Seattle area museums

The Inspector · **Posted:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 10:21 pm

Galaxy in Lynnwood on 196th is a close second to Emil in Skyway and closer for those of us up North, but you can't beat SKYWAY for finding jewel old kits.
and for a couple years before closing it's doors George ran EAGLES into the ground, the rattling noises you hear are Mike spinning in his grave.

Speedy · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:24 am

The Inspector wrote:

for a couple years before closing it's doors George ran EAGLES into the ground, the rattling noises you hear are Mike spinning in his grave.

True....but I'll tell you what...in the last couple weeks I got about four years worth of kits at dirt cheap prices. Hate to have to take that kind of advantage, but....

I miss Mike.

dfrat · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 12:48 am

If you could get on Joint Base Lewis-McChord (McChord Fld) you could walk through Heritage Hill. They have an F-15, A-10, T-33, F-86D, C-47, C-124, C-141, B-18, B-23, C-82, F-101, F-106, and an F-102. All of them freshly painted and in excellent condition. Here's a link http://www.mcchordairmuseum.org/

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 1:58 am

WallyB wrote:

The others are at Everett which is further North (a bit more than the "other end of town"

) and Arlington which is even further.

Hey, when you've just flown the Pacific, it's all small beans; but yes, I seem to recall it being a bit of a longer transit than I remember... :lol:

danord · **Joined:** Wed Nov 30, 2011 3:22 am **Posts:** 2

Thank you all for the advice. I think I'm leaning toward the Museum of Flight. I might be able to stretch our stay a bit. We'll be spending three days on the ferry going from Haines AK to Bellingham WA. We might need more than one day to unwind and stretch out. Talking about JB McCord-Lewis if they have a B-18 and a B-23 there I'll have to try and swing over. I was looking at Google maps and trying to figure out what was there. I was geussing 3 C-47's. Again thank you.

JDK · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 5:01 am

danord wrote:

I was looking at Google maps and trying to figure out what was there.

Worth mentioning Mike's 'Locator' again - it's Google Maps for aviation hunters...

http://aerialvisuals.ca/Locator.php

The Inspector · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 8:22 am

The only ways to get TO the museum @ JBLM (McChord) is to be active duty, retired military with I.D. or during one of the infrequent Summer Open Houses. Since the museum is inside the base. Apparently, our government is afraid that someone is going to steal a C-17 and you, being the guy who's paying for this wonderful collection and it's maintenance are precluded from viewing it as you ARE the great unwashed. It's like watching your boss light his cigar with a $50.
So, even tho it's there, and a very nice collection, 99% of us in the area don't even give it a thought or a mention, it's like telling someone you just saw a Bugatti.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 8:37 am

Most AFB museums can be viewed by simply sending an e-mail or calling ahead of time. I have not once been turned down to view an old aircraft on a military base when I called ahead.

WallyB · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 9:16 am

mustangdriver wrote:

Most AFB museums can be viewed by simply sending an e-mail or calling ahead of time. I have not once been turned down to view an old aircraft on a military base when I called ahead.

Are you a veteran ? I'm not (US) and have been denied entry to a couple; McChord as above and Ft.Bragg although since that's Army it may not be the same thing.

mustangdriver · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 9:38 am

I am not a veteran. All I have ever done, is just plan the visit, call or e-mail the PR person or the base main number and describe that I am an airplane fan and interested in the history of the aircraft on the base. And that I would like to know I f there was a way to get permission to view the aircraft. I have never once been denied, and at an ANG base in OH was even escorted on to the flight line after we viewed the aircraft, and allowed to interact and watch the pilots of F-16's pre flight, taxi and takeoff from the flight line, and photograph the whole thing. I posted a thread about it a while back.

Fight2FlyPhoto · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 3:03 pm

If you're going to be driving by via I5 you might as well at least make the loop around Paine Field to see the jumbos and whatever else may be out and about. It's a good break from Bellingham. If you visit Historic Flight Foundation you'll get to climb on board Grumpy, their B-25D Mitchell. (The oldest flying B-25). That itself is a pretty kid-friendly experience! Also, if you're going to be coming through in the near future, you may catch them on a maintenance flight as it will be starting its annual this weekend.

Flying Heritage Collection is currently finishing up the annual on their P-47 and has a newly painted (and fresh out of annual) P-40C Tomahawk. The prop is back for their Hurricane and sent the prop for their Mustang out for inspection as well.

If you're in a real hurry and want to just be able to say you visited, I could easily see you visiting both facilities and be back on the road within 2 hours.

If you're really feeling adventurous you may even want to visit Legend Flyers, as they are hard at work restoring a Mitsubishi A6M3-32 right now.

It's super-quick access to and from I5.

That's my $0.03

The Inspector · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 4:36 pm

Actually, the A6M model 32 is a new build, they also are working on a really frightening iron pipe and fibreglass Fake (NOT Focke) Wulfe 190 as a static display. the original owner/builder was going to fly the thing using an R1830 and it suffers from a bad case of Demerititus, chewing gum welds, 'close enough' alignment of some parts. The ZERO wing will make you shake your head in wonder at how the Mitsubushi folks could put that many teeny parts together so quickly because there's places that I don't see how anyone could get their hand and a bucking bar into, and they're all 1/8th inch rivets.

Fight2FlyPhoto · **Posted:** Thu Dec 01, 2011 6:23 pm

The Inspector wrote:

Actually, the A6M model 32 is a new build, they also are working on a really frightening iron pipe and fibreglass Fake (NOT Focke) Wulfe 190 as a static display. the original owner/builder was going to fly the thing using an R1830 and it suffers from a bad case of Demerititus, chewing gum welds, 'close enough' alignment of some parts. The ZERO wing will make you shake your head in wonder at how the Mitsubushi folks could put that many teeny parts together so quickly because there's places that I don't see how anyone could get their hand and a bucking bar into, and they're all 1/8th inch rivets.

Yeah, that Fake-Wulf is quite scary, considering at some point the intent was to fly it. lol Glad they had the change of heart!

I suggested they keep the clear plastic as skin for the wing to demonstrate your point, but they didn't go for it. :-D

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