# Rare Birds in Everett, WA



## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Having a wee family holiday in northwest Washington State. Visited the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum as well as the Seattle Museum of Flight Restoration Facility and Reserve Collection, both located in Everett. The former was absolutely outstanding with some unique airworthy aircraft. The latter was also worth the $5 entry fee.

I'm afraid a few of the pics didn't turn out too well due to awkward lighting within the hangar.

Here's the first group of pics from the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum, many of which have proven combat histories:

Nakajima Ki-43-Ib "Oscar" - this is the only surviving Ib and, although restored to flying condition, will probably not be flown again due to its unique status:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Polikarpov I-16:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Continuing the Russian theme...IL-2 and Po-2:

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## N4521U (Apr 22, 2019)

A lot of stuff.....
good shots.
Can you resize to 800 PIXLES on the longest side.
Faster and smaller file size is all.


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## N4521U (Apr 22, 2019)

BTW, around Adelaide there are a few that are terrific.


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## Crimea_River (Apr 22, 2019)

A great museum.


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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Hopefully, these resized images work better:

Ex-Soviet early-variant P-40:













Mitsubishi A6M-3:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Just to shake things up a bit, here are some armour pics. As with the aircraft, many (most) of these are driveable...but clearly not the first item posted!).

Japanese Type 95 Ha Go tank:













PzKpfw IV:












Jagdpanzer 38(t):




















T-34:

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## Jeff Hunt (Apr 22, 2019)

Excellent!

Jeff


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## vikingBerserker (Apr 22, 2019)

That's a nice collection.


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## Capt. Vick (Apr 22, 2019)

More! ...please....😁


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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Capt. Vick said:


> More! ...please....😁



Your wish is my command...here are a few more modern types (for those who care about such things).


F-105 THUD - Vietnam veteran both as a bomber and Wild Weasel:







MiG-29UB...and, yes, it's airworthy!













And the ubiquitous UH-1 - a particularly mean-looking example:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

A few bombers:

A beautiful B-25:










B-24 ball turret:







B-17 tail gun - nice to see inside one of these:






Lancaster forward fuselage. Apparently, the aircraft was originally destined for Tiger Force:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Some German whizz-bangs and a few USN beasts:

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## Airframes (Apr 22, 2019)

Great pics.
I'm not sure, but the Lanc nose section may be the ex-Strathallan Lanc, which was severely damaged (broken back I believe) when the hangar roof at Woodford collapsed under the weight of snow some years back.


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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

And I'll leave you with a few more armour shots...but don't worry, I'll have more to share over the next few days.

Dodge WC-54 ambulance:











German and US half-tracks:










M4 Sherman:







Churchill:







And a lovely German motorbike and sidecar (plus trailer!):

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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Airframes said:


> Great pics.
> I'm not sure, but the Lanc nose section may be the ex-Strathallan Lanc, which was severely damaged (broken back I believe) when the hangar roof at Woodford collapsed under the weight of snow some years back.



According to the blurb, the Lanc was formerly at the British Historic Aircraft Museum which, I believe, was located at Southend.


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## Tieleader (Apr 22, 2019)

Great photos! Any shots of my love , the D-13? 
Nice to see they didn't placard the Jagdpanzer 38T as a "Hetzer"!


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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Patience, my son! All will be revealed in due time!


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## Wurger (Apr 22, 2019)




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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Ok...a few more. A brace of Brits followed by an American duo.


Hawker Hurricane MkXII, originally built as a Hurricat but later returned to standard MkXII layout and served in the RCAF:














Supermarine Spitfire MkVc which served operationally with 312 (Czech) Squadron. It was restored wearing markings that it wore during WW2:











P-47D that previously served in the Mexican AF wearing the markings of Seattle pilot Ralph Jenkins:











And one of my personal favourites - P-51D wearing the markings it carried durin operations with the 8th AF during WW2. The pilot was reunited with his P-51 in 2003:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 22, 2019)

Got to see the other airworthy Mossie at Virginia Beach last year. Definitely want to come back to WA to see this beauty fly!

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## Micdrow (Apr 23, 2019)

Its an awesome museum, was there last year thought the third hanger was still being built. On my wish list to go back. 

Great set if pictures


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## Airframes (Apr 23, 2019)

Beaut shots !


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## nuuumannn (Apr 23, 2019)

buffnut453 said:


> According to the blurb, the Lanc was formerly at the British Historic Aircraft Museum which, I believe, was located at Southend.



It was, but not the whole thing. This nose section is from a 'Lincaster' or a 'Lancoln', whichever you may prefer! Lincoln RF342, serialled G-APRJ had Lancaster I TW911's nose grafted onto it and ended up at Southend as the odd hybrid. The Lincoln remains I think are in Australia now. Interesting to see it in your photos, Mark.

G-BCOH, the former Strathallan Lanc was Canadian built KB976 and is Kermit Weeks'. Bits of it ended up in New Zealand for Wingnut Wings (!) to make a full scale repro for Peter Jackson's Dambusters remake, although I think these have returned to the USA.

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## Crimea_River (Apr 23, 2019)

buffnut453 said:


> Got to see the other airworthy Mossie at Virginia Beach last year.



There are actually now 4 airworthy Mossies: this one, Jerry Yagen's in Virginia Beach, Bob Jens' in Vancouver (now or sale), and the soon-to-be-displayed one owned by Rod Lewis in San Antonio.


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## buffnut453 (Apr 23, 2019)

Micdrow said:


> Its an awesome museum, was there last year thought the third hanger was still being built. On my wish list to go back.
> 
> Great set if pictures



Third hangar is now complete and in use.

Agree it's an awesome museum. I walked through the door and was hit by that "old aeroplane" smell. I knew right then that this organization understood aircraft. If you can't smell oil and fuel and old leather in an aircraft museum then it's just not right IMHO.

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## Micdrow (Apr 23, 2019)

buffnut453 said:


> Third hangar is now complete and in use.
> 
> Agree it's an awesome museum. I walked through the door and was hit by that "old aeroplane" smell. I knew right then that this organization understood aircraft. If you can't smell oil and fuel and old leather in an aircraft museum then it's just not right IMHO.



I hope the collection stays together, with the death of Paul Allen I wonder how it will affect this museum as this was his collection from what I was told last year when I visited and he was still alive. Also by chance did you make it across the other side of the airport to the Kilo 7 museum. Less than 10 minutes away from where you where at. Link below.

Historic Flight


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## Gnomey (Apr 23, 2019)

Lovely shots!


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## jetcal1 (Apr 23, 2019)




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## nuuumannn (Apr 23, 2019)

Crimea_River said:


> There are actually now 4 airworthy Mossies: this one, Jerry Yagen's in Virginia Beach, Bob Jens' in Vancouver (now or sale), and the soon-to-be-displayed one owned by Rod Lewis in San Antonio.



With yet another undergoing work here in NZ as we speak! The Mossie looks great in its new colours. This is how it looked for a bit while it was here. It was being dismantled as I took this picture.




TV959 103

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## buffnut453 (Apr 24, 2019)

Ok...a few more while I have a couple of minutes to spare.

According to the Museum, this Fieseler Storch is probably an authentic German model rather than a licence-built Morane-Saulnier Criquet. Either way, I love the spindly look of this bird:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 24, 2019)

Sticking with the German theme, someone said they were interested in Focke-Wulf 190s?

Firstly, the D-13:













And secondly, their A-5 with various panels opened to show the naughty bits:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 24, 2019)

Just for interest's sake, I took a couple of pics of this LST. Sadly, I didn't take a pic of one of the most impressive exhibits - a flag that had been flown on one of the D-Day landing craft. The LCT went ashore on 6 June and, at the end of a long day, the Ensign in charge instructed a rating to run up a new flag because the original was somewhat battle-damaged. The young sailor asked if he could keep the original...and so he did, in a shoebox for over 70 years. Now it's on display in the Museum. A most evocative artifact. Anyhoo...here's a Higgins boat for those interested:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 24, 2019)

And, last but by no means least, 2 of my favourite exhibits from the Museum:

Unique airworthy Bf109E that participated in the Battle of Britain. Damaged in combat over Dover in July 1940, the aircraft limped back towards France but crashed just short of land, killing the pilot. Fast forward 40+ years and a man walking along a beach near Calais saw a piece of metal protruding from the sand which turned out to be the wingtip of this Messerschmitt. 










The other really amazing restoration piece was the ongoing effort to return a Stuka to airworthy condition. It looks simply marvelous but they're also conserving the original pieces that have been used as templates to make new structures like the wing panels. Can't wait to see this one take to the skies again! Also on display was a restored gun pod which took me back to my youth and the Matchbox Stuka which I completely messed up. Anyhoo...hope you enjoy these pics:

























That's all from the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum but don't despair...I have a few more pics to share from the Seattle Museum of Flight Restoration Facility and Reserve Collection.

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## Wurger (Apr 24, 2019)




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## Micdrow (Apr 24, 2019)

Keep them coming. Great shots


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## Crimea_River (Apr 24, 2019)

With Paul. Looking forward to more.


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## buffnut453 (Apr 25, 2019)

Not far from the Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum, also at Everett Airport, lies the Seattle Museum of Flight Restoration Facility and Reserve Collection. This is a small museum and costs just $5 to enter but I thought it well worth the investment. Here are a few pics I took:

Firstly, who doesn't like Snoopy in any form on any aircraft? This Cessna O2-A was suitably marked and, as an added bonus, saw combat over Vietnam.









I just had to get a few pics:


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## buffnut453 (Apr 25, 2019)

There were a couple of oddities in the display, including this rather lovely fire engine and the kit biplane below that wasn't captioned and which I couldn't identify:

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## buffnut453 (Apr 25, 2019)

Also present was the prototype Comet 4C that, after test flying, was sold to Mexico. Luckily it survived and ended up in the Seattle Museum's collection. It's undergoing restoration. The cockpit alone is a labour of love:


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## buffnut453 (Apr 25, 2019)

Upon walking into the museum, I was confronted by this beast. It looks like a regular F4U Corsair until you look at it side-on. It's actually a Goodyear F2G-1 fitted with a 28-cylinder (yes, that's not a typo - 28 cylinders!), four-row Pratt & Whitney R-4360 engine. Only 10 of this type were built because it didn't offer sufficient performance advantages over the existing model. If the original Corsair had a long proboscis, this thing was equipped with a pachyderm's schnozzle!

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## buffnut453 (Apr 25, 2019)

AAAAAND...finally. The more observant among you may have noticed something interesting in the background of a few previous shots. I was amazed to find the mock-up forward fuselage for Boeing's 2707 SST. Simply amazing to see this in the flesh...and so glad someone decided to preserve it!
















'Fraid that's your lot but I hope you liked these pics. If any of you are ever in the Everett WA area, I strongly recommend both these museums. The Flying Heritage and Combat Armor Museum is one of the best I've visited, bar none. The unusual aircraft, all conserved in flight-worthy condition, is simply remarkable. It's clearly a labour of love!

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## Wurger (Apr 25, 2019)




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## Gnomey (Apr 25, 2019)

Cool shots!


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## Crimea_River (Apr 25, 2019)

A nice collection and thanks for posting. I've been there twice and will plan another visit when the Stuka is ready to go.


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## special ed (Apr 25, 2019)

I would have to look it up, but I think the Fly Baby is Peter Bowers' homebuilt from the 1960s.

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## Airframes (Apr 25, 2019)

Great selection of pics.


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## buffnut453 (Apr 25, 2019)

special ed said:


> I would have to look it up, but I think the Fly Baby is Peter Bowers' homebuilt from the 1960s.



Thanks for that insight. There was no placard or label, other than the indications that it was an experimental type...and it certainly has that homebuilt look to it.


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## Capt. Vick (Apr 25, 2019)

Any word or pictures about the Focke-wulf Fw 189?


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## buffnut453 (Apr 25, 2019)

Capt. Vick said:


> Any word or pictures about the Focke-wulf Fw 189?



Didn't see it in the museum and I didn't see any info about it. Sorry.


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## michael rauls (Apr 25, 2019)

Wow, all Awsome shots!


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## nuuumannn (Apr 25, 2019)

Yup, Bowers Fly Baby. How could you not tell, Mark? Its name is literally written on it! 

Aaand yes, the Storch is an Fi 156C-2, according to the interweb WkNr 4362.

Terrific photos.That 2707 mock up is a real gem and the cutaway sections and illustration accompanying the nose shows just how damn ambitious it would have been. Do they have the rest of it or just the nose section?


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## Crimea_River (Apr 25, 2019)

Capt. Vick said:


> Any word or pictures about the Focke-wulf Fw 189?



It's being restored by a reputable organization outside of the US.


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## buffnut453 (Apr 25, 2019)

nuuumannn said:


> Yup, Bowers Fly Baby. How could you not tell, Mark? Its name is literally written on it!



That's precisely why I rely on the spotters on this forum to keep me straight! 




nuuumannn said:


> Terrific photos.That 2707 mock up is a real gem and the cutaway sections and illustration accompanying the nose shows just how damn ambitious it would have been. Do they have the rest of it or just the nose section?



I don't know if the rest of the mock-up is owned by the Seattle Museum of Flight. Info is remarkably sketchy. Certainly the entire mock-up was complete in the early 1990s. Some accounts indicate it was owned by an aircraft restorer on Merritt Island near Kennedy Space Center but others suggest it was in a scrapyard on that island. The nose section was on display in California for a number of years but when the owner of the entire mock-up died, it seems that the other sections were all destroyed for scrap. My guess, based on all this rather sketchy info, is that the wings and rear fuselage no longer exist and that the only surviving components are the nose section in the Seattle Museum of Flight Reserve Collection.


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## nuuumannn (Apr 25, 2019)

Thanks for that. If the whole thing did exist, it would take up a rather large space in the hangar if they put it back together.


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## buffnut453 (Apr 25, 2019)

Yep, not too dissimilar from the XB-70 displayed at the USAF Museum in Dayton, OH.


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## nuuumannn (Apr 25, 2019)

Yup. Thing is, the museum has a few big aircraft, that Comet included and not having that completely indoors won't be good for it. I remember when I used to volunteer at an aviation museum in the UK with a Comet, I spent lots of hours grinding corrosion out of it before repainting it. Would it be worth saving space for a big mock-up instead of something arguably more valuable that's an actual airframe? The eternal questions that plague the aircraft museum world. The USAF Museum is fortunate to have funding and resources available that it can build big hangars, so the XB-70 can be saved for posterity.

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## Tieleader (Apr 25, 2019)

buffnut453 said:


> Sticking with the German theme, someone said they were interested in Focke-Wulf 190s?
> 
> Firstly, the D-13:
> 
> ...


Me! Over here! Me, me me (raises hand profusely) ! Perfection in aluminium 
These get you a well deserved bacon,sir. Sadly since I'll never get to see 99% of these places I'll have to live vicariously through others photos. Thanks for the little slice of vacation.

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