A Higher Standard

Walking onto the airfield at Ranger, past the original 1920s hangar, I spotted something that stopped me in my tracks: a WACO CTO Taperwing. With so few built and even fewer surviving, this was only the second one I’d ever seen in person.

That was the first surprise. The second was its striking black, red, and gold paint scheme. But the more time I spent walking around the airplane, the more impressed I became. The paint was immaculate, the fabric and metalwork meticulous, and the fit of the panels nearly flawless. Everywhere I looked, the workmanship was exceptional.

I kept returning to the nose, where the strong circular shapes of the cowling and engine were framed by the wings and propeller, creating an intriguing Z-shaped composition. The intense sunlight made the photograph a little tricky. I had to balance the bright highlights on one side of the cowling against the details hidden in shadow on the other.

Later that day, I learned that the aircraft had been restored by Rare Aircraft, a shop known for its exceptional restoration work. Given what I’d already seen, that came as no surprise.

A Higher Standard