Great Machines: Aircraft: Dream Weaver
June 1, 2008
There’s something about a waco biplane—something in the way it flies and looks—that no modern aircraft has been able to duplicate. Like an Auburn Speedster or a Gar Wood motorboat, the WACO is an irrefutably competent machine and a sublime work of art. One of the seminal designs of the Golden Age, the twin-winged 1935 YMF-5 from WACO (pronounced wah-koh, short for Weaver Aircraft Company of Ohio, by which the manufacturer was known during its heyday) was a favorite of goggled gentlemen fliers and air-show barnstormers.
In 1983, a group of open-cockpit buffs founded the WACO Classic Aircraft Corporation with the singular goal of reviving the YMF-5 for the modern age. Three years later, the first airplane rolled off Classic’s new line in Battle Creek, Mich., and earned its FAA certification. The reborn YMF has its predecessor’s remarkable shape, but more than 300 under-the-skin modifications make it stronger, safer, and easier to fly.
"The original YMF-5 was the ultimate expression of power, grace, and beauty," notes Classic Aircraft’s CEO, Mitchell Lampert. "That it’s still an object of lust and desire more than 70 years later is testament to the timeless lines and visceral strength of this classic aircraft."
With its gorgeous Sensenich two-blade prop a wooden blur and its remanufactured Jacobs 7-cylinder engine settled into a 2,000-rpm radial rumble, the YMF Super cruises at a relaxed 105 mph. Large windscreens keep the two-person front and single-seat rear cockpits surprisingly turbulence-free, and an array of modern avionics—including GPS navigation and a collision-avoidance system—belies the design’s artful antiquity.
Starting at $377,500, each YMF Super is a handcrafted labor of love for Classic Aircraft’s team, who invest about 5,000 hours in the process. Says Lampert, "In an age when other aircraft manufacturers are rushing to build faster and sleeker airplanes with exotic composite materials, utilizing high-tech manufacturing processes, and sophisticated powerplants, the WACO YMF Super truly stands alone."
WACO Classic Aircraft Corporation, www.wacoclassic.com
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