In the 1980s, the Michigan-based company revived the classic Weaver Aircraft YMF with the original FAA flight certificate from 1935, but with a modern engine and avionics. It renamed the new-old aircraft the Waco YMF-5. After a recent ownership change, Waco grew from 25 employees to 100 and quadrupled its factory space. With that, production capacity went from five or six planes a year to 15 or 20. “The demand is definitely there,” Waco’s Alex Skiba told.
The best of both worlds: The original YMF design built now with a modern engine and avionics. Note the classic wooden propeller. “The majority of the challenges we’ve had come down to the craftsmanship and teaching our artisans the techniques and methods from the time of hand-building,” says Skiba. “But we have assembled an incredibly talented team.”
The level of customization and the mechanics involved mean that something like 6,000 hours of labor go into each aircraft, which is why the price hovers around $650,000. But for collectors and the business jet owner who serves as his own pilot, the price is worth it.