An open cockpit airplane is fun, whether it was built last week or 50 years ago. But when you take a classic design and make it from modern materials, you have a winner all around. That’s the formula pursued by the Waco Classic Aircraft Co. in Battle Creek, Mich.

“The Waco harkens back to a time when aviation was more of an adventure,” said Peter Bowers, CEO of Waco Classic Aircraft as he carefully wiped the morning dew off the gleaming red and white airframes during this summer’s AirVenture. “The Waco is not transportation, it is flying. It is an airplane that a lot of people lust after because it’s an incredibly sexy airplane. It is a fun airplane to fly and it brings back memories of yesterday. It’s not like the kind of flying that you get today in so many other types of airplanes where it is a more sterile experience.”

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