Warbird Information Exchange

Not to change the subject, or hijack a thread--but hey it's all SOPLATA: I seem to recall someone here mentioning a diorama in 1/72 of the soplata collection. I'm thinking of doing this myself. I sure would like to see some photos of other's efforts. i NEVER tire of looking at all the many pictures on the internet. It's the dream scene we vintage airplane nuts fantasize about! 'Anything Soplata', and 'The Battle of Tighar' are my favorite WIX subjects.

I could understand that managing this kind of estate could be very difficult and finding the best solution to trade the planes for the correct prices and respecting the Walter Soplata's wishes for his collection.

Just for the fun, a few weeks ago in France, a collection of historic cars, very similar to the Soplata collection (wrecks requiring extensive restoration) was auctionned : the majority of the car were sold for the double or the triple of the market price for a fully restored car.
The buyers were various investissors, not interested in historic car at all, just interested in good investments.
Real owner of historic car who attended the auction and came back without bying a car, had a good laught thinking about the "good deal" these gold diggers made.

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Sorry for my bad English:-(

The current bubble with collector cars is amazing. Look out when it pops.

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Always looking for WW2 Half-Tracks and Parts.

I was in the industry when it burst last time ('91 IIRC) I remember someone's "sure thing" E-type ($40K purchase, $60k restoration plan to sell at $120K+) in our shop when the bottom fell out. Similar cars weren't making $70K anymore. Kinda felt sorry for him. OTOH Ford Cortina before the bubble $1000, during the bubble $1000, after the bubble $1000, I was OK

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Lest Hero-worship raise it's head and cloud our vision, remember that World War II was fought and won by the same sort of twenty-something punks we wouldn't let our daughters date.

Why not? People know his stuff is not for sale so why even bother? But Im not going to ruin someone else because I didn't get my own way.

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Shop the Airplane Bunker At
www.warbirdbunker.com

Although the 'Jonny Joo' photos have been reported and pulled, I still find them all over the internet. That article seems to have gotten picked up and republished over and over. I really enjoyed them, but I do understand the feelings of violation the trespassing and non-permission causes. I'm excited about the repeated hints of hitherto unknown treasures there. 'Joo's' pix did not reveal any new gems that I could detect. Cannot wait for the day!!!! Walter's collection deserves to be a museum.

Why are they against selling it? If they don't have the means to atleast maintain the collection in a better state than it is now then the planes ought to be sold before all that's left is green powder stain on the ground in the shape of planes

Someone on a Vans Air force facebook page is claiming to have purchased the Skyraider.

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Cessna 195

Well, for starters and probably most important, it's THEIRS. They don't have to sell stuff just because someone else wants it. It's one of the better aspects of a free society.
Second, Walter himself probably had no idea what the value of some of that stuff was by the time he passed away. What is the current going rate for a lot of a B-36, do you know? I sure don't. It's a given the family has no clue what all the stuff is worth. I don't blame them for wanting to know before they even considering selling anything.
Third, this is a family's heritage. If my Dad collected even something I didn't care anything for, I'd be hestiant to sell it because it would have been important to my Dad at some point and, well, I love both my parents a great deal.

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Life member, 91st BG Memorial Association
Owner, 1944 Willys MB #366014
Former REMF (US Army, O3)

Hmmm, once again another rumor needs put to rest. I've not heard anything like that and once again I'll reiterate the following: as of now there is nothing going on with the aircraft/collection. If need be I'll get in touch with the person I know who's an insider and have that person post a reply to this thread.

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A&P/I.A., A.A.S./Aviation Maintenance technology
Warbird salvage/recovery
One day I'll get that P-40!

I just received the latest Sports Car Market magazine with the auction results...not necessarily to the level you mention, but still very "well sold".
They also said the French-built cars were bid by French residents to high levels to keep them in the country. The government even bought one for a museum
BUT...those cars can eventually be used...either driven or just admired as art.

A 40s-50s fighter is never going to fly again...parts, economics and rules (or just common sense) won't allow it. I'm not sure what anyone would do with the mortal remains of the B-36 and B-52.
And unlike a Bugatti or coach-bodied Delage, not many are lining up to put an airplane in their art room.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

As the executor of two estates, I can tell you, there may be many reasons to defer selling it. I'll throw out a few...

1) Taxes. There are some sales deferral choices which can minimize taxes.
2) Emotional attachment. Maybe Momma or someone else isn't ready to part out Walter's legacy.
3) Maybe there is an ongoing debate about who the right person to sell the collection is or what restrictions to place on the items. A future flyer is worth more than a static airframe. Perhaps some want to preserve the airplanes the way Walt wanted (on the ground) and other family members want to maximize the value by selling the airframes without restrictions.

There are many, many possibilities.

Its all #2!

Mrs. Soplata watched over the years as Walt brought things "home". And after seeing all the attention the collection brings it shows what it all means to us and what it meant to Walt. I sure wish I had some one in my family who would have brought aircraft that was deemed " scrap" back to T-town.

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A&P/I.A., A.A.S./Aviation Maintenance technology
Warbird salvage/recovery
One day I'll get that P-40!

I would like to see the cockpit and fuselage of the CF100 that Walter has repatriated back into this country one day.

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Cheers,
Peter

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I may not have any news to share but I feel I should chip in. Images of the Collection have been circulating online with very "clickbait" headlines - eg "This man bought all these planes after the war and kept them hidden...you won't believe these photos!!", "Secret Airplane Graveyard Revealed" etc.

Much like the "barn find" of the Edwards Buchons, the Soplata Collection is becoming(has been for ages?) another fascinating true story becoming distorted by needless myth and hearsay.

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Zac in NZ
#avgeek, modelbuilder, photographer, writer. Callsign: "HANDBAG".
https://linktr.ee/zacyates

"It's his plane, he spent the money to restore it, he can do with it what he wants. I will never understand what's hard to comprehend about this." - kalamazookid, 20/08/2013
"The more time you spend around warbirds the sooner you learn nothing, is simple." - JohnB, 24/02/22