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CLASSICS / text and photography by Berl Brechner

work is a repair job, yet an essentially new flap may be built around one original flap bracket. The airplanes he completes are not just restorations, however, Yezman will tell you. There are improvements. "On the outside it's a classic, on the inside it's as good as any of today's traveling machines." Yezman holds FAA approvals for modifications to the Staggerwing's fuel tanks, lines and sending systems and to certain wood component parts.
The finished airplane, its frame from Wichita, new leather from France, spruce, birch and mahogany from Canada - all held together with Aero-Lite glue from England- is delivered from Yezman's shop with a six-month, 100-hour guarantee. Yezman does the test-flying and then, at a hangar party, passes the keys to the owner, who also gets an album of photos documenting the entire project. 
The cost of all this? A lot. In 1972, Yezman estimated that the yellow Staggerwing could be rebuilt for $21,000. As the project grew in scale and spread over the years, the cost is now approaching six or seven times that figure.
In Eastern's hangar, three other Staggerwings rest in some stage of restoration, and another was due to be trucked in shortly. Yezman says  he has, with no new commitments, four or five years of work ahead of him, his wife and his crew.
"Nobody would have thought these old wooden airplanes could have paid the bills, brought us a house and sent kids to college", Yezman said. 
"Where else can you take your hobby as a kid and make it your life's work? The only thing that's changed is the size of the basement" 
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Most of George Yezman's restoration work is on Staggerwing, but he found enough weekends to resuscitate a Ryan STA for himself. 
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Photography by Randy Steele

the capability of this cottage industry. Jiruska has to have some port of an original airplane, with a title and a serial number, for his work to be a legitimate "restoration."
Nine months were the estimated completion time for the first Taperwing; first years was the time for the restoration actually took. Walter Hill's beautiful NC610N (the airplane's original number) had just begun to fly when the accompany pictures were taken last summer.
In the meanwhile, Jiruska, who plans to make a career out of restoring the over 100 Taperwings built, has three more on the floor of his hangar, in work. One is sold, to be delivered in eight months, and one is open for sale at $55,000. That price is for the airframe. Jiruska has obtained an STC to hang a 300-hp Lycoming on the airplanes, instead of the original 200-hp Wright, but he does not deliver with an engine. He's in the airframe business only; The third airplane on the floor is the carcass of the original Taperwing; the title on it is still in the process of being obtained. It should be available in the near future, or Jiruska will take your order to subsequent restoration. His address is 1802 Thirty-Second Avenue, Vero Beach, Florida 32960.
Jiruska's motivation is simple and straightforward: "I'm trying to do something that is fun and give the world something that is extinct."
So, too is Walter Hill's: "Before I retired I made a planned effort to get into activities, to have something to do. I never had any of these toys when I was young- couldn't even touch them. Second childhood, I guess."
Long live second childhoods.

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"Over 100 Waco Taperwings were built, and Jack Jiruska, aided by George Rake figure they've got plenty  
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