if you won the lottery....

[Warbird Kid]

S-38
S-43
C-46

F4U-1 Birdcage (Dual Control)
F4U-1A
F4U-4

A6M2 -(Dakota Zero)
Val (replica)
Kate (replica)
T-6

Wait only 10 million?

[krlang]

$10m, Hmmm.

An L-5 on floats, and a house on a lake to fly it to!

[wendovertom]

The B-29 Kermit has for sale with Aero Trader. I already have a original hangar to put it in! Then the remaining $ would go toward getting back in the air. This plane is extremely tantalizing for Wendover because it is a "B" model and would look just like a "Silverplate" Superfort.

Tom P.

[sdennison]

Only ten Million? OK, I'll work with that. Hairless Joe from Courtesy then try to trade to POF for Spirit of New Jersey Razorback. Add to that T-6 (training ya know) plus the best PT-19 I could find (strictly for fun). Set up a foundation, oh yeah, gotta have a nice hangar. $2.6M so far. If I got a real wild hair, a P-40 as well.

What interest rate on money in the bank for ongoing expenses? 4%? 6% 10%?

I think I could be happy there.

[N3Njeff]

Buy up every N3N project I could find, put them all together then pay for all the fuel for all of the ones I built and find pilots to fly them, then pay for all the fuel for the others currently flying that I would not own and meet at one airport and in one mass formation...............INVADE the Stearman Owners Assn fly-in.

[Return_with_Honor]

Hawker Sea Fury ~

[RyanShort1]

Buy up every N3N project I could find, put them all together then pay for all the fuel for all of the ones I built and find pilots to fly them, then pay for all the fuel for the others currently flying that I would not own and meet at one airport and in one mass formation...............INVADE the Stearman Owners Assn fly-in.

You know, even though I posted that Stearman picture for you a while back, that sounds like fun!

Ryan

[Saville]

I would consider doing the following:

1) Buy a J-3/L-4/L-5 project and get the aircraft rebuilt to pristine condition and fly it a lot.

Then sell it, take the proceeds to help mitigate the costs of:

2) A Stearman project. Get the aircraft rebuilt to pristine condition and fly it a lot.

Then sell it, take the proceeds to help mitigate the costs of:

3) An AT-6 project. Get the aircraft rebuilt to pristine condition and fly it a lot.

Then sell it, take the proceeds to help mitigate the costs of:

A P-51. (I doubt $10 million is enough to take on a "project")

The idea being that by finding project planes and rebuilding, I'd be adding to the overall fleet inventory. By flying each of them a lot, I'd be learning a lot. By selling each and using the money for the next purchase I'd be conserving as much money as possible.

All this, of course, depends upon a market such that I could find buyers for each plane at a good price.

[spookythecat]

If they'd part with it I want the A-26 "Dream Girl" from the USAF museum as well as the Always A-26.

[Chris Brame]

Oh boy.

1. Put that new build B-17C Mary Ann on the fast track.
2. Ditto for Desert Rat.
3. Flying replica Martin B-10B Bird-O-Prey XII.

[snj-5]

What interest rate on money in the bank for ongoing expenses? 4%? 6% 10%?

I was going to say invest the $10 Million and buy a warbird every year off the proceeds, but
since the Stock Market is rigged / stinks like yesterday's diapers, that plan wouldn't work
very well these days....

If we're talking $10 Million after taxes, I'd buy a P-51 and a Corsair and then try to live
off of the interest on whatever is left over (say $6 Mil @ 3% ~ $200K / year).

[TonyM]

"If you won the lottery..."

I'll worry about that the day it happens.

$10 million. That's it? Better put a lot on the side to keep the plane flying.

We in the Great Lakes Wing CAF are finding out just how much it costs to be in the warbird game.

TM

[whistlingdeath77]

these are all great posts! I thank everybody dreaming with me for that one chance to own what you really want. The B-17 and B-29 posts were really nice, and very expensive! You would have 10 million in cash, no taxes. Could you buy AND run and 17 or a 29 on 10 million? The insurance must be so much a year for them or any bird for that matter. I would still buy a few corsairs and fly them in formation at airshows that i could attend. But then again, how much would it cost to repair a r-2800 or to replace it!?

[oz rb fan]

an ex raaf p-40(there's one or two about
the Dakota zero
should make a nice pair for airshows

[RyanShort1]

I'm not dreamin' too hard. If I had just a bit more money right now I could probably get access to a Stearman and maybe even a T-6 if I had enough hours. I've actually been working with a friend on a potential leaseback.

Ryan