The WACO company was founded in 1920 and one of the founders, George "Buck" Weaver (WACO = Weaver Aircraft Company), was the designer and test pilot for many of their early designs. The first WACO was a small single place aircraft called a Cootie and Buck crashed it on his first test flight, suffering extensive injuries. Many historians feel that the Cootie was the first WACO, though many claim that the flying boat (powered by an Indian motorcycle engine) was the first, including WACO co-founder, Clayton Brukner. During the time that Buck was recovering from his injuries, he joined with is brother for a short stint, while he invented the desert called "Eskimo Pie!" WACO grew up during the golden age of aviation (early 1920s until the beginning of World War II in 1939) and during this time the WACO aircraft company made their mark in aviation history; but in 1946, following the war years, the WACO company dissolved operations and closed. Though rare, there are still a number of restored Waco Biplanes located around the country (America) and Bill Lyons based his FS design on a 1987 YMF restored taper-wing model.
During this year of celebration of a century of aviation, flying FS aircraft of historical significance has been something that I have been enjoying very much. Considering that Lynn and Bill Lyons also enjoy aircraft of our aviation past rather than a modern prop or jet, this was a perfect time for Bill to release aircraft this FS design.
Installation and Documentation
First you need to send Bill $12.50 by PayPal, then Bill will send you (email) a download site where you can get your new Waco YMF biplane set; but first you need to look at the little extra something in your download! He will ask you what name you wish placed on a custom hanger and you can choose the location (airport) of your hanger and you will also notice your name on a panel-mounted placard as well; "This Waco built for xxxxxx?" From there it is easy to unzip and place each supplied folder into your FS2002 root directory, nothing to it.
Bill has never been one much for extensive written material, mostly because the aircraft he designs for Flight Simulator are generally all quite simple and really not requiring anything extensive for its operation. He does provide a "readme" file containing all you need to know for installation, and as to the extent of any additional items included. Bill also provides a fairly accurate check-sheet for start up procedures and such.
Other information, like these aircraft's specifications, are included in the description area when you select any of them from your FS2002 aircraft menu. In the case of these aircraft, the following will be found in the aircraft.cfg file:
description=A modern update of a classic Waco biplane, this model is based on a 1987 YMF. Specifications are: Span: (upper) 30'0" (lower) 26'10" length: 23'4", Engine: Jacobs R-755 B2, 7-Cylinder Radial Engine-- 275 HP @ 2200 RPM. Three passenger capacity, one in back two in front. Two 24 gal wing mounted fuel tanks Aircraft
During the 1930s, the Boeing Stearman was a far more popular aircraft, mostly because the Stearman was the choice of the US military as a trainer and spotter aircraft, whereas the Waco was limited to its civilian purchasers. Because it was looked at more for its aesthetic appeal, rather than its utilitarian advantages, the Waco is a much better looking aircraft than the Stearman. Smooth lines with tapered wings and heavier-gauge wiring between the upper and lower wings, not to mention the bubbled cowling over the 7 cylinder radial engine gave the Waco its distinctive look that carries over even to today.
Though I personally have never flown a Waco, I have viewed several in real life (various airshows and fly-ins) and I would put the Waco on the top of my list of being one of the most attractive of the biplanes!
How well did Lynn and Bill capture the good looks and appeal of the Waco? Absolutely perfectly I must say! From every angle, the Waco Classics are each beautiful aircraft to look at and they have just the right amount of reflective qualities without any degradation of the bright finish of a freshly polished or newly painted aircraft!
With the wheeled version coming in four colors; white, red, yellow, or dark green and the float version in either silver or dark green, you have a good selection of very accurately and very realistically designed Waco biplanes to choose from.
Panels
Of course Bill has included a realistic 2D panel and fully dynamic 3D virtual panel/cockpit, but I don't believe anyone will find themselves using the 2D panel much, as the virtual cockpit with the Waco Classics is so well presented and conveys such a true sense of flight, the 2D panel mode is really not necessary, in my opinion.
The gauges in the virtual panel mode are all bright, clear, and quite easy to read though they are somewhat default-like appearance (this being Lynn and Bill's first payware aircraft, the gauges included with the Wacos do have that reflective (virtual panel) quality on their glass faceplates, rather they're based on the default gauges. This shouldn't deter anyone though, the gauges are still quite good, regardless of whether they appear to be like the default Cessna type gauges or not. Bill has also included the default (Cessna) radio-autopilot pop-up window and the default GPS as well (also on a pop-up window). So you do have the advantages of a modern avionics setup (much like any new restore project would in all likelihood have anyway and on which this version of the Waco classic is based) in an aircraft from the early part of the 20th Century.
Advanced Avionics and FMC operation
Just checking to see if you're actually reading my review or not... hehehe!
Airfile
I found the airfile for the Waco Classic to be more than acceptable and typical for an aircraft of this type. I did attempt to execute a spin and a sideslip to landing, but the aircraft would not perform these maneuvers, as with any FS aircraft (excepting the RealAir SF.260 of course), though I did find that a forward slip was well simulated. Other maneuvers that I attempted (loop or slow roll) were possible, but a bit of forward thinking was required—remember, the Waco biplane was equipped with only a 275HP engine, so any of these aerobatic type maneuvers required more power than the Waco was capable of to be competed successfully. Overall, I give Bill a B+ for his airfile work and these aircraft are easy to fly and land, much as the real ones are, but do remember these are taildraggers and that simple fact can get the novice in trouble on occasion, especially in a crosswind landing! These FS aircraft are capable of a ground-loop if you're not careful, so practice is necessary for the experienced and novice flight simmer alike.
Sounds
Once again, Lynn and Bill have included sounds that are equal in quality to the aircraft they're installed into. The sounds are exactly as any 7 cylinder radial would be expected, as they are very realistic, especially from the cockpit position when you've got your head stuck into the wind from an open cockpit!
Summary
As I've already stated, Lynn and Bill found that it had, to maintain their website, become necessary to move over into the commercial side of FS aircraft design—this being their first entry in this endeavor, well it's my opinion that it is a big success. You get a great looking and flying Classic biplane, with a really terrific and quite flyable virtual cockpit, custom hanger, and a FS aircraft that is easy on the framerates! All this for the mere sum of $12.50USD, not a bad deal in my book! Considering that the going rate for a quality FS aircraft add-on (payware) is somewhere between $20 and $60, you do get more than your monies worth with this package! Also, as always, Bill included a set of flights that appear in your "my flights" list, to get you started at flying these really terrific biplanes.
Downloadable from the Golden Eagle Squadron website.
Please click here to read the companion Ryan STA Review.
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