Mark Lightsey flying the Jacobs R755-powered Waco YKS-7 from Flabob, California, on July 12.

Following a two-and-half-year restoration at Mark Lightsey’s Aerocraftsman restoration shop, Waco YKS-7 NC17472 flew again at Flabob Airport, Riverside, California.

Lightsey, whose most famous project is the Caudron C.460 replica that was built for Tom Wathan (see May 2009 Aeroplane), said: “This 1937-built aeroplane had never been restored, and was really tired and worn out when the current owner found it at Mena, Arkansas, back in 1998.  After trucking it out to the West Coast in a removal van, restoration was started by another shop, but no real forward progress was made other than further disassembly. Cabin Wacos are notoriously complicated to work on, and this one was no exception. We started on it just as the Caudron project was winding down, and it’s been pretty much a full-time effort since then. The fuselage was taken down to bare tubing and repaired and replaced as necessary, including all new formers and stringers, interior, instrument panel etc.”