Be Safe But Authentic with Your New Old Panel

The restoration of this storied WACO shows it's not hard to enjoy modernly vintage instruments.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, January 18, 2024 at 02:14 PM ET

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Vintage instruments above, modern below on a 1934 WACO YMF-3. [Rebecca Rambal]

Key Takeaways:

The Gig Harbor Vintage Aero Museum houses meticulously restored vintage aircraft, with a focus on keeping them flying and operational rather than just for display.
Master mechanic Bob Johnson expertly integrates modern aviation technology (e.g., radios, ADS-B, electric starters) into these historical planes by discreetly hiding components and wiring to preserve their original, period-correct appearance.
This unique restoration approach, exemplified by the 1934 WACO YMF-3, allows vintage aircraft to operate safely and conveniently in modern airspace without compromising their historical authenticity.

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There is a lot of compromise in aviation.

When a person owns an open-cockpit vintage aircraft, one of the first decisions to make is how radio communications will be addressed. You can utilize a portable battery-operated handheld radio so the instrument panel remains true to factory specs, you could eschew the legacy panel gauges and install a modern radio and the supporting electrical system in the name of safety and convenience—or you can get creative and have the best of both worlds.