Waco Aircraft Company Ymf

Single Piston

The Waco YMF is a modern recreation of the classic American open-cockpit biplane, built by the revived Waco Aircraft Company in Battle Creek, Michigan since 1986. While the original Waco biplanes dominated barnstorming and early commercial aviation in the 1920s and 1930s, today's YMF faithfully captures that golden-age aesthetic with contemporary materials and powerplants—typically a Jacobs R-755 radial engine producing 275 horsepower, though some variants use the Continental W-670. The aircraft seats two in tandem configuration with dual controls, making it popular for aerobatic training, warbird enthusiasts, and nostalgic sightseeing operations. The YMF's performance envelope reflects its heritage: a cruise speed around 105 knots, a never-exceed speed of 158 knots, and a stall speed as low as 42 knots with full flaps. Maximum takeoff weight is 2,650 pounds, and the biplane configuration delivers exceptional slow-flight handling and short-field capability. The aircraft's robust steel-tube fuselage and fabric-covered wings follow traditional construction methods, though modern avionics and safety features bring it into compliance with current certification standards. With its distinctive radial engine rumble and classic lines, the YMF remains one of the few production biplanes still manufactured today. SkyMeter has tracked 22 flights across 8 airframes and 8 operators, with FREEDOM LEASING ENT INC the largest observed operator.