Paul Allen's Luftwaffe

I don’t suppose if you are extremely rich you necessarily have to look at the aeroplanes – I guess a good few old masters sit in bank vaults too. The situation is that he has an enormous
amount of money which he is spending on fastidious rebuilds . Apart from Mr Allen and Kermit Weeks I cannot see anyone spending the sums they do on both allied and axis warbirds.
Maybe I am mistaken but the restoration’s these gentlemen are funding can only be to the greater good of preservation.

Quote from David:

“I could compare the warbird collectors with collectors of art – they spend millions on art but seldom do they invite the public round their houses and apartments to view it.”

I’m told that Paul Allen has not yet viewed his own collection!

Those that rebuild Allen airplanes or do any sort of work for him are required to sign non disclosure contracts that forbid them discussing the nature of the work, at least in the media.

JH

Peter- A person who posts on the board is rebuilding the FW so I know there will be a very good chance that they will want to share the finished product with enthusiasts.
Regards the machines of Mr Allen I believe the U.S based
machines do fly occasionallly so they are viewable.
I could compare the warbird collectors with collectors of art – they spend millions on art but seldom do they invite the public round their houses and apartments to view it.

As regards photographs of the finished restoration, I do hope your right David. In fact, I’ll drop Mark Sheppard (author of the Warbirds Worldwide articles) a line and see what he knows…

My memory regarding Doug Arnold plans are not as good as they used to be, but wasn’t his plan to build and open a hanger for the public to visit at Biggin Hill? From what I can gather Paul Allen plans for his collection are for it to remain private – and I agree with you, despite him being able to do whatever he likes with his money, doesn’t this seems a bit strange?

The FW190 is still under restoration in the U.K . I am sure that when she is completed there will be opportunities for photographs to be taken. As for Mr Allen’s wish for privacy – well if it wasn’t for his wish for it to be restored it would most probably be languishing in a container somewhere.
Doug Arnold certainly did show some people around his collection but that was by no means everyone and once he departed Blackbushe the opportunities to view his machines rapidly deminished.

Thanks for the comments Ant… I’d be surprised if the A-5 restoration has been completed, the images I’ve seen of her at Flying A Services in Warbirds Worldwide circa 1997 tell me that a fair amount of work needed doing… I for one would be gutted if restoration was completed and she was shipped to the US without any images being made available.

As for the comparison between Paul Allen’s collection and Doug Arnolds “Warbirds of GB”… when Doug was alive, he was always more than happy to show me and a mate around… I just wish I’d had a camera with me…

From all that I’ve heard,the A-5 is still undergoing restoration here in the UK,although ofcourse with the secrecy surrounding Mr.Allen’s collection it could be that she’s moved on already.
I think Allen’s collection is the equivilant of the old Warbirds of Great Britain organisation,where the aircraft were kept primarily for thier financial value and were kept out of the public gaze.I seriously doubt whether we’ll ever see a museum or flying collection established for Allen’s machines.