"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, named "KayLee," was fully restored by a husband and wife from a rusted frame and parts.
The extensive "frame up" restoration took 7,000 hours over eight years, starting in 2014.
The aircraft completed its successful first flight post-restoration on May 6, 2021, featuring numerous upgrades including modern avionics, new wheels and brakes, and engine modifications.

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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.