Waco YMF-3 (oz3182)

About this Plan

Waco YMF-3 Golden Age Biplane. Stand off scale radio control biplane for .60 power. Scale is 1/6. Plan on 4 pages. Does not include formers, but there is a small picture on page 4 of the printwood sheets included in the kit, could maybe be enlarged.

Update 10/10/2016: Replaced this plan with a clearer copy at 400 dpi, thanks to JJ. This version of the plan is on 2 large sheets, rather than 4 smaller sheets, and is easier to read.

Update 22/05/2018: Added kit review from RCM&E, April 1977, thanks to RFJ.

Quote: "Kit Review No.97: Dave Platt Models Waco YMF-3. THERE I was at the RCM&E offices chatting to the Editor when he I casually asked me if I would like to review a power model, perhaps even a scale model. Out came one large box containing a very large amount of wood, wire, and plastic mouldings and on the box label was the picture of a beautiful big biplane. How could I fail to be interested? Further perusal of the kit contents and plans completely sold me, here was a model, time or no time, I just had to build.

As stated in the instructions, the kit is to scale outline and consequently can be built to a full scale model, if desired. Limited scale detail is provided on the plans but to complement this I found an excellent set of plans, at Beaumont Aviation Literature. Further background information on Waco biplanes is also available in US Civil Aircraft Vol. 6 which gives many interesting photographs.

The model is an all wood structure, and as such requires a fair amount of building effort. The fuselage is constructed on a balsa crutch with formers and stringers. Wings use a Clark-Y aerofoil section (as did the full size) and are of conventional open frame construction. The tail group is basically an all sheet structure.

The kit: None of the die-cut sheets for formers, wing ribs, etc., are marked but have to be identified from layouts on the plans. An unusual feature of the kit is that where components of thicker sheet are required they are laminated up from 1/8 or 3/32 sheet, while the ply bulkheads are laminations of 1/16 ply. The plans are a well presented set of four rolled sheets and accompanying these is an illustrated instruction booklet which gives a detailed step by step building sequence.

Centrepiece of the kit must surely be the plastic mouldings which are used for the engine cowling, rocker arm fairings and wheel pants. These are not the more common ABS material, but injection moulded in a nylon-type material , altogether very nice components. All wire parts are ready shaped and included in the kit is a limited set of hardware, comprising bellcranks, horns and screws but not quicklinks, hinges, tank, wheels, etc.

Something of special interest to me was what appeared to be two excellent transfer sheets of large numerals and all the striping and trim required, unfortunately they turned out to be very disappointing, but more on this later!

Shortly after starting to build the model, I was talking to Richard Nicholls of Henry J Nicholls & Son Ltd, the importers, and he told me of a range of cockpit kits and accessories being produced by D&B models of Mentor, Ohio, USA, of special interest was a set for the Waco. I contacted Norman Berger at D&B and some months later I received the cockpit kit and also a very nice dummy radial engine, albeit nine instead of seven cylinders. Both the items helped to really finish the model off and are apparently now available from '308' direct.

Construction: The wing panels, by virtue of their flat bottomed section, are easily built direct on the building board. The construction is straightforward and the wings assemble in a very short time to a light and rigid structure.

A point of criticism here concerns the top wing mounting, a simple wood screw in a wood block is specified but I thought that, as this would wear very quickly, I would replace it with 4BA nylon screws and blind nuts.

Ailerons are of all sheet construction, sensible reinforcement being included for control linkage mounting. The ailerons are linked by a pushrod at their trailing edge and the kit details 1/16 ply horns to be used. I felt these would soon give rise to excessive backlash and replaced them with horns cut from standard nylon parts.

The fuselage is a highly interesting structure to build. All formers are supplied in left and right hand halves and require trimming before assembly. The fuselage crutch is constructed from 1/2 x 1/4 in balsa and the formers added..."

Supplementary file notes

Previous scan version (4 sheets).
Kit review.

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