I love the fact that you can leave out all of the other aircraft entirely, and just be impressed by the shear number of WWI replica aircraft alone - multiple Fokker Dr.I's, multiple Fokker D.VII's, two Nieuport's, a Spad, an Albatross, Halberstadt, Sopwith Strutter, two Avro 504K's, etc...and it continues to grow. I also love the WWI-themed hangars that were built at the museum/airfield site.
The collection's P-40 remains to this day my favorite of all of those out there, simply for the paint/markings it carries. Some tend to go off on
any P-40 that carries a shark mouth, but in the case of Yagen's P-40E, it sports an authentic "Flying Tigers" paint scheme carried by a P-40E in 1942. The benefit is that the chosen paint scheme had a shark mouth that was the epitome (in my view) of the iconic P-40/Flying Tigers shark mouth of that period. As Jack Cook used to mention, others could take lessons from the shark mouth application on Yagen's P-40. It is not over the top and is simply a perfectly executed recreation (much like the P-40 that was painted in the markings of Robert Scott's). It, along with the FHC's recently refinished P-40C, are both superb examples of authentic "Flying Tigers" P-40 paint schemes. (Another good example, though not related to "Flying Tigers" markings, but sporting a shark mouth in the pure sense of authenticity, is Ron Fagen's "Desert Shark" P-40E) I totally agree with your opinion on the Kittyhawk.That was his first "warbird" and I sold the wreck to him around 1995.Look how far he has come since then.The man is driven there is no doubt about it.
In the same realm, with all of the criticism of warbird paint schemes within recent years, Jerry Yagen/MAM should be praised for the decisions that they have controlled regarding the paint schemes on their aircraft. And even some paint scheme decisions that were out their grasp - they have what I consider to be the most gorgeous airworthy B-17 (there's just something about all of that yellow paint on bare aluminum skin).
With the original WWII-era Luftwaffe hangar now erected at the site of the MAM, I can't help but imagine the amazing sight it will be, in the future, to see a Bf 109E, two Bf 109G's, the FW 190 (and perhaps an Fw 190 or two), all on display within/around that hangar (not to forget the other German aircraft in the collection, such as the Ju 52, Fw 44, Storch, Jungmeister, and Me 262). (There is also the original WWII-era RAF control tower (from RAF Goxhill) that they have awaiting reconstruction, which was carefully dismantled - what a perfect backdrop that will be for the Museum's Mosquito, Spitfire, Hurricane, Dragon Rapide and Fury replica).)
A pretty good list of the Museum's collection (on display, in maintenance, or in restoration) can be found here (though with a few errors):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighter_Fa ... er_Factory
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