Paul Allen Aircraft Museum - The Polikarpov, nicknamed Rata or "rat", was actually the world's first single-winged fighter plane with retractable landing gear. The plane was named after Nikolai Polikarpov, who built the Rata under strict supervision by the Soviet dictator, Joseph Stalin.
Stalin wanted a superior aircraft to help lead the Red Air Force in combat. The model seen here was discovered in 1991 - in the same factory where it had originally been manufactured. Welcome to the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum (FHCAM).
Paul Allen Aircraft Museum
In 1998 Paul G. Allen began acquiring and preserving the iconic armor and warbirds you see inside our hangars, many of which are the last of their kind. In 2008 the collection moved from its home in Arlington, WA to its current location on Paine Field in Everett where it now houses the priceless treasures you see before you.
Make A Donation
What made the Zero truly unique was its ability to outmaneuver Allied fighter planes, thanks to its tiny turning radius and lightning-quick speed. Its main flaw was its lack of armor, which gave enemy planes a better chance of shooting it down - assuming they could keep up with it!
The Zero model seen here was recovered in New Zealand sometime after WWII. It has since been fully restored to airworthy condition. Prior to WWII, the PO-2 was initially designed as a crop duster, and gained notoriety thanks to the female Russian pilots who flew them.
They would fly the planes at night over German encampments. While the bases did not sustain major damage, the sorties proved effective at keeping German troops on their toes. The fact that the pilots were women particularly rattled them.
The model seen here was recovered in Belarus and later restored by the Polis Aero Club. Darn. This after having planned on going there this year. It's tough with private collections. As long as they remain indoors and do not get broken up.
In my native Belgium miltaria collections are heavily restricted or outright forbidden. A sad state of affairs. Don't let this happen here. Bernard The B-25 shot to fame when it became the first American aircraft to bomb the Japanese mainland.
The B-25 was assigned to Lt. Col. Jimmy Doolittle, who took off from the Hornet aircraft carrier in 1942 en route to Japan. He and his fellow pilots made their way across the Pacific before carrying out their mission.
The U.S. Army kept the vast majority of the B-25s after the war, and used them as transport and training aircraft. The model here was built in 1944, and served the Royal Canadian Air Force for a decade before it was sold off in 1961.
The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum is a truly unique experience. With 26 aircraft and over 25 vehicles to dazzle guests, you will need an amazing guide to help you cover the nearly 75,000 sq.
ft. of expansive exhibit space. Ask for a free tour with an FHCAM Docent. Your Docent will walk you through the hangars and explain each artifact and the role it played in history. As you tour through, don't forget to stop by FHCAM's newest exhibit, Why War: The Causes of Conflict.
This one of a kind exhibit explores the reasons countries go to war and puts context behind the war machines living in our museum. Explore this highly interactive room built to tell the stories of the people and technology from world wars.
The White Knight was developed by an American aerospace company called Scaled Composites. The spacecraft features a pair of J-85 GE-5 turbojet engines, and is funded by aerospace engineer Burt Rutan and Paul Allen himself. The 8,000lb (3,623kg) plane is able to launch at an altitude of 8.7 miles (14km).
In order to prepare pilots for spaceflight, the White Knight's cockpit was configured to resemble SpaceShipOne. The Komet was a rocket-propelled fighter, built specifically to destroy high-altitude bomber planes. Unfortunately, its fatal flaw was its Walter rocket motor, which had a tendency to explode in mid-flight.
It was, however, a breakthrough in technology at the time. The model seen here is only one of a dozen Me-163 fighter planes left in existence. I spent over seven years working at Paine Field where the museum is located.
They just finished more than doubling the floor space for display in 2018, and built a track for the armor to run on. It is a most impressive collection of flying vintage aircraft. Everything was restored to "combat" readiness.
Unfortunately, this also means a possible end to a bunch of aircraft that were in operation, including his Me-262. My partner in the restoration project I was working on, worked at the museum for a while and still had friends who worked at the museum.
He told me about a number of (semi secret) projects in the works, including a Fw-189. He also has a B-17 tucked away partially restored, and others. Although the previously-listed Spitfire is by far the more famous fighter of the two, the Hawker Hurricane actually managed to destroy more Axis aircraft during WWII.
Many historians believe that the Hawker was Great Britain's secret weapon for victory during the war. The particular plane in the museum, delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942, never saw any action. It made its way to the museum after being recovered from a farm in Ontario.
The Messerschmitt was built in Germany in 1939 and piloted by Eduard Hemmerling. He destroyed several British planes before being shot down and crashing off the coast of Cape Blanc Nez, France. The model seen here was discovered by a man walking on a beach of Calais, who spotted the plane's wing poking out from beneath the sand in 1988.
The Hellcat was considered one of the best fighter planes to engage in combat over the Pacific. Its ability to withstand enemy fire led pilots to nickname it the "Aluminum Tank." It was built to outperform the Japanese Mitsubishi Zero, and had folding wings for compact hangar and deck storage.
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation was able to produce one Hellcat per hour, a feat that has not been matched by any other airplane manufacturer to this very day. The model seen here is only one of a few remaining in the world.
Since Allen's death due to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at the age of 65 in 2018, his sister and the trustee of his estate, Jodi Allen, has dramatically transformed Vulcan through the transfer of numerous holdings — including the Stratolaunch space venture;
prime property in Los Angeles and Hawaii; and Allen's Octopus superyacht, which played a role in the billionaire's deep-ocean exploration projects. (The new owner of the Octopus is said to be Swedish billionaire Roger Samuelsson.) The aircraft, vehicles and artifacts in the Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum are a testament to the era's engineering skill and humanity's spirit during the world conflicts of the 20th century.
On rotation in our working hangar are military artifacts from the United States, Britain, Germany, Soviet Union and Japan, acquired and restored with unparalleled authenticity to share with the public. FHCAM is committed to proving complete authenticity in all its artifacts.
This includes all aspects of the mechanical systems and all paint schemes and markings. FHCAM strives to make the operations and appearance as original as possible to the time when the aircraft, tank or other machine was first used.
The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum is a 501(c)(3) organization committed to educating its guests about these rare historic aircraft and artifacts. All good things come to an end and people don't plan for their passing and preservation of their life's dreams and ambitions.
Allen's estate had it been properly planned for would have included a means for preserving his museum. The late Planes of Fame founder Bob Pond set up a foundation or something with a board to manage the assets of his collection and preserve his dream of having a museum for the public.
The P-40C Tomahawk came into existence as a replacement for its older brother, the P-36. The P-40C was a revered fighter plane due to its cost efficiency and the possibility of dispatching it at a moment's notice during wartime.
The shark mouth design, as used by the Flying Tiger squadron, forever etched it into the memory of devoted aviation fans. The model seen here was made in the USA, and is the only airworthy P-40C in existence.
He serves on the board of directors for Walmart and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, among other organizations, and is a licensed pilot as well as an aircraft collector. His net worth has been estimated at $300 million.
At least most of Littlefield's collection ended up in a good home. Let's hope the same happens to Flying Heritage. This news must be a dampener for all those restoration folks and aero enthusiasts at Paine Field.
The Spitfire was Great Britain's response to the Messerschmitt fighter plane of the early 1940s. The aircraft was manufactured by Supermarine and featured an elliptical wing. Pilots dubbed it "a ballerina in flight" due to its easy maneuverability.
The Spitfire was said to have been responsible for the Allied victory in the Battle of Britain. The model here was fully restored after it was shot during a raid over enemy territory. Instead of manually entering the email addresses you want to send to each and every time, you can now create your own personalized contact list that will be available for you to use any time you want to share one of our posts with your friends and family.
A similar situation happened with the late Jacques Littlefield's massive private tank collection/museum located on his property on the SF Peninsula when a family member wanted Littlefield's "toys" out of there once and for all after he passed away unexpectedly.
$$$$. Jenny was the brainchild of American engineer, Glenn Curtis. The plane wasn't anything special in terms of its features, but it was highly cost-efficient to produce. Many US and Canadian fighters were trained to pilot the Jennys, but never made it into combat.
After WWI, the planes were then used to entertain people at flight shows. The daredevil pilots would even give rides to audience members. The Jenny seen here was made in 1918, and remains one of just a few left in existence today.
The South Wales Aviation Museum is a non-profit organization and a registered charity. This means that the upkeep and exhibits at the museum are funded by your museum visits and donations. Any profits that come into the museum go straight back into the running and maintenance.
Just heard "through the grapevine" that Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection and Armor Museum in Washington State is closed, permanently. Word is that his sister wants his toys converted into her money as his heir. In the words of a knowledgeable person, "There's going to be the biggest airplane auction you've ever seen."
The Mustang is the fighter plane that is given the most credit for the Allied victory in Europe during WWII. Lieutenant Harrison B."Bud" Tordoff, who flew this very plane, had been assigned to conduct daylight raids against Germany.
He assisted numerous Allied ground forces all across Europe during the war. Since then, the plane was stored in Raydon, England before ending up in Paul Allen's museum. The P-51 was fitted with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, and had an impressive flying range.
Lt. Tordoff was reunited with his former "baby" during a visit to Allen's museum in 2003. Can't avoid such thing from happening. The collection is indeed impressive, but that is also its strength: These planes and vehicles won't be sold for scrap.
Let us hope they are not too dispersed and still end up in an accessible collection for heritage freaks like us. Would be sad if this Ketten Krad for instance ends up in a private living room...
The Focke-Wulf 190 made its debut in 1937 and rivaled the British Spitfire, even proving to be superior to it in some respects. It was a supreme killing machine, taking on the nickname of "Würger", which means "Butcher Bird".
This particular plane is airworthy, but it will likely never leave the ground due to its extreme rarity. The Il-2 was commonly referred to as the "Black Death" and "Flying Tank" by soldiers due to its heavy armor protection.
The Flying Tank was virtually impossible for enemy fighter planes to shoot down. With that being said, the model seen here crashed in 1944 after it was struck by anti-aircraft fire. It was found in a lake in 1991 by a group of boy scouts with its rockets and bombs still attached to its wings.
Take one look at this gigantic, seemingly indestructible aluminum frame, and you can tell why many US fighter pilots flew this airplane. The Thunderbolt's engine was considered "unbreakable", and the plane even featured .50-caliber machine guns and heavy armor.
The U.S. Army Air Corps began manufacturing the Thunderbolt in 1941 for the upcoming campaign in Europe. The model seen here was manufactured by Republic Aviation of Evansville, Indiana. The Thunderbolt features the trademark "Tallahassee Lassie" logo, and was piloted by Col.
Ralph C. Jenkins. They also had flying weekends, often themed to show off the different aircraft and vehicles. It was really fun to see an early Me-109E-3 go through start up and fly. If this pans out it really is a sad day for this special type of preservation that Mr.
Allen embarked on. Storch is German for stork, and the plane apparently got its name from its resemblance to one. The plane's wings made it unique - they could be folded up and the plane could be transported by train.
The Storch once rescued Benito Mussolini from a prison rooftop in 1943, and even served as a form of transportation for Adolph Hitler. The model seen here was found in East Germany sometime in the mid-1980s, and has been fully restored since.
"Many of the projects are being crated for shipment to their new home while the flying aircraft are being readied for cross-country trips," the magazine said on its Facebook page. "One man's dream has come to an end, but another man's dream has just begun."
The holding company for Paul Allen's estate, Vulcan Inc., declined to confirm reports about the sale for the time being. Efforts to contact Walton or the Runway Group were unsuccessful. We'll update this report with anything else we find out.
Among the gems in the Flying Heritage Collection are a British de Havilland Mosquito fighter-bomber that was built at the end of World War II; a Soviet-era Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik attack aircraft; a German Junkers Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber;
and the White Knight carrier airplane that helped SpaceShipOne win the $10 million X Prize for private spaceflight in 2004 with Allen's backing.
paul allen heritage flight museum, best airplane museums in usa, paul allen museum closed, airplane museums near me, paul allen aircraft collection, flying heritage collection sold, paul allen airplane collection, military aircraft museums
0 Comments