Fighter Factory

[VaBeachEd]

It was such a nice day in Virginia Beach Saturday, we thought we'd take the Mossie out for some air! (Only on the ground, unfortunately!) We started both Merlins for a nice crowd at the Military Aviation Museum. She started and ran perfectly!


I was lucky enough to be the PC for the engine run - so I had a great view. We exercised all control surfaces, flaps and bomb bay doors. All check 4.0. Life is good!


As always, the crowd got a nice "up close and personal" look at her!


Here she goes back into the hangar -- the last few feet by hand.

[DH82EH]

Wishing the best for all you folks in V. Beach.
Thanks for the photos and signs of life.

Andy Scott

[Travisd80elcam]

it would seem that there is GREAT NEWS on the Fighter Factory front, or at least it would seem that way by the museum's lastest edition of "Prop Noise" (news letter). They now have on display the MIG-3, FW-190 'Blue 4', La-9, and Curtis Jenny. Also of interest to readers would be that, on page 4 they have listed that in the spring they will be offering rides in their PT-17 Kaydet and SNJ-2.

news letter link is here --> http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/newsletter.html

Travis

I think you would be hard pressed to call this "great news." It will be good news if the MAM/Fighter Factory survives as a primarily static vintage aviation museum. But there is nothing to suggest that it is or will become even a shadow of the major warbird flying museum that it was.

[Mike]

It will be good news if the MAM/Fighter Factory survives as a primarily static vintage aviation museum.

I would call that 'bad news'. We have enough of those already with Evergreen, Palm Springs, Tillamook, Kalamazoo, the former Champlin collection, etc. I would rather see the collection broken up and the aircraft sold to new owners who will keep them in the air than have it become yet another mausoleum full of dead airframes.

[airnutz]

..yet another mausoleum of dead airframes.

In pirate talk...
Arrrrrrrr...the cold lifeless beasts before you, tharrr plexy and armoured windscreens appearing to stare back at yers wit a blank gazzze...Loik...Loik...Dolllllseyyyyyes.....ARRRRRRRRRRRRRR

(Apologies to Cap'n Quint)

[Liza]

I think you would be hard pressed to call this "great news." It will be good news if the MAM/Fighter Factory survives as a primarily static vintage aviation museum. But there is nothing to suggest that it is or will become even a shadow of the major warbird flying museum that it was.

It will survive. Don't worry.

[BenG]

I would call that 'bad news'. We have enough of those already with Evergreen, Palm Springs, Tillamook, Kalamazoo, the former Champlin collection, etc. I would rather see the collection broken up and the aircraft sold to new owners who will keep them in the air than have it become yet another mausoleum full of dead airframes.

+ 1.

[Mark Allen M]

I find it quite interesting to read posts from those who feel they have an opinion on how a person or organization should run his business when they have nothing to do with that business. Kind of like someone stating it's a shame you live in your own home when you don't use your backyard for BBQ's and suggesting someone else should own it that BBQ's regularly. It's none of our business to question the motives of one who has / is paying the bills on his own airplanes. If those of us who want to complain or chastise what is good news, bad news or marginal news about someone else's business, perhaps it's best to keep your mouth shut and open up your checkbooks instead. I'm sure those folks wouldn't complain one bit about your donation to help the cause.

It's his airplanes and if he wants / needs to sell a few (or all) it's his choice and business. If he chooses to mothball them it's his business. To suggest he simply sell them if he can't / won't fly them is still no one's business on this or any other forum. Perhaps he can't afford to fly most of what he has chosen to keep simple because in this day and age it's not economically smart. Does this mean he should sell his own property to someone else who would fly them? Any suggestion of such is nothing more than selfish. Again this is all speculation and quite frankly none of our business.

Whatever Yagan decides to do with the rest of HIS property is up to him alone and I for one have not one negative thing to state about Yagan's past, present or future plans. He's done more for the warbird movement than most all of us put together. Until you've ponied up the time and MONEY this fellow has put into warbirds there's nothing anyone should be suggesting other than appreciation for a job well done.

Anything that has to do with warbirds these days is nothing short of extremely expensive. If you want to see more warbirds fly feel free to go buy em and fly em. That way the rest of us can sit back and appreciate your efforts, or chastise what we selfishly think are your lack of efforts.

[lmritger]

It will be good news if the MAM/Fighter Factory survives as a primarily static vintage aviation museum.

I would call that 'bad news'. We have enough of those already with Evergreen, Palm Springs, Tillamook, Kalamazoo, the former Champlin collection, etc. I would rather see the collection broken up and the aircraft sold to new owners who will keep them in the air than have it become yet another mausoleum full of dead airframes.

"You would rather see..." How about the thousands of people that visit the museum every year, on the hundreds of days when there ISN'T flying taking place? How about those of us locals who treasure this little slice of aviation heaven over in Va Beach and go there every chance we get just to be around the airplanes? How about the volunteers and staff of the museum who have invested years of their lives to build this into an amazing facility?

You've had your say. So here's mine. I would rather see the naysayers and crap-talkers on forums all over the internet shut their festering gobs for half a d@mned second and appreciate the fact that 1) Jerry Yagen has built this absolutely incredible collection dedicated to military aviation, 2) that he offers unprecedented public access to this goldmine, and 3) that the Museum has just gone through the toughest period of it's entire existence and is finally beginning to get back to work. We have repeated assurances things are going to be fine and aircraft will get back in the air, but even if they didn't, WE STILL WANT THE MUSEUM HERE.

So give the Museum and it's hardworking personnel their due. That's what *I* would rather see. Naive of me, I'm certain, but since we're wishing for stupid things, I may as well put it out there.

Lynn

[warbirdfinder]

Both Imritger and Mark Allen could have said it better!!!

Regarding Doug Champlin, his goal was to keep his lifetime collection together for all to enjoy. He did this by selling it to the Seattle Museum of Flight and they have done an excellent job of displaying his aircraft.

[Mike]

Regarding Doug Champlin, his goal was to keep his lifetime collection together for all to enjoy. He did this by selling it to the Seattle Museum of Flight and they have done an excellent job of displaying his aircraft.

Just as long as you remember to take a flashlight to help you find them when you visit

[Mike]

I would rather see the naysayers and crap-talkers on forums all over the internet shut their festering gobs for half a d@mned second......

Nice.

You stay classy lmritger!

Last edited by Mike on Sat Nov 02, 2013 2:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Mudge]

Holy _ _ _ _ ! I was going to put in a positive $.02 in but I'm not sure I could handle the abuse right now.

Mudge

[Chad Veich]

How does someone saying that they would rather see the aircraft flying under individual ownership rather than owned by a single entity and static equate to having an opinion on how anybody should run their business? Explain to me how that is nay-saying or crap talking? I have absolutely no problem with whatever Yagen wants to do with his property. That said, I agree totally with Mike in that I would rather see them scattered all over the country and flying than all parked in Va. Beach. Just my opinion of course but I believe I am allowed it and I don't see why anybody would be offended by it. Of course the optimal would be that Yagen could keep them all AND fly them too but, if that's not possible, then I don't think Mr. Yagen would be surprised to learn that there are lots of avaition enthusiests who would prefer to see the aircraft go to homes where they could be flown. That's not disrespectful to Mr. Yagen, just typical "airplane g-e-e-k" wishful thinking.

Last edited by Chad Veich on Sun Nov 03, 2013 11:12 am, edited 1 time in total.