Some Assembly Required: Two New Additions to The Caldwell Collection

My first Waco, a UMF 3, was restored by the amazing craftsman Dave Allen from Coronado, California. I've written about him here before. There was another amazing restorer who, though much better known in the Waco community and antique aviation in general, always referred to himself as the "other" Dave Allen. This Dave Allen, who, with his wife Jeanne, lived on the Front Range in Colorado. Together, they were meticulous and talented restorers, but they were so much more than that. They were an amazing couple who had legions of friends around the country, flew their airplanes regularly to events, and were inseparable. When they died last year, it was a tragic and personal loss to many, many people.

When they passed, they were working on their next masterpiece, a 1929 Waco CSO. The CSO is a Model 10 and often called a "Straight Wing" to differentiate it from the more famous, and aerobatic, "Taperwing" Model 10. This was to be the culmination of several decades of experience coupled with meticulous research and painstaking work. I followed their progress with Dave's photos and posts on the National Waco Club forum and, like many others, occasionally corresponded with questions. They were just starting the process of covering the wings, which were built before they acquired the project by another noted restorer, Bob Howie.

Photo by Nik Coleman

Several months ago their son John, listed that project and their first Waco restoration, a 1930 Waco ASO, a different version of the Straight Wing Model 10, for sale. After some discussions about what Dave and Jeanne had intended for the plane which included not just how it would be finished but also that it would be actively flown I agreed to purchase it. My intention is that it be finished according to Dave's notes and desires and that it ultimately go to Airventure to honor their legacy.

Their Waco ASO was a bit more problematic as Dave had had an off-runway incident last year, which damaged the bottom of the fuselage. He showed the world, via the club website, the damage and very humbly described what happened. Here was a very accomplished pilot, a former airline captain and Air Force aviator with decades of experience and thousands of hours of tailwheel time, admitting he was human so the rest of us could learn. He'd repaired the damage well, but the plane also had a high-time engine, so even after a few months of advertising, it was still in their hangar.

This is a beautiful plane that I have seen several times. Though the restoration is over two decades old, with over 1,000 hours flying on it, it still looks practically new. The Allens were meticulous, caring owners, too.

Photo by Kenneth Smith

My friends Rob Lock and Jill Manka, and I, accompanied by Nik Coleman of Coleman Television, went to Elbert, Colorado this weekend to retrieve the CSO. Rob will be restoring it in the museum over the next year, where visitors can see that process as it gets covered, painted, and assembled. While we were there, Rob mentioned that he needed access to the ASO to help him finish the CSO properly. I'd been thinking for a couple of months that it would be neat to have both planes together and find a way to honor the Allen's legacy, as they are really exemplars of the passion, dedication, and skill that hundreds of amateurs have applied over nearly a century to keep these amazing aircraft flying so that future generations can enjoy and learn from them.

Photo by Jill Manka

So, John and I talked it over, and the Waco ASO will also be coming to the Collection. John then did something I didn't expect and generously donated his parents' trophies, and there are a lot of them, to the museum. We'll have a display in the library featuring their work and recognitions received, as an introduction to the beautiful planes they restored.

Photo by Nik Coleman

This is bittersweet. Everyone who knew the Allens, who were always together, needing only one cell phone, loved and admired them. It is still shocking to think they are gone. Our excitement at seeing their hangar, well known in the community for how spotless it was, and their handiwork, was tempered with tears acknowledging their passing. But we were all filled with a different kind of excitement as the truck, absolutely crammed with the project and parts pulled away from the airstrip in Elbert they lived on, knowing that their legacy has a new home at the Collection beginning this fall.