Last year my Dad helped me make a video of me and him flying the Great Planes WACO BiPlane. We didn't have the camera setup good enough to capture any stunts.


I've been flying this beautiful plane every summer since we put it together in 2017! Never had a bad crash with it. But, this year, I had some engine trouble. The engine quit in a bad spot in the sky. I was able to glide the model in for a landing, but the landing was too hot. I got the model down to touch the wheels, but it wasn't enough to slow it down enough before it hit the soft grass at the end of the runway. It flipped so hard that it broke the propeller and cracked the cowling, and broke wooden cowling mount.

For about 4 weeks or so, Dad and I have been trying to fix the cowling mount. We think we got it good enough to fly it again!

Here is my problem. Great Planes doesn't make this model anymore. That means I can't buy parts for it anymore.

My reason for writing this post is, I'm looking for another ARF BiPlane to replace this one. It doesn't need to be the same model of course. I'm looking for recommendations.

I will continue to fly this plane, even it I haft to fly without the cowling. But I think it would be a good idea to get another Biplane so that I can build me a new one.

If you would like to hear me describe what happened then I also made these videos too.

The Waco is a beautiful plane. The repair easy, why replace it.

It was not easy. It took us 4 weeks to remake the mounting rings, and even now, one of the 4 mounting screws won't turn in. It looks easy until you got to do it. Plus if I ever break the fiber glass that holds the wings together, I'm done. I can't replace it, nor can I make new.

Copy that Greg. Didn't mean to be flippant with the quick response. I realize it can be hard to do a correct repair on our planes and take longer than expected. Popular airframe even though discontinued. There are parts out there but can be a task to find on the net. Hope you get yours back up and pick up another bi plane to love. I love all of mine.
Best
Aaron-

Aaron, I looked around but I couldn't find the parts I need. I at least needed the mounting rings. A new Cowling and a New dummy engine would of been nice too. I had to fiber glass with thin CA glue my dummy engine back together. Then I made it stronger by mounting it against balsa sheeting. My dad and I made new mounting rings, and then we tried to do the best we could to drill the holes so that everything would line up. Oddly enough once the new ring got epoxied into the Cowling, those holes no longer lined up perfectly. When you got blind nuts glued into something you got have things line up perfectly or the screws just won't go in. So far we can get 3 of the 4 in. The one just wants to cross thread. Part of the reason why this is so hard is because the screws drop down in behind where the fuse meets the cowling. There is a lip that makes you use a ball driver to even get on the screws, to turn them. It's complicated way of mounting a cowling.

Here is a picture of what the original cowling rings looked like.

https://www.hobbytown.com/great-plan...ma4079/p646939

https://www.greathobbies.com/product...od_id=GPMA4079

When I was making mine, I had only 1/2 of a ring to make a copy of...

Geez. I know that mount is a bummer. But it is nice with no exposed screws in the cowl. I friend got that ARF last winter for a song. If I had a spare I would have sent it along I have two of the 1349 and 1359 arfs Don't use cowls on either as I have radials in both planes that don't fit. I gave the cowls away to folks who needed them. I think that internal ring was the same!

It has been a really good airplane. I enjoy flying it. It's one of my favorite models to fly when it's cloudy because it's easy to see, and flies slow.

I don't care about the mounting screws being hidden. None of my other scale models, hides the mounting screws.

I just wish I could get parts for this model.

That's a nice engine. It's out of my budget range! Seems like that would be too much power for this size of model. Probably drinks your fuel down extremely fast!

Shoot Greg. Poke around the forums for parts. I have had really good luck on these GP models finding used and nos parts.
Agreed. The yellow/black is is the best visable choices period!
The OS FR300 is a 49 cc motor. It is equivalent to a 30 cc single. Heavy at 6 pounds without a ring. Flys the 12.5 pound airframe with good authority with a 20/10. Enough clearance to land well without prop strikes. Gotta grease it in being so heavy though. . Easy to tear the gear off.(don't ask how I know that lol) I fly the gp super Stearman with a Saito R5 too. Same set up otherwise. The Saito is a fifty cc.6.5 pounds with a ring. Great everyday flyers.
Not bad on fuel either. Love the sound!
​​​​​​​ Your Waco sounds VERY nice in your dad's video. Really pretty in the air!

I fly mine on a O.S. 95AX 2-stroke engine.

I got it back up in the air. Only 3 of the 4 bolts holding the Cowling on. I don't know how you poke around the forums to find parts... I did a little searching... I guess if you got all day with nothing else to do I might find something... Other then that it seems like a really hard thing to do.

Cool Greg. You may get the fourth bolt pretty easy by putting a 16 inch 1/4 drill through the ring and firewall near the problem one and screwing a brass insert into the new hole in the firewall from the outside. Most good hardware stores carry them. Had some good success with chasing the threads on the existing t nut too. Many times they come loose from the firewall internally and spin though. Pulling outward on the tap using vise grips will usually prevent them from spinning once you engage the tap a 1/2 turn or so very gently. I think that t nut is 4 mm. Not 10/32. Taps are cheap. Another way to go is put a light music wire through from the outside till you can get to it on the inside. Push the t nut out and install the new one via the wire.
A simple request on the general section in the forums will usually get a response from someone with parts like me almost immediately. I personally have given away nos parts and recieved nos parts free or for the cost of shipping someone a mailer. Heck I given away three cowls for the Gp 1359 and gp 1349 myself. One with the fake radial in perfect condition. Also seen them sell more than once on RCU for 30 or less. Monitoring your post doesn't take any time at all.
There are lots of people like me that have a bunch of these common discontinued great planes models out there. There were a LOT made and sold for many years My buddy got one for 300 this spring nib. I haven't ever paid more than 350 for one flyable with some kind of motor I tossed in the scrap pile so I could mount one of my radials on it. Then pitched the cowl in a box till someone needed one. Or the trash when they pulled up.
Don't give up to easy dude. Big world out there, lots of good folks in this hobby. And a few scamming stinkers as with anything else.
Bottom line, just watch the three you have in there with good split ring lock washers next to a flat washer and fly on brother!
Battle scars are character.....

As you can probably tell from this thread. I haven't been getting as many responses as I used to get here. Maybe I didn't post in a good spot, or use a good title.

I tried the RCgroup Forums too. I got a suggestion from one of their members. https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...&postcount=125 I contacted that company (Fiber Glass Specialties Inc) that makes cowlings for some airplanes. It sounds like their cowling is close to what I have. Looks if I ground it down, it might work.

Here is the measurements the company gave me.
Fiberglass Specialties

DP-7 for the Pica 1/5 Waco measures approximately 8 1/8” inside diameter by 5 ¾” deep.

Hi Greg. Just saw this. Be mindful of FS, they changed hands a few years ago and can't deliver on some of the items previously listed on the site. Tried to buy a stock item blank cowl for my 1/4 scale Great Lakes. No go. Check my new Waco I am running in..

Last year, I had basically all good luck in the hobby. No crashes, or failures to speak of. This year has been a little ruff for me. I had two dead stick landings. 1 with the WACO. 1 With the Ryan. A bad landing with the Zlin forcing me to fix some old cracks in the cowl again. And I crashed my Stick 40 Trainer plane twice! Currently I'm trying to fix it.

What kind of WACO is that?

I don't know anything about radio engines. I don't plan to buy one because I'm only a 9 month Janitor for a school. I kinda stay on the bottom end of the glow powered planes.

I'm not a fan of biplanes so I'd replace it.

Can you explain what the "I kinda stay on the bottom end of the glow powered planes." is?

I fly electric.

I like biplanes and glow engines.

I am just a simple carpenter Greg. Just have expensive tastes lol.
The Waco is a Phoenix Models 90 series ARF I bought used. I just ran the first full gallon of 32:1 oil through the UMS 125. Ready to put the flying fuel in it and give it a try I am beefing up the wing supporting for this motor. Seems awfully powerful for this ARF Stay with glow or gas Greg. Electric has no soul... Lol

Hi Greg
finally got the deal done. Check it out