Waco UPF-7 (G-UPFS) arrives RIAT Fairford 10thJuly2014 arp

The Waco Aircraft Company (WACO) was an aircraft manufacturer located in

Troy, Ohio Troy is a city in and the county seat of Miami County, Ohio, United States, located north of Dayton. The population was 26,305 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in Miami County and the 55th largest city in Ohio; it is part of the Da ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Between 1920 and 1947, the company produced a wide range of civilian biplanes. The company initially started under the name Weaver Aircraft Company of Ohio but changed its name to the Waco Aircraft Company in 1928/29.

Company name

WACO (referring to the aircraft) is usually pronounced "wah-co" (the first syllable pronounced as in "water"), not "way-co" like

Waco, Texas Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

, whose name is entirely unrelated. Several companies operated under the Waco name, with the first company being the Weaver Aircraft Company, a firm founded by George E. Weaver, Clayton Bruckner, and Elwood Junkin in 1920 in Lorain and

Medina, Ohio Medina ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Medina County, Ohio, United States. The population was 26,094 at the 2020 Census. It lies about 33 miles (53 km) south of Cleveland and 23 miles (37 km) west of Akron within the Clevelan ...

after they had already been collaborating for several years. In the spring of 1923 this became the Advance Aircraft Company in

, after the departure of Weaver. In 1929, it was changed from Advance Aircraft Company to Waco Aircraft Company. The firm is often confused with Western Aviation Company, the name of four unrelated aircraft enterprises in

Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

;

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; and

Burbank, California Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank has a population of 107,337. The city was named after David Burbank, w ...

History

Origins and early success

Waco's history started in 1919 when businessmen Clayton J. "Clayt" Brukner and Elwood "Sam" Junkin met

barnstorming Barnstorming was a form of entertainment in which stunt pilots performed tricks individually or in groups that were called flying circuses. Devised to "impress people with the skill of pilots and the sturdiness of planes," it became popular in ...

pilots Charles "Charley" William Meyers and George "Buck" Weaver. Although their initial floatplane design was a failure, they went on to found the Waco company in 1920 and established themselves as producers of reliable, rugged planes that were popular with travelling businessmen, postal services and explorers, especially after the company began producing closed-cabin biplane models after 1930 in addition to the open cockpit biplanes."ABOUT,"
WACO Aircraft Corp. website, retrieved February 5, 2017 The Waco name was extremely well represented in the U.S. civil aircraft registry between the wars, with more Wacos registered than the aircraft of any other company. Production types including open cockpit biplanes, cabin biplanes and cabin sesquiplanes (known by Waco as Custom Cabins) as well as numerous experimental types.

World War II

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Waco produced large numbers of

military glider Military gliders (an offshoot of common gliders) have been used by the militaries of various countries for carrying troops ( glider infantry) and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft wer ...

s for the

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

and

US Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

for

airborne Airborne or Airborn may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Airborne'' (1962 film), a 1962 American film directed by James Landis * ''Airborne'' (1993 film), a comedy–drama film * ''Airborne'' (1998 film), an action film sta ...

operations, especially during the Normandy Invasion and Operation Market Garden. The

Waco CG-4 Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

was the most numerous of their glider designs to be produced. At the same time Waco produced over 600 of its UPF-7 open biplanes and 21 VKS-7F cabin biplanes for the

Civilian Pilot Training Program The Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) was a flight training program (1938–1944) sponsored by the United States government with the stated purpose of increasing the number of civilian pilots, though having a clear impact on military prepare ...

, which supplemented the output of the military training establishments. 42 privately owned models of sixteen types were impressed into service as light transports and utility aircraft with the USAAF under the common designation C-72/UC-72.

End of normal operations

Waco ceased operations in 1947, having suffered the fate of a number of general aviation companies when an anticipated boom in aviation following

failed to develop. The final Waco relied on an experimental Franklin engine which, with the cancellation of other contracts became so expensive, the Aristocraft, which relied on it, was cancelled.

Revivals

Modern European WACOs

The Waco brand name was briefly revived, in the 1960s and early 1970s—for a scheme to produce, assemble, re-assemble or market a series of modern, all-metal Italian and French lightplanes (

semi-monocoque The term semi-monocoque or semimonocoque refers to a stressed shell structure that is similar to a true monocoque, but which derives at least some of its strength from conventional reinforcement. Semi-monocoque construction is used for, among ot ...

, enclosed-cabin, low-wing, single-engine) under licence in the United States. The program was headed by a "Mr. Berger," and the enterprise was known (in 1968) as Waco Aircraft Co., a subsidiary of Allied Aero Industries, Inc., and based at Pottstown-Limerick Airport, Pottstown, Pennsylvania, with dealers in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, Oklahoma,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, and

Ontario, Canada Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

.WACO ad
"Made for you who demand a unique airplane of superb quality,"
July 1968, '' Flying Magazine,'' retrieved February 5, 2017 The European WACOs—in some cases replacing the original Lycoming engines with less-popular Franklin engines (Mr. Berger was involved with Franklin) -- were to be manufactured (or at least assembled or re-assembled) in the U.S. by WACO Aircraft Company at Syracuse, New York. Only several dozen (perhaps 65-150) of these European-origin aircraft were sold as WACOs before the death of Mr. Berger put an end to the program. These planes included:"Short history of the project,"
SIAI Marchetti S205 - S208 Pilots & Owners Association website, retrieved February 5, 2017van der Veen, Hendrik (Netherlands)

updated February 23, 2015, enthusiasts' site, retrieved February 5, 2017Hellman, Judy
"WACO VELA,"
(pilot report and review), September 1968, '' Flying Magazine,'' pp.58 et.seq., retrieved February 5, 2017"SIAI-MARCHETTI S.205 (WACO 5.220)-S.2018,"
November 30, 1999, ''Plane & Pilot'' Magazine, retrieved February 5, 2017"SOCATA 'RALLYE'-WACO 'MINERVA',"
November 30, 1999, ''Plane & Pilot'' Magazine, retrieved February 5, 2017Davisson, Budd

(Marchetti S.F.260 Pilot Report) September, 1977, ''Air Progress'' Magazine, retrieved February 5, 2017 from author's personal website, Airbum.com * WACO Sirrus – a relabeled Italian

SIAI Marchetti SIAI-Marchetti was an Italian aircraft manufacturer primarily active during the interwar period. History The original company was founded during 1915 as SIAI (''Società Idrovolanti Alta Italia'' - Seaplane Company of Upper Italy). As suggested ...

S.205 comparable to the

Piper PA-28 Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of two-seat or four-seat light aircraft built by Piper Aircraft and designed for flight training, air taxi and personal use.Plane and Pilot: ''1978 Aircraft Directory'', pages 62–64. Werner & Werner Corp, ...

line, a four-seat touring airplane offered with fixed or retractable gear, and Franklin or Lycoming engines ranging from 180 to 220 horsepower. * WACO Vela – the Italian

S.208, an enhanced, five-seat version of the Sirrus / S.205, with 260 horsepower, retractable landing gear, and flush-riveted,

laminar-flow In fluid dynamics, laminar flow is characterized by fluid particles following smooth paths in layers, with each layer moving smoothly past the adjacent layers with little or no mixing. At low velocities, the fluid tends to flow without lateral mi ...

wings—arguably in the same class as the

Beech Bonanza The Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by Beechcraft, Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. The six-seater, single-engined aircraft is still being produced by Beechcraft and has been in con ...

line. It came with an autopilot as standard equipment—unusual for aircraft of its class, at that time—and the first fault-

annunciator panel An annunciator panel, also known in some aircraft as the Centralized Warning Panel (CWP) or Caution Advisory Panel (CAP), is a group of lights used as a central indicator of status of equipment or systems in an aircraft, industrial process, buildin ...

in a general aviation airplane. * WACO Meteor – a relabeled Italian

F.250 / SF.260 fast, acrobatic, three-seat sport / trainer / touring plane, later offered, by others, in manufactured metal versions, metal and wood

kitplane Homebuilt aircraft, also known as amateur-built aircraft or kit planes, are constructed by persons for whom this is not a professional activity. These aircraft may be constructed from "scratch", from plans, or from assembly kits.Armstrong, Kenn ...

s, and as a plans-built wooden aircraft (as for instance, the SF.260, and Sequoia). Marketed in the United States under the name Waco TS-250-3 Meteor, only four were shipped to the U.S.van der Veen, Hendrik (Netherlands)
"SF_260 information from the Netherlands,"
updated December 31, 2007, enthusiasts' site, retrieved February 5, 2017 * WACO Minerva – relabeled French

Morane-Saulnier Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier was a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier (1881–1964) and the Morane brothers, Léon (1885–1918) and Robert (1886–1968). The company was taken over and diversified ...

Minerva or Rallye, a four-seat STOL aircraft designed for use in and out of very small, unimproved landing strips, later produced by French

SOCATA SOCATA (later EADS Socata and DAHER-SOCATA) was a French producer of general aviation aircraft propelled by piston engines and turboprops, including business planes, small personal or training aircraft, as well as the production of aircraft str ...

as the

SOCATA Rallye The SOCATA Rallye ( en, Rally) is a light aircraft that was manufactured by French aviation company SOCATA. It was originally developed during the 1950s by French aircraft manufacturer Morane-Saulnier as the MS.880. On 10 June 1959, the prototype ...

. (Reportedy, only 3 WACO Minervas were delivered.)

Modern production

The WACO Classic Aircraft company (unrelated to the original Waco) began building its WACO Classic YMF in 1986, an upgraded version based on Waco's original type certified design.

Surviving aircraft

A large number of survivors exist, with the largest single collection residing at 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, Creve Coeur, near St Louis, Missouri.

Models

Note: Waco civilian designations describe the configuration of the aircraft. The first letter lists the engine used, the second the specific type, and the third the general series. The coding system was changed in 1929 with several letters reassigned, and later with the introduction of the Custom Cabin series, the third letter 'C' was initially replaced with C-S (Cabin-Standard) and finally S. The numeral suffix represents the first year of production if it is 6 or higher (6=1936), or a sub type if 2 or less. Thus EGC-7 is a Wright R-760-E2 () engined, cabin biplane airframe, custom cabin model first manufactured in 1937. Many Waco Cabin Biplanes that were originally sold as civilian aircraft, were impressed into military service in World War II. The

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

classified theirs regardless of type as

Waco C-72 C-72 was a blanket designation given to a variety of privately owned Waco enclosed-cabin biplanes pressed into service by the United States Army Air Forces in 1942. In all, 42 aircraft were taken and used for light transport duty wherever needed. V ...

s, with type letters identifying specific models. Other countries used other designations for their own Wacos.

Open cockpit biplanes and monoplanes

; Waco Cootie :Single seat biplane/parasol monoplane, 1 produced, then re-built ; Waco models 4 through 7: Used many Curtiss JN-4 parts with new interchangeable wing panels and powered by a

Curtiss OX-5 The Curtiss OX-5 was an early V-8 American liquid-cooled aircraft engine built by Curtiss. It was the first American-designed aircraft engine to enter mass production, although it was considered obsolete when it did so in 1917.Smith, 1981, page ...

. ; Waco 8: First Waco cabin biplane, powered by

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

- 1 built ;

Waco 9 The Waco 9 is an American-built three-seat biplane design that first flew in 1925. Development The Waco 9 was the first of the steel-tubed fuselage aircraft designs to be built by the Advance Aircraft Company, which became the Waco Aircraft Com ...

: First mass-production model, steel-tube framing, powered by OX-5, equipped for EDO floats. Many re-engined. 270 built. * Miss Pittsburgh Farell2 WACO model 10

;

Waco 10 The Waco 10/GXE/Waco O series was a range of three-seat open-cockpit biplanes built by the Advance Aircraft Company, later the Waco Aircraft Company. Design and development The Waco 10 was a larger span development of the Waco 9, both single-en ...

: Most produced model of any Waco aircraft, 1,623 built between 1927 and 1933. Refinement of Waco 9 with

V8 engine. Redesignated GXE by Waco in 1928. * Waco 240: 1 conversion of Waco 10 with

Continental W-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 ...

radial engine. * Waco ASO: Waco 10 variant with

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 Whirl ...

radial engine, known as J-5 Straightwing, Waco Sport, and Whirlwind Waco. 95 built. * Waco BSO: Variant of ASO

Wright J-6-5 The Wright R-540 Whirlwind was a series of five-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 540 in³ (8.85 L) and power ratings of around ...

radial engine. 45 built. *

Waco CSO The Waco 10/GXE/Waco O series was a range of three-seat open-cockpit biplanes built by the Advance Aircraft Company, later the Waco Aircraft Company. Design and development The Waco 10 was a larger span development of the Waco 9, both single-engi ...

: Variant of ASO with

Wright J-6-7 The Wright R-760 Whirlwind was a series of seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 756 in³ (12.4 L) and power ratings of 225-35 ...

radial engine. 59 built. * Waco DSO: Variant of ASO with Hispano-Suiza A/E V8 engine. 62 built. * Waco HSO: Variant of ASO with

Packard DR-980 The Packard DR-980 is an American nine-cylinder air-cooled aircraft Diesel engine first certificated in 1930. The engine was unpopular despite its economy and reliability due to the unpleasant nature of its diesel exhaust fumes an ...

engine. 1 built. *

Waco ATO The Waco 10/GXE/Waco O series was a range of three-seat open-cockpit biplanes built by the Advance Aircraft Company, later the Waco Aircraft Company. Design and development The Waco 10 was a larger span development of the Waco 9, both single-eng ...

: Taperwing variant of ASO. 54 built. * Waco CTO: Taperwing variant of CSO. 35 built. * Waco HTO: Modified from HSO. 1 built. * Waco JTO: 300 h.p. Wright J-6-9. 1 built. * Waco JYO: U.S. Navy version of JTO for evaluation. 2 built. Waco JYM NC991H N

;

Waco Mailplanes The Waco Mailplanes are US-built open-cockpit biplane mailplanes from the late 1920s derived from the Waco 10 sports biplanes. Development In order to meet the demand for mailplanes, Waco aircraft developed two models during 1929, the JYM and the ...

* Waco JWM: Straightwing mailplane with Wright R-975 engine. Derivative of ASO with 14" fuselage stretch. 2 built. * Waco JYM: Taperwing mailplane with Wright J-6-9 radial engine. Derivative of ATO with 14" fuselage stretch. 4 built for Northwest Airways Waco PBA NC12445 HARM St Louis 10

;

Waco A series The Waco A series is a range of light United States, American-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 ra ...

* Waco IBA: Improved KBA, side by side two seat biplane with optional canopy and

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 ...

engine. 3 built. * Waco 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 ...

radial engine. 50 built. * Waco PBA: IBA variant with Jacobs LA-1 radial engine. 4 built. * Waco RBA: IBA variant with

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 ...

radial engine. 4 built. * Waco UBA: IBA variant with

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 en ...

radial engine. 6 built. * Waco PLA: Improved IBA, known as Waco Sportsman, with Jacobs LA-1 radial engine and greater range. 4 built. * Waco ULA: PLA variant with

radial engine. 1 built.

Waco D series

; Waco CHD: Multipurpose military biplane with

Wright J-6-7 Whirlwind The Wright R-760 Whirlwind was a series of seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 756 in³ (12.4 L) and power ratings of 225-3 ...

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ...

. ; Waco JHD: Multipurpose military biplane with

Wright J-6-9 Whirlwind The Wright R-975 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of about and power ratings of . They were the largest membe ...

radial engine. 6 exported to Uruguay. ; Waco S2HD: Multipurpose military export biplane with

Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior SB The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior is a series of nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial aircraft engines built by the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company from the 1930s to the 1950s. These engines have a displacement of ; initial versions produced ...

radial engine. 1 exported to Cuba ; Waco S3HD: Multipurpose military biplane with Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior TB. 1 built. ;Waco S3HD-A: Armed variant of S3HD but otherwise similar, 4 exported to Cuba. ; Waco WHD: Multipurpose military biplane with Wright J-6-9 Whirlwind engine. 5 built, including 4 exported to Nicaragua. ; Waco CMD: Multipurpose military biplane with Wright J-6-7 Whirlwind. None built.

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 ...

Waco UBF NC155Y of 1932 at HARM St Louis 10

Waco OBF 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 ...

Kinner C-5 The Kinner C-5 was an American five cylinder radial engine for small general and sport aircraft of the 1930s. Design and development The C-5 was a development of the earlier R-5 with greater power and dimensions. The main change was the increas ...

engine. Unknown if built. * Waco PBF: Jacobs LA-1 engine. 4 built. * Waco TBF:

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 ...

(?) engine. None built. *

Waco UBF 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 ...

& Waco UBF-2: p

engine. Around 11 built. (two built for US Navy late in the USS ''Macon'' airship program as XJW-1 trainers with skyhooks for launch and recovery from the airship). * Waco PCF: Jacobs LA-1 radial engine. 3 built. * Waco QCF:

Continental A-70 Continental may refer to: Places * Continent, the major landmasses of Earth * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' (al ...

radial engine. 31 built. * Waco UCF: p

radial engine. None built, became UBF. WACO CLASSIC AIRCRAFT YMF-F5C N119SW 03

Waco UMF-3 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 ...

& Waco UMF-5:

radial engine. 18 built. * Waco YMF-3:

Jacobs L-4 The Jacobs R-755 (company designation L-4) is a seven-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft manufactured in the United States by the Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company. Design and development The R-755 was first run in 1933 and was stil ...

radial engine. 18 built -3 & -5. *

Waco YMF-5 The Waco F series is a series of American-built general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transp ...

radial engine. Basis for YMF-5 Super currently in production. WACO QF2

* Waco INF:

radial engine. 50 built. * Waco KNF:

radial engine. 20 built. * Waco MNF:

Menasco C-4 Pirate The Menasco Pirate series were four-cylinder, air-cooled, in-line, inverted aero-engines, built by the Menasco Motors Company of Burbank, California, for use in light general and sport aircraft during the 1930s and 1940s. The Menasco engines c ...

inline engine. 4 built. * Waco QNF:

radial engine. 1 built. WACO-RNF

* Waco RNF:

radial engine. 177 built. * Waco CPF & Waco CPF-6:

Wright R-760 The Wright R-760 Whirlwind was a series of seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 756 in³ (12.4 L) and power ratings of 225-3 ...

radial engine. 41 built, redesignated DPF. * Waco DPF-6 & Waco DPF-7:

radial engine. Was CPF. * Waco EPF-6:

radial engine. 1 built. * Waco LPF-6: Lycoming R-680 radial engine. Possibly not built. * Waco UPF-6:

radial engine. Prototype for UPF-7. * Waco UPF-7: Second-most produced variant, over 600 built. Continental W-670 engine. Widely used in the

. 14 became YPT-14 trainers, but not adopted by USAAF for operational use. * Waco VPF-6 & Waco VPF-7:

radial engine. 6 built. WACO YPF NC15700

* Waco YPF-6 & Waco YPF-7:

radial engine. 8 built. * Waco ZPF-6 & Waco ZPF-7:

Jacobs L-5 The Jacobs R-830 or L-5 is a seven-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft manufactured in the United States, production started in 1935.Gunston 1989, p.85. Design and development The R-830 was effectively an enlargement of the R-755 ...

radial engine. 5 built.

Waco CRG

radial engine, later a different Wright R-760. ; Waco RPT-1: Low wing open cockpit monoplane trainer prototype, similar in concept to Fairchild PT-19. 1 built.

Waco Standard Cabin Biplanes

* Waco BDC: with Wright R-540 engine. None built. * Waco ODC: with

engine. modified to QDC. *

Waco PDC The Waco Standard Cabin series is a range of American single-engine 4–5 seat fabric covered cabin biplanes produced by the Waco Aircraft Company beginning in 1931 with the QDC and continuing until 1942 when production ended for the VKS-7F.Brandl ...

: with Jacobs LA-1 engine. 2 built on special order. *

Waco QDC Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the st ...

: with

engine. 37 built. * Waco UDC: with

engine. None built. * Waco OEC: with

engine. 3 built. * Waco UEC: with

engine. 40 built. * Waco BEC: with Wright R-540 engine. 1 built (converted from OEC or UEC). * Waco UIC: with

engine. 83 built. * Waco CJC & Waco CJC-S: with

engine. 41 CJC & DJC built. * Waco DJC, Waco DJC-S & Waco DJS: with

engine. * Waco UKC, Waco UKC-S & Waco UKS-6: with p

. 40 built. * Waco VKS-7: with

Continental R-670-B 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 ...

engine. 18 built. * Waco VKS-7F: VKS-7 for CPTP with flaps. 21 built. *

Waco YKC Waco ( ) is the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin. The city had a 2020 population of 138,486, making it the 22nd-most populous city in the ...

, Waco YKC-S &

Waco YKS-6 The Waco S Series is a family of American cabin biplanes produced by the Waco Aircraft Company starting in 1935. Development and designations The Waco closed cabin biplanes, initially known as the C (for Cabin) series were all unequal span, stag ...

: with

* Waco ZKC, Waco ZKC-S & Waco ZKS: with

engine. 60 YKC built, 22 YKC-S built, 65 YKS-6 built; Several ZKS-7 built, one converted to HKS-7 (300 HP Lycoming R-680-13 in 1947).

Waco Custom Cabin Biplanes (sesquiplanes)

* Waco UOC:

Continental R-670-A 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 en ...

or Continental R-670-B engine. 4 built. * YOC:

engine. 50+ YOC & YOC-1 built. * YOC-1:

engine.

* Waco CUC:

Wright R-760-E The Wright R-760 Whirlwind was a series of seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 756 in³ (12.4 L) and power ratings of 225-3 ...

engine. 30+ built of all CUC types. * Waco CUC-1:

Wright R-760-E1 The Wright R-760 Whirlwind was a series of seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 756 in³ (12.4 L) and power ratings of 225-3 ...

engine. * Waco CUC-2:

engine. * Waco AQC-6:

engine. 7 built. * Waco CQC-6:

engine. None built. * Waco DQC-6:

engine. 11 built. Waco EQC-6 Custom CF-AZM Calgary Avn Msm 04

* Waco EQC-6:

engine. 20 built.

USCG The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...

used 3 as J2W-1. * Waco SQC-6: Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr engine. None built. * Waco UQC-6: Continental R-670 or W-670-K or W-670-6. Probably none built. * Waco VQC-6:

engine. * Waco YQC-6:

engine. 13 built. 1 ex-RAAF example re-engined with DeHavilland Gypsy 6 inline engine. *

Waco ZQC-6 The Waco Custom Cabins were a series of up-market single-engined four-to-five-seat cabin sesquiplanes of the late 1930s produced by the Waco Aircraft Company of the United States. "Custom Cabin" was Waco's own description of the aircraft which des ...

engine. 68 built. *

Waco AGC-8 The Waco Custom Cabins were a series of up-market single-engined four-to-five-seat cabin sesquiplanes of the late 1930s produced by the Waco Aircraft Company of the United States. "Custom Cabin" was Waco's own description of the aircraft which de ...

: Jacobs L-6 engine. 17 built, 2 modified to EGC-8. * Waco DGC-7:

engine. 2 built. * Waco EGC-7, Waco EGC-8:

engine. 38 built. 3 used by US Navy & Coast Guard as J2W. *

Waco MGC-8 The Waco Custom Cabins were a series of up-market single-engined four-to-five-seat cabin sesquiplanes of the late 1930s produced by the Waco Aircraft Company of the United States. "Custom Cabin" was Waco's own description of the aircraft which de ...

Menasco Pirate The Menasco Pirate series were four-cylinder, air-cooled, in-line, inverted aero-engines, built by the Menasco Motors Company of Burbank, California, for use in light general and sport aircraft during the 1930s and 1940s. The Menasco engines c ...

inline engine. Unknown number built. * Waco UGC-7:

engine. None built. *

Waco VGC-7 The Waco Custom Cabins were a series of up-market single-engined four-to-five-seat cabin sesquiplanes of the late 1930s produced by the Waco Aircraft Company of the United States. "Custom Cabin" was Waco's own description of the aircraft which des ...

engine. None built. * Waco YGC-7, Waco YGC-8:

engine. Possibly none built. * Waco ZGC-7, Waco ZGC-8:

engine. 28 built.

Waco S series The Waco S Series is a family of American cabin biplanes produced by the Waco Aircraft Company starting in 1935. Development and designations The Waco closed cabin biplanes, initially known as the C (for Cabin) series were all unequal span, stag ...
(1935-1940)

* Standard cabin designs in production were redesignated with an S type letter to distinguish them from the new Custom Cabin series.

Waco N series (1937–1938)

Waco AVN-8 The Waco N series is a range of 1930s United States, American-built cabin biplanes with a fixed tricycle undercarriage produced by the Waco Aircraft Company. Design and development Waco introduced the luxury N-series biplane in 1937. It was bas ...

: Nosewheel Type with Jacobs L-6 engine. 15 built. * Waco ZVN-7 &

Waco ZVN-8 The Waco N series is a range of 1930s United States, American-built cabin biplanes with a fixed tricycle undercarriage produced by the Waco Aircraft Company. Design and development Waco introduced the luxury N-series biplane in 1937. It was bas ...

: Nosewheel Type with

engine. 6 built.

Waco E series (1939–1940)

* Waco ARE Aristocrat: Jacobs L-6 engine. 4 built. * Waco HRE Aristocrat: Lycoming R-680 engine. 5 built. * Waco SRE Aristocrat: Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine. 21 built. * Waco WRE Aristocrat:

Wright R-975 Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...

engine. None built.

Gliders

WACO Primary Glider The WACO primary glider or simply WACO glider, was an early product of the Waco Aircraft Company. 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-cos ...

: single place trainer *

Waco CG-3 The Waco CG-3A was a US light troop military glider of World War II. Design and development The CG-3A was the United States Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service c ...

: troop glider intended for training CG-4 pilots *

, also known as the "Hadrian", troop glider * Waco CG-13: troop glider *

Waco CG-15 The Waco CG-15 was an American military glider, which was developed from the CG-4. Although outwardly similar to its predecessor and carrying the same number of passengers, a number of changes in the design, including shortened wings and a more ...

: troop glider

Transports

Northwestern XPG-1 Northwestern or North-western or North western may refer to: * Northwest, a direction * Northwestern University, a private research university in Evanston, Illinois ** The Northwestern Wildcats, this school's intercollegiate athletic program ** ...

: Powered version of CG-4 Glider, 2x Franklin 6AC-298-N3 * Ridgefield XPG-2: Powered version of CG-4 Glider, 2x Ranger L-440-1 * Waco YC-62: All-wood twin-engine Transport (not built) *

Waco Aristocraft The Waco Model W Aristocraft was an American four-seat monoplane, the last aircraft designed and built by the Waco Aircraft Company The Waco Aircraft Company (WACO) was an aircraft manufacturer located in Troy, Ohio, United States. Between ...

: Monoplane pusher cabin transport with engine in nose. Last Waco design to be built. 1 Prototype only.

References

Bibliography

Books

* * * * * * * * * *

Websites

* *

External links

Waco Air Museum Troy, Ohio

* ttp://aerofiles.com/wacodata.html Waco type codes explained
The Spirit of Adventure: Flying the USA and Europe, low and slow in a Waco open-cockpit biplane

Waco Classic

Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum
– has a number of Waco aircraft on display * {{WACO Companies based in Ohio Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1920 Defunct aircraft manufacturers of the United States 1920 establishments in Ohio Vehicle manufacturing companies disestablished in 1947 1947 disestablishments in Ohio