The Waco A series is a range of light

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

-built twin side-by-side seater sporting biplanes of the early 1930s.

Development

The Waco A series was introduced in 1932 as an affordable private-owner aircraft with cross-country range and baggage capacity and a more sporting image than the larger

Waco F series The Waco F series is a series of American-built general aviation and military biplane trainers of the 1930s from the Waco Aircraft Company. Development The Waco 'F' series of biplanes supplanted and then replaced the earlier 'O' series of 1927 ...

. The A series offered a number of engine options which had varying sub-designations. The power range lay between the KBA with a Kinner engine and the later UBA with a Continental powerplant. The PLA "Sportsman" of 1933 introduced a longer wider fuselage and a higher useful load and had a

Jacobs Jacobs may refer to: Businesses and organisations *Jacob's, a brand name for several lines of biscuits and crackers in Ireland and the UK *Jacobs (coffee), a brand of coffee * Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company, former American aircraft engine compan ...

LA-1 radial engine. The last model in the series was the ULA, also of 1933, with a powerplant.

Operational history

The A series was bought mainly by private pilot owners with a sporting inclination. Relatively few were produced and the type survives in small numbers in 2009. A PBA is on display in the

Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum The Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, located at Creve Coeur Airport in Maryland Heights, Missouri, United States, is dedicated to restoring and preserving historical aircraft. The airplanes in the collection are all fabric-covered, and most ...

at Dauster Field near

St Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, Missouri.

Variants

Data from AerofilesAerofiles
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BA series

;BBA:

Wright J-5 The Wright R-790 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical Corporation, with a total displacement of about and around . These engines were the earliest members of the Wright Whirlwin ...

- none produced ;KBA:

Kinner K-5 The Kinner K-5 was a popular engine for light general and sport aircraft developed by Winfield B. 'Bert' Kinner. With the boom in civilian aviation after Charles Lindbergh's transatlantic flight the K-5 sold well. The K-5 was a rough running but ...

- one built ;IBA:

Kinner B-5 The Kinner B-5 was a popular five cylinder American radial engine for light general and sport aircraft of the 1930s. Design and development The B-5 was a development of the earlier K-5 with slightly greater power and dimensions. The main change ...

- three built including one conversion ;PBA: Jacobs LA-1 - six built ;RBA: later

Warner Scarab The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial aircraft engine, that was manufactured by the Warner Aircraft Corporation of Detroit, Michigan in 1928 through to the early 1940s. In military service the engine was designated R-420. Vari ...

- 4 built ;TBA:

Kinner R-5 The Kinner R-5 is an American five cylinder radial engine for light general and sport aircraft of the 1930s. Design and development The R-5 was a development of the earlier Kinner B-5, with slightly greater power and dimensions. The main chang ...

- none built ;UBA:

Continental R-670 The Continental R-670 (factory designation W670) was a seven-cylinder four-cycle radial aircraft engine produced by Continental displacing 668 cubic inches (11 litres) and a dry weight of . Horsepower varied from 210 to 240 at 2,200 rpm. The eng ...

- at least 6 built

CA series

;KCA:

- possibly none built ;PCA: Jacobs LA-1 - possibly none built ;RCA:

- possibly none built ;TCA:

- none built ;UCA:

- none built

LA series

;PLA Sportsman: : longer and wider fuselage and Jacobs LA-1 - 4 built ;ULA Sportsman : as PLA with

- 1 built

Specifications (RBA variant)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{WACO 1930s United States civil utility aircraft A series Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft