Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 Sport Trainer

The Great Lakes 2T-1A-2 is an open-cockpit, tandem two-seat aerobatic biplane descended directly from Charles Meyers' original 1929 Great Lakes Sport Trainer. The original Great Lakes Aircraft Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio first flew the 2-T-1 in March 1929, and roughly 262 aircraft were built before the Great Depression shuttered the company in 1933. The type became a golden-age icon, shaping the visual vocabulary of American sport biplanes for decades.

In 1972, collector-entrepreneur Doug Champlin acquired the rights and established a new Great Lakes Aircraft Company in Wichita (later Enid, Oklahoma). The revived line certified the 2T-1A-1 (140 hp Lycoming O-320) in May 1973 and the hotter 2T-1A-2 (180 hp Lycoming AEIO-360) in July 1974. Champlin production ran through 1978 with 137 airframes built. In January 2011 WACO Classic Aircraft of Battle Creek, Michigan announced it would return the Great Lakes to production as the "Great Lakes by WACO"; by 2022 roughly 20 new-build examples had been delivered. The 2T-1A-2 is the definitive aerobatic variant and the one most pilots mean when they say "Great Lakes."

The airplane's reputation is specific and unwavering: it is the friendliest aerobatic biplane ever built, a docile taildragger that rolls cleanly, loops effortlessly, and lets a low-time pilot ease into upright and inverted work without the edge-of-the-envelope aggression of a Pitts or Christen Eagle. Owners fly it for the sensation — wind, struts, wires, and a round engine feel — not for the checklist of maneuvers it can perform. See aerobatics for mission context.

This page covers the 2T-1A-2 specifically; the 140 hp 2T-1A-1 shares the airframe but lacks the inverted fuel/oil systems, constant-speed prop, and vertical performance that make the aerobatic mission workable.

The book cruise of 102 KTAS (117 mph) is honest but academic — nobody buys a Great Lakes to cover ground. Owners typically plan on 95–100 knots block speed once you add drag from photographers' cameras, smoke systems, and the simple reality of an open cockpit at 5,500 ft. Fuel burn is a steady 10 gph at 65% in the AEIO-360; with 26 useful gallons, realistic legs are 1.5–2.0 hours plus reserves, or roughly 150–200 nm between stops.

Climb is the surprise. At 1,800 lb gross with 180 hp and a constant-speed Hartzell (or MT on WACO builds), book rate is 1,400 fpm solo and the airplane will still show 1,000+ fpm two-up on a standard day. Vy is low (~66 KIAS) and the airframe climbs happily at 76 mph indicated with excellent over-the-nose visibility on downwind.

Wing loading is a featherlight 9.6 lb/sq ft across 187.6 sq ft of biplane area, which drives the handling: gentle stalls (~50 KIAS clean), a landing flare that goes on forever in ground effect, and a strong susceptibility to crosswinds and gusts. Density altitude penalizes the short-coupled airframe more than the engine — hot-day operations from grass strips demand respect.

G-envelope is +5.4 / -4.0 at 1,800 lb gross. The original 1929 airframe was stressed to +9/-6, but the revival airplanes trade some of that margin for weight and utility. Roll rate is "brisk but not head-snapping" — roughly 120°/sec, closer to a Decathlon than a Pitts. See aerobatics for how this ranks against competitors.

With 570 lb useful load and 26 gallons (156 lb) of fuel, full-fuel payload is 414 lb — two 185 lb occupants plus minimal gear (helmets, parachutes, a sandwich). This is workable for the intended mission but leaves no margin for a heavy passenger or any luggage beyond a toothbrush.

Full-aerobatic gross weight is 1,800 lb (same as normal gross). Parachutes are required for passenger aerobatics and occupy 15–20 lb each of that budget. Real-world aerobatic loading is usually pilot + chute + half fuel = ~185 + 20 + 78 = 283 lb against 570 lb useful, leaving the front cockpit free for a student or passenger with their own chute.

Range at full fuel is 260 nm book, realistically 200 nm with VFR reserves — a two-airport local fun flight, not a touring airplane. Position-flying the airplane cross-country to an airshow is done one 1.5-hour leg at a time, with cold hands and a sore back as the limiting factors long before fuel. For anything resembling efficient transport, see cessna-172-late or piper-cherokee-180; for a more cross-country-capable aerobatic mount, see the Super Decathlon or Christen Eagle II.

Aerobatics (7/10): Fully IAC-legal for Sportsman and Intermediate categories. Full inverted fuel/oil systems, symmetrical airfoil on both wings, constant-speed prop, and a 5.4G envelope cover loops, rolls, hammerheads, Cuban-8s, snap rolls, inverted flight, and spins in both directions. It will not hold a knife-edge indefinitely, and Advanced-level outside figures are outside its envelope. The tradeoff for giving up a point of G is an airplane that is dramatically easier to fly well — a novice aerobatic pilot will produce cleaner figures in a Great Lakes than in a Pitts S-1.

Local Fun Flying (10/10): This is the mission. Open cockpit, golden-age lines, wind and exhaust, a sub-$100K entry point for a genuine classic biplane. There is no better Sunday-morning airplane in general aviation for pilots who want to wear a scarf, wave at the guy mowing below, and come home grinning. See local-fun-flying.

Flight Training (4/10): Useful for taildragger and aerobatic instruction — the front cockpit is the passenger/student seat, rear is pilot-in-command. Poor for primary training due to single-tank fuel management being trivial, open-cockpit comfort issues, and high insurance. A reasonable second-tier aerobatic trainer where a Decathlon or Pitts S-2 is not available.

Cross-Country (2/10): 260 nm range, 100-knot cruise, no IFR capability, no baggage, and an open cockpit that gets cold above 4,000 ft in October. Technically possible; practically, no.

Business Travel / Cargo / Surveying / Backcountry (1–2/10): Not the airplane's purpose.

Vintage Champlin-era airplanes typically fly with a handheld comm, a portable GPS velcroed to the cockpit coaming, and a Mode C transponder (post-ADS-B mandate, many now carry tail-mounted uAvionix skyBeacon or a panel Trig TT21/TT31). The instrument panels are classic round — airspeed, altimeter, VSI, ball, tach, manifold pressure, oil temp/pressure, fuel — and little else. Budget $4,000–$8,000 for a minimum legal ADS-B Out update on an older airframe. See avionics-pricing.

New WACO-built 2T-1A-2s ship with a modern VFR panel: Garmin G5 attitude/heading, Trig TY91 comm, Garmin aera 660 GPS, ADS-B transponder, JPI engine monitor, LED nav/strobe lighting, heated rear cockpit. IFR certification is not on the menu — this is a VFR day-flying airplane and any serious IMC dispatch would be a misuse.

The 2T-1A-2 is a low-population type and the STC market is correspondingly thin. Common modifications include:

• Smoke system (~$3,500 installed) — essentially universal on aerobatic-mission airplanes.
• Electric starter conversion — some early Champlin airframes were delivered with hand-prop only; retrofit is $4,000–$6,000.
• Tail-wheel lock / steerable tail-wheel — improves ground handling in crosswinds.
• Hooker or Hooker-style aerobatic harness — five-point ratcheting restraint, $1,500–$2,500 installed.
• MT composite propeller (STC'd replacement for the original Hartzell) — modest weight savings, smoother run, ~$12,000 installed.
• Inverted oil system upgrade (Christen/Raven) — some 2T-1A-2 airframes left the factory with rudimentary inverted oil; upgrading to a Christen pump is ~$3,500.
• Horizontal stabilizer spar upgrade — steel replacement for the original aluminum part, which had a history of cracking. Essentially mandatory on any pre-buy; see ADs below.

• Annual inspection: $2,500–$4,500 at an A&P who knows biplanes; first annual after buying an unfamiliar airplane can easily be $6,000+ as rigging, wire tensions, and fabric are verified.
• Parts availability: fair. The AEIO-360 is a common Lycoming; airframe parts are harder. WACO Classic in Battle Creek, MI is the type certificate holder and supplies airframe parts, but lead times can be weeks to months. Used parts are scarce given the ~137 Champlin + ~20 WACO production total.
• Mechanic familiarity: specialist. Any competent fabric-and-tube A&P can work on it, but finding one who has actually rigged a biplane is regional — EAA chapters, aerobatic clubs, and the WACO factory network are the places to look.
• Expensive items: fabric re-cover ($25K–$45K), AEIO-360 overhaul ($35K–$42K with inverted accessories), horizontal stabilizer spar replacement ($6,000 installed), flying-wire replacement set ($3,500–$5,000).
• Annual cost estimate: $7,000–$9,000 for a typical 75 hours/year private owner.

See maintenance-ecosystem.

Per valuation-methodology:

• 1974–1978 Champlin-built 2T-1A-2, mid-time engine, decent fabric: $75,000–$110,000.
• Fresh major, recent fabric, upgraded panel, smoke system: $110,000–$150,000.
• Project / fabric due / high-time engine / stabilizer spar not yet replaced: $55,000–$75,000.
• New WACO-built (2013–present): ~$245,000–$490,000 depending on options, factory equipment, and recent production year.
• 2T-1A-1 (140 hp): typically $15,000–$25,000 below a comparable 2T-1A-2 — the fixed-pitch prop and lack of inverted systems meaningfully hurt the aerobatic mission and resale.

Value drivers: recent cover, low-time or mid-time AEIO-360, steel stabilizer spar installed, smoke system, MT prop, fresh annual, documented aerobatic use within limits (ironically — thrashed airplanes hurt value more than documented competition use).

• Horizontal stabilizer spar cracking — the original aluminum stabilizer spar has a well-documented propensity to crack at the attach fitting. Repeated dye-penetrant inspection is required, and WACO developed a steel replacement part that is the accepted permanent fix. Verify at pre-buy; a cracked spar grounds the airplane immediately.
• Wing attach fitting / flying-wire tension — the biplane's bracing wires must be within spec tension and free of corrosion. Improperly tensioned wires change trim and can cause buffet. Annual rigging check is normal.
• Fuel tank leaks (center-section) — the single upper-wing fuel tank is the only tank in the airplane; sealant aging and vibration can cause weeping. Resealing is a disassembly job.
• Fabric condition — most airframes are Ceconite/polyester; pre-buy should include a punch test and inspection of the tailfeathers, where UV damage appears first. Re-cover is a $25,000–$45,000 job and a recent re-cover is a significant valuation plus.
• Landing gear fatigue — the steel-tube gear is tough but has taken hard landings over 50 years. Check welds and wheel-pant attach points.
• Engine inverted-system plumbing — aerobatic airplanes live a rougher life than trainers; verify the flop tube, inverted oil separator, and Christen pump are within limits.
• Exhaust cracking — single-pipe short exhaust stacks crack with thermal cycling. Recurring replacement item.
• No ADs specific to the AEIO-360-B1G6 beyond fleet-wide Lycoming accessory ADs — crankshaft, oil pump gear, and magneto service bulletins per maintenance-ecosystem.

The 2T-1A-2 sits in the vintage aerobatic taildragger category and is one of the friendlier airplanes in that bucket — underwriters view it as a lower-risk aerobatic type than a Pitts, because its docile handling correlates with fewer loss-of-control and landing accidents.

• Hull coverage (typical $90K hull): $2,800–$4,500/year for a 500-hour pilot with tailwheel and basic aerobatic endorsement.
• Liability only ($1M smooth): $1,200–$1,800/year.
• Underwriter requirements: tailwheel endorsement, 10+ hours in type or dual with a qualified CFI, aerobatic training if coverage includes aerobatic maneuvers, no passenger aerobatics without additional endorsement.
• Open-pilot warranties are harder to obtain than on a tricycle trainer; expect named-pilot-only on most policies.
• New WACO hulls ($300K+) push premiums into $6,000–$9,000/year territory and underwriters will require significant time-in-type.