Paul Allen's Flying Heritage Collection

What do you do if you're a bizillionaire, and in touch with your inner little boy?

Well, you might buy a really big yacht, old tanks, rockets and cool old airplanes.

And you might invest in artificial intelligence, brain science, and other really cool things.

I wasn't invited to hang out on any of the yachts but last Sunday I was in Seattle, and visited Paul Allen's (Microsoft co-founder) Flying Heritage Collection at Paine Field in Everette, Washington.

This collection does something interesting. Each aircraft's informational plaque explains not only the model of aircraft, but the history of this particular aircraft.

With only a few exceptions, each of these aircraft are in flyable condition, and do fly once a year. I saw one aircraft that was the sole surviving aircraft of its type, so while flyable, it was not flown.

The wreck of a Japanese Zero found in New Guineau

A restored Zero found in much the same condition as the hulk above.

A flyable Zero.

A Curtiss Jenny. One of my favorite aircraft since it was built not far from where I was born.

A German V-2 Rocket. Always heard about them. Never saw one.

A British Spirfire.

A German Storch. Anyone who has read WEB Griffin's Honor Bound series have read about these.

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