Champlin Museum sale

Air Classics, Mar 2001

Although other publications reported months ago that the Champlin Fighter Museum had been sold to the Museum of Flight in Seattle, Wash-ington, the deal only closed on 1 December 2000. Described by one museum member as a "monumental battle of lawyers," the deal dragged on for months and months as lawyers wrangled over fine points in contracts that ran hundreds of pages. With heavy backing from high-- tech billionaires, the Museum of Flight will be adding new buildings to house the- collection - of which Doug Champlin will hold the honorary position of Curator Emeritus of the Champlin Fighter Collection.

Included in the deal will be all the World War One and Two aircraft -- with one notable exception. The ultra-rare Focke-Wulf Fw 190D was not taken by the Seattle group. "As you know, this aircraft was restored to flying condition but had never flown," stated a museum volunteer. "The engine was run several times for spectators but a bit of vital propeller gearing was missing, thus preventing flight." However, Doug Champlin recently unearthed the vital part and the Fw 190D will now be sold as a fully flying Warbird.

Since the Museum of Flight does not currently have enough space, the Champlin Fighter Museum will remain at the Falcon Field, Mesa, Arizona, facility until at least 2003 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of powered flight. In addition to the 25 fighters, an archive of 200 boxes of rare library materials will also accompany the Champlin purchase. The Museum of Flight, during its 35-year history, has acquired 107 aircraft and spacecraft, and the Boeing Company's 1999 donation of almost six acres of land across from the museum will form the site of the new building.

Unfortunately, the fighters will remain static and will not be flown but Warbird buyers now have the unprecedented opportunity of purchasing the magnificent Fw 190D.