Matt, APG85, Randy et al--
Boy, go offline for a day or so and miss the best Walt thread in ages! That'll learn me...But then I've been to CWH and to the Russell airshow over the past three days, so it's a tradeoff.
That Mitchell, now owned by Jerry Yagen and recently returned to flight status as Rob says, was acquired in the early nineties by Steven Detch in Georgia, possibly along with some parts of another Mitchell from Walt's. The "two" 25s mentioned above are actually the same one, the ex-C.C. Wilson exotic-animal transport, an ex-nav trainer that had an "8-ball" logo on the extreme nose and the name "WILD CARGO" crudely daubed onto the starboard forward fuselage. It bellylanded at Lunken Field in Cincinnati in the early 60s, the very intact wreck being acquired by Walt for his collection. This was the one Mr Detch got and which is now flyable with Jerry Yagen in Virginia. Interestingly the "WILD CARGO" name was reapplied, in the same slapdash style, when the rebuild was completed! The other complete Mitchell in Walt's collection is (iirc) 44-86708, a TB-25N, bone stock down to its original 50s USAF livery (codes "BD:708"). That one is still at Newbury. Not counting typos, though, there were three distinct Mitchell serials reported in Walt's collection; and Mr Detch, in the first reports of his acquisition of a Mitchell from Walt, was said to have obtained TWO Mitchells. My guess is he got "Wild Cargo" plus parts of a third, incomplete, Mitchell hulk there...I didn't notice a third Mitchell when I was there decades ago, but geez, there had to be tons of stuff I simply missed, or didn't recognize even if I looked right at them! I shot two rolls of film on the first visit and another on the second, but wish I'd shot ten times as many each time. (Walt didn't mind photos being taken back then.)
As to the "Soplata Memorial Museum" concept...I've dreamt of that. (Literally. Very strange dream involving a Sea Fury parked in the rain at the bottom of a flight of stairs, and a smashing-looking brunette museum docent...) But seriously, it would be marvelous to have some of the less viable projects there statically restored and on show under one roof. Do I think that will happen? No. Would I love to see it (during my waking hours)? Yep! But...as to approaching Walt and/or Peggy about buying the whole "fleet", that's already been done, a couple times at least, and it isn't profitable. At this stage I think even those with the towering financial means to make great things of Walt's rescued birds, would best honour the man's wishes to be left alone. (It's out of respect for this that I have made no attempt to contact Walt since last seeing him, at Mt.Hope, in the late 80s. He might remember me, since I put him on the trail of a couple of his more unusual relics; but even so, nowadays he wants privacy, so that's that. It was heartening, though, to read Randy's report a couple years back and see plainly that the original Walt, the enthusiast, is still there under the surface.) If someday there is an auction at Newbury...I'll be there. Probably not in a position to be bidding: but just for the sheer history of it...
APG85, thanx for starting the thread; Randy, for the pix; and Walt, for rescuing all those treasures-with-wings when nobody else cared...
S.
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Aerial Visuals - Location Dossier - Walter Soplata Aviation Collection