Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum Collection Sold
 

Some really bad news - at least for this geographic area.
Paul Allen's sister has reportedly sold the entire Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (FHCAM) collection (the museum was located at Paine Field here in Everett - took my wife's sister there a few years back and it was a truly incredible collection).
It's been closed since April 2020, allegedly due to the Covid shutdown, but hasn't reopened. Sounds like it never will - sure will be missed. All the aircraft in the collection were reportedly flight worthy, and pre-Covid it was common on nice summer days to see several old warbirds plying the sky around here. Most of the Armor was also operable, and they would have occasional special events where they'd drive them around.
Paul Allen’s Museum Aircraft Collection Reported Sold - PP (planeandpilotmag.com)

I've been hoping that Paul Allen's sister would respect Paul's legacy and leave FHCAM alone as a memorial to her late brother, but apparently that's not the case. Assuming it doesn't end up in some private collection that's closed to the public, some other area is going to get a huge benefit while the Everett area is getting shafted.

That's terrible news. I've been there twice in the last five years, including one visit where they had a Luftwaffe fly-by.

A wonderful museum, with nearly every aircraft flyable, as evidenced by the drip-trays under the engines. The only non-flyable exhibits I saw were the V1, V2 and Me 163 Komet, which was understandable.

During my last visit, they were re-building a Stuka.

Now owned by Wal-Mart boss Steuart Walton.

It's good to keep most of the collection at a single place. And it's good to have an owner who keeps them airworthy. Still sad for Everett to lose it. I have been to their early place at Arlington. Their restoration quality blows your mind.

Better than dispersing it via Sotheby's I guess

So probably going to Arkansas. :mad: I was hoping it would end up somewhere that I'd like to visit anyway. I'm hoping against hope they'll open it up for a few days/weeks before they ship it off, but I seriously doubt there is much chance of that happening.

Any chance of a massed-formation from Washington to Arkansas? That would be a sight to see!

"So probably going to Arkansas"

There are worse places................................ admittedly not easy to get to from much of the USA tho'

He has a nice airport. It would be great to have a bigger museum there.

I hope they build well, given its pretty much centre of tornado alley!

We don't yet know what the ownership structure is though, as while Steuart Walton is the name being branded about because of his ownership of 2 x P51's and a Corsair, he personally doesn't have the wealth to have bought it without money coming from his father (and or other members of the Walton family).
Steuart Walton isn't the boss of Walmart either, although he is a director, and he doesn't even appear on the Forbes rich list (only worth about $300m) unlike his father Jim that is the richest of the Walton family and one of the 20 richest people in the world, worth some $66bn.
The rumour is the entire collection sold for a 9 figure sum, so clearly he's not in a personal position to buy it, but was probably the person involved in the purchase on behalf of the family or more likely the chartible organisation set up by the family to buy and run the collection.

Winthrop Rockefellers Car Museum is in Arkansas - a beautiful place TBH

https://www.museumofautos.com/about-us

How about Thaden field?

Well, it's rumored that Arkansas has paved roads and an airport.

In places.... but there are some weird corners up in the hills.............

Would seem to be the logical destination.

There are "...some weird corners up in the hills..." of every country. Arkansas gave the world Clinton, Inc. I try not to blame the people of Arkansas but I'm not always successful.

In my experience the corners are bit weirder in W Arkansas/ SE Oklahoma than most places............... tho there are parts of Maine that run them close

Interesting about the Clinton's tho' - long before he ran for President there was vocal local opinion (and not all Republicans) that:-

a) they were going places b) they were economical with the truth c) he could charm anyone, anytime and d) she was the brains of the outfit

I can clearly remember hearing someone bang on about them when he starting manoeuvring to be Governor about 77-78

Wow! News reports today that, while it's true the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (FHCAM) collection was sold to a heir of the Walmart founder, it turns out that he plans to leave it right here in Everett. The museum has been closed for the past 2 1/2 years due mainly to Covid, but according to the news reports, the new owner intends to keep the collection intact, in place, and reopen the museum. This is hugely good news!

Walmart heir acquires Everett’s Flying Heritage Museum from Paul Allen’s estate | The Seattle Times

Good news!! :ok:

The degree of restoration was in many cases beyond the original configuration when leaving the factory. In the case of his P51 he actually recreated the inked stamps that were used in liu of stencils during construction The thought being that the war time construction could not adjust to the time necessary to use paint and stencils to mark up spots on the airframe that needed attention, and it would be faster to just stamp the item as opposed to painting it on as might have dome during a more conventiional restoration. There was B17 that was in the initial stages of restoration up at Arlington that was believed to be the last, and only B17 that was built by Boeing in Seattle. All other existing B17's that are either flying or on display were built under contract outside of Boeing, Seattle.

I always thought is interesting in that as strong as his interest in this facet of aviation, Paul Allen never flew in any of his warbirds. He also owned an Alpha Jet, and partnered in a F5B which were kept in a state of the art 100,000 foot hangar at Boeing Field. Both of these aircraft were absolutely beautiful and flown regularly by pilots who were employed as corporate pilots.

Unfortunately in may cases he overpaid for many of his warbird finds due to some less than honest brokers working on his behalf.