C-72 was a blanket designation given to a variety of privately owned

Waco 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 ...

enclosed-cabin biplanes pressed into service by 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 ...

in 1942. In all, 42 aircraft were taken and used for light transport duty wherever needed.

Variants

USAAF Waco UC-72 42-38271, at Hammer Field side

;UC-72 :12 impressed civil

Waco SRE The Waco E series is a small family of American-built cabin biplanes built between 1939 and 1942, which differed primarily by engine installation. Development and design The E series was the final development of the prewar Waco line of biplane de ...

, powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-985-33 Wasp Junior. ;UC-72A :One impressed civil Waco ARE, powered by a Jacobs R-915-1 (Jacobs L-6-1). ;UC-72B :Four impressed civil Waco EGC-8, powered by a Wright R-760-E2 Whirlwind. ;UC-72C :Two impressed civil

Waco HRE The Waco E series is a small family of American-built cabin biplanes built between 1939 and 1942, which differed primarily by engine installation. Development and design The E series was the final development of the prewar Waco line of biplane de ...

, powered by a

Lycoming R-680-9 The Lycoming R-680 is a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, the first aero engine produced by Lycoming. The engine was produced in two types, the E and B series; both are essentially the same. The B4E was available in a trainer version wit ...

. ;UC-72D :Two impressed civil Waco VKS-7, powered by a Continental R-670-3 (

Continental W-670-3 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 ...

). ;UC-72E :Four impressed civil Waco ZGC-7, powered by a

Jacobs R-830-1 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 ...

(Jacobs L-5-1). ;UC-72F :One impressed civil Waco CUC-1, powered by a Wright R-760E Whirlwind. ;UC-72G :One impressed civil

Waco AQC-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 ...

, powered by a Jacobs R-915-1. ;UC-72H :Five impressed civil

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 ...

, powered by a Jacobs R-830-1. ;UC-72J :Three impressed civil

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 ...

, powered by a Jacobs R-915-1. ;UC-72K :Two impressed civil

Waco YKS-7 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 ...

, powered by a

Jacobs R-755-1 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 sti ...

(Jacobs L-4-1). ;UC-72L :One impressed civil

Waco ZVN-8 The Waco N series is a range of 1930s 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 based on the Waco ...

, powered by a Jacobs R-830-1. ;UC-72M :Two impressed civil

Waco ZKS-7 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 ...

, powered by a Jacobs R-830-1. One later factory retrofitted with a

Lycoming R-680-13 The Lycoming R-680 is a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine, the first aero engine produced by Lycoming. The engine was produced in two types, the E and B series; both are essentially the same. The B4E was available in a trainer version wit ...

. ;UC-72N :One impressed civil

Waco YOC-1 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 ...

, powered by a Jacobs R-830-1. ;UC-72P :Two impressed civil

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 ...

, powered by a Jacobs R-915-1. ;UC-72Q :One impressed civil

, powered by a Jacobs R-830-1.

References

;Notes ;Sources * {{USAF transports Waco C-072 C-72