G-FIRE seems to have passed straight from Classic Air Displays (Spencer Flack?) to Bob Pond and the Palm Springs museum via The Fighter Collection/Stephen Grey who probably brokered the deal. If I remember aright, the Palm Springs collection also includes the first TFC Wildcat, and a P-47 which Bob Pond acquired from Doug Arnold via TFC.
'Tis a great collection, visited about 15 years ago, and also David Price's collection at Santa Monica.
Sorry, thread drift!