The WACO primary glider or simply WACO glider, was an early product of the

Waco Aircraft Company The Waco Aircraft Company (WACO) was an aircraft manufacturer located in Troy, Ohio, United States. Between 1920 and 1947, the company produced a wide range of civilian biplanes. The company initially started under the name Weaver Aircraft C ...

. The low cost glider was intended to be flown from low hills or towed by a vehicle.

Design and development

The WACO glider was marketed as a low-cost training aircraft for individuals or glider clubs. About 300 were produced between 1930 and 1931. Replicas have been made using both steel tube or wood frames. Plans are still available for homebuilt construction. The glider was designed to fly at low airspeeds. It could maintain flight at with a 15 to 1

glide ratio In aerodynamics, the lift-to-drag ratio (or L/D ratio) is the lift generated by an aerodynamic body such as an aerofoil or aircraft, divided by the aerodynamic drag caused by moving through air. It describes the aerodynamic efficiency under giv ...

. The fuselage is made of welded steel tubing. The wings use spruce spars, are wire supported and fabric covered. A releasable tow hook was mounted on the front.

Aircraft on display

Experimental Aircraft Association The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is an international organization of aviation enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, United States. Since its inception, it has grown internationally with over 200,000 members and nearly 1,000 chapt ...

founder

Paul Poberezny Paul Howard Poberezny (September 14, 1921 – August 22, 2013) was an American aviator, entrepreneur, and aircraft designer. He founded the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) in 1953, and spent the greater part of his life promoting hom ...

first learned to fly in a rebuilt WACO Primary glider. In 2002 a replica was built and flown by Poberezny in 2003. It is now on display at the

EAA AirVenture Museum The EAA Aviation Museum, formerly the EAA AirVenture Museum (or Air Adventure Museum), is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics, and warbirds. The museum is lo ...

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

. An original WACO primary glider is in the collection of the

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...

Specifications (WACO primary glider)

References

{{Waco aircraft Glider aircraft Primary