"KayLee" 1941 Waco UPF-7 First Flight by Lisa Turner

“KayLee” 1941 Waco UPF-7 First Flight by Lisa Turner

Jamie Beckett

Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 12:11 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

A 1941 WACO UPF-7 biplane underwent an extensive "frame up" restoration by a couple over eight years, totaling 7,000 hours of work.
Acquired in 2014 as a rusted frame and parts, the aircraft made its first post-restoration flight on May 6, 2021, and was named "KayLee."
The restoration included numerous modern upgrades and modifications such as a right-side console with an electric panel and radios, Cleveland wheels and brakes, and an engine modified to a roller bearing STC.

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1941 WACO UPF-7 Serial #5593, First Flight after Frame Up Restoration

My husband and I bought this airplane in 2014 as a rusted fuselage frame along with boxes of parts. After working for 7,000 hours over eight years, we flew it for the first time May 6, 2021, the day I took this photo of the airplane and test pilot Joe Brinker. We named the airplane “KayLee,” a combination of family names.

We made numerous upgrade modifications as we were building, including right-side console with electric panel and radios, Cleveland wheels and brakes, and a metal fuel tank cover with engineering approval. The engine was also modified to the roller bearing STC.

Canon Powershot G3 1/160 sec exposure, max aperture 4.96875, f/5.6, ISO 125, focal length 80mm.