside of left wing.

X-15 #2. Sleek black aircraft on museum floorr. "NASA" on vert. stab. Orange/white conformal fuel tanks under wing roots.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 20/05/2026

TODAY, the Kansas City streetcar is free to ride all along Main St from the Riverfront to UMKC. It is outstanding! (We visited KC a few months back, rode the delightful streetcar a bunch. Loved it.)

White streetcar in urban setting viewed from front. Pantograph brings elec power down from ovhd wires. Rails in street.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 18/05/2026

The T-38 that Miss Cochran used to set eight speed, altitude and unrefueled range records in 1961 is displayed at the west end of NASMs museum on the Mall in DC.

Close view of fwd fuselage and canopy of a white jet trainer with orange trim. It is a T-38.

Lettering on port fwd fuselage of a white T-38 describing a series of records set by the airplane.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 13/05/2026

Ahoy, @korystamper.bsky.social, see what my excellent county librarian has lent me to fill the void while I await the popular "True Color" (for which my hold is 3rd in the queue). Last evening I was delighted by the 1st 100 pages of "W by W"; looking fwd to the rest. Will check back.

Cover of "Word by Word" by Kory Stamper. Background made from swatches of dictionary entries. Title and author look hand-lettered with a red mark-up pencil. Sub-title: The Secret Life of Dictionaries.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 07/05/2026

It is pretty cool as small aviation museums go. Personally, I fell in love with this Staggerwing.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 06/05/2026

Visited the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita today and enjoyed seeing this Travel Air 4000 that Louise Thaden flew to victory in the 1929 Santa Monica-to-Cleveland air race for women often referred to as the Powder Puff Derby. Just one of a number of lovely aircraft with KS roots on display.

Biplane on museum display; blue fuselage with gold trim and a silver two-bladed prop. A garland of roses is draped over the cowl.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 05/05/2026

So, on the road in Wichita, KS and look what has parked in front of our hotel. Very cool!

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 01/05/2026

And here, NASM's SBD patiently guarding the entrance to the new WW2 in the Air gallery at the museum on the Mall in DC. The gallery will open to visitors early in July.

A Douglas SBD suspended in a museum. Prop driven low-wing monoplane from about 9 o'clock, a bit low. Blue with WW2 USN star-and-bar insignia; buff undersides. Canopies for 2 crew are open; aft crew pos'n has aft facing twin MGs mounted. Large od bomb on c/l + 2 small od bombs under wings.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 29/04/2026

Ahoy, @scottsolomon.bsky.social, look what my excellent county librarian has lent to me. Just getting into it; it looks superb. Will check back in a couple days.

Cover of Scott Solomon's "Becoming Martian"; subtitle reads: How living in space will change our bodies and minds. Graphic depicts a tiny space-siited astronaut striding across a Mars-like landscape.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 29/04/2026

Harry Hawker appears prominently in @rooneyvision.bsky.social's "The Big Hop" for his part in the Sopwith effort alonside Alcock & Brown's 1st crossing of the pond in the Vimy (the latter is, ofcourse, the main focus of this very fine work.)

Cover of "The Big Hop" by David Rooney; subtitle reads: The First Nonstop Flight Across the Atlantic Ocean and Into the Future. Graphic shows two pilots peeing over the rim of the cockpit of a large biplane. Just the tops of their heads are visible.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 25/04/2026

I *think* that the damaged aircraft pictured is a Curtiss Seagull (aka Model MF or as Model 18). Here's a photo of a very rare survivor, displayed at a museum in New Zealand.

Old biplane flying boat with polished wood hull, single engine mounted on struts rising from the hull, just below the top wing. The liquid-cooled engine has a radiator in front and drives a two-bladed wooden pusher prop. The aircraft is a Curtiss Seagull.

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Frank Van Haste @vanhaste.com · 17/04/2026

Ahoy @mikedavis.bsky.social Do you have access to the Bishop's journal entries for May 1910? Below a facsimile of the Wright School Field Report showing Orv taking him up for a 6'55" flight; wondering if he journaled about it on 5/25 or 26. (Also shows 6'26" flight of OW+WW together just prior.)

A facsimile of a field log for the Wright flying school showing Orville's flights on 5/25/1910; includes flights with Wilbur and with the Bishop as pax.

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