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. The population was 26,305 at the 2020 census, making it Miami County's largest city and Ohio's 55th-largest. Troy lies along the Great Miami River about north of Da ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Between 1920 and 1947, the company produced a wide range of civilian

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

s. 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 a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas, United States. It is situated along the Brazos River and Interstate 35, I-35, halfway between Dallas and Austin, Texas, Austin. The city had a U.S. census estimated 2024 popul ...

, 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 Lorain may refer to: Places * Lorain, Ohio * Lorain, Pennsylvania * Lorain, Wisconsin * Lorain County, Ohio ** Lorain County Community College * Lorain Township, Minnesota People * René Lorain (born 1900), French athlete * Sophie Lorain, Canadi ...

and

Medina, Ohio Medina ( ) is a city in Medina County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. The population was 26,094 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It lies about south of Cleveland and west of Akron, Ohio, Akron within the Cleveland met ...

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 Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

;

San Antonio, Texas San Antonio ( ; Spanish for "Anthony of Padua, Saint Anthony") is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Greater San Antonio. San Antonio is the List of Texas metropolitan areas, third-largest metropolitan area in Texa ...

; 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 had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...

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 t ...

pilots Charles "Charley" William Meyers and George "Buck" Weaver. Although their initial

floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...

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 include 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 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 operations, especially during the

Normandy Invasion Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 ( D-Day) with the ...

and Operation Market Garden. The

Waco CG-4 The Waco CG-4 was the most widely used American troop/cargo military glider of World War II. It was designated the CG-4A by the United States Army Air Forces, and given the service name Hadrian (after the Roman emperor) by the British. The ...

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, that 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 o ...

, 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 Pottstown is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts (Pennsylvanian), John Potts. The old name was abando ...

, with dealers in

Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

, and

Ontario, Canada Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

.WACO ad
"Made for you who demand a unique airplane of superb quality,"
July 1968, ''

Flying Magazine ''Flying'', sometimes styled ''FLYING'', is an aviation magazine published since 1927 and called ''Popular Aviation'' prior to 1942, as well as ''Aeronautics'' for a brief period. It is read by pilots, aircraft owners, aviation enthusiasts and ...

,'' retrieved February 5, 2017 The European WACOs—in some cases replacing the original

Lycoming engines Lycoming Engines is a major American manufacturer of aircraft engines. With a factory in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Lycoming produces a line of horizontally opposed, air-cooled, four, six and eight-cylinder engines. The company has built more ...

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 Syracuse ( ) is a City (New York), city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States. With a population of 148,620 and a Syracuse metropolitan area, metropolitan area of 662,057, it is the fifth-most populated city and 13 ...

. 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, ''

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

laminar-flow Laminar flow () is the property of fluid particles in fluid dynamics to follow 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 m ...

wings—arguably in the same class as the

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

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 SIAI Marchetti 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 and the Morane brothers, Léon and Robert. The company was taken over and diversified in the 1960s. History Model development ...

Minerva or Rallye, a four-seat

STOL A short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft is a fixed-wing aircraft that can takeoff/land on short runways. Many STOL-designed aircraft can operate on airstrips with harsh conditions (such as high altitude or ice). STOL aircraft, including tho ...

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 stru ...

as the

SOCATA Rallye The SOCATA Rallye () 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 Rallye ...

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

Modern production

The

WACO Classic Aircraft The WACO Classic Aircraft Corporation is an American aircraft manufacturer, located in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was founded in 1983 as the Classic Aircraft Corporation and is now called the WACO Aircraft Corporation. WACO Classic Aircraft bu ...

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 St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

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 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 ...

() 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 The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfa ...

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, pa ...

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

Liberty Liberty is the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or political views. The concept of liberty can vary depending on perspective and context. In the Constitutional ...

- 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 ''Miss Pittsburgh'' is a historic Waco 9 airplane, powered by a Curtiss OX-5 engine, known for making the first airmail flight from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Cleveland, Ohio on 21 April 1927. ''Miss Pittsburgh'' was rediscovered and restored ...

;

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 ...

: 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. When letter designations were used, a final letter M indicated it was a mailplane, and the middle letter of S indicated a straight "Hershey bar" wing, while a T indicated the model was a taperwing, with the chord at the wingtips being less than half of the root chord. * Waco 240: 1 conversion of Waco 10 with

Continental W-670 The Continental R-670 (factory designation W670) was a seven-cylinder four-stroke 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. * 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 Whirlwin ...

radial engine, known as J-5 Straightwing, Waco Sport, and Whirlwind Waco. 95 built. * Waco BSO: Variant of ASO Wright J-6-5 radial engine. 45 built. * Waco CSO: 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: Taperwing variant of ASO. 54 built. * Waco CTO: Taperwing variant of CSO. 35 built. * Waco HTO: Modified from HSO. 1 built. * Waco JTO:

Wright J-6-9 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 memb ...

. 1 built. * Waco JYO: JTO variant for evaluation by U.S. Navy. 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 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 ...

: 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 Northwest Airlines (often abbreviated as NWA) was a major airline in the United States that operated from 1926 until it merged with Delta Air Lines in 2010. The merger made Delta the largest airline in the world until the American Airlines–U ...

;

Waco A series The Waco A series is a range of light 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 range and baggag ...

* 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 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 German brand of coffee *Jacobs Solutions, an American international technical profession ...

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

Warner Scarab The Warner Scarab is an American seven-cylinder radial engine, 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 designate ...

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

Continental R-670 The Continental R-670 (factory designation W670) was a seven-cylinder four-stroke radial aircraft engine produced by Teledyne Continental Motors, Continental displacing 668 cubic inches (11 litres) and a dry weight of . Horsepower varied from 21 ...

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 225-35 ...

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...

. ; Waco JHD: Multipurpose military biplane with Wright J-6-9 Whirlwind radial engine. 6 exported to Uruguay. ; Waco S2HD: Multipurpose military export biplane with Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior SB 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 192 ...

Waco UBF NC155Y of 1932 at HARM St Louis 10

* Waco OBF:

Kinner C-5 The Kinner C-5 was an American five cylinder radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radia ...

engine. Unknown if built. * Waco PBF:

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 & 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:

radial engine. 3 built. * Waco QCF: Continental A-70 radial engine. 31 built. * Waco UCF:

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

* Waco UMF-3 & 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:

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 are 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 ca ...

inline engine. 4 built. * Waco QNF: Continental A-70 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 225-35 ...

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 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 wi ...

radial engine. Possibly not built. * Waco UPF-6:

radial engine. Prototype for UPF-7. *

Waco UPF-7 The Waco F series is a series of United States, American-built general aviation and military biplane Trainer (aircraft), trainers of the 1930s from the Waco Aircraft Company. Development The Waco 'F' series of biplanes supplanted and then repla ...

: 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. * 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 by the Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company, beginning in 1935.Gunston 1989, p.85. Design and development The R-830 was effectively ...

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 The Fairchild PT-19 (company designation Fairchild M62) is an American monoplane primary trainer aircraft that served with the United States Army Air Forces, Royal Air Force, RAF and Royal Canadian Air Force, RCAF during World War II. Design ...

. 1 built.

Waco Standard Cabin Biplanes

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

engine. modified to QDC. * Waco PDC: with

engine. 2 built on special order. * Waco QDC: with Continental A-70 engine. 37 built. * Waco UDC: with

engine. None built. * Waco OEC: with

engine. 3 built. *

Waco UEC The Waco Standard Cabin series is a range of United States, 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 th ...

: 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

. 40 built. * Waco VKS-7: with Continental R-670-B engine. 18 built. * Waco VKS-7F: VKS-7 for CPTP with flaps. 21 built. * Waco YKC, 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, sta ...

: 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 ( Lycoming R-680-13 in 1947).

Waco Custom Cabin Biplanes (sesquiplanes)

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

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

engine.

* Waco CUC: Wright R-760-E engine. 30+ built of all CUC types. * Waco CUC-1: Wright R-760-E1 engine. * Waco CUC-2:

engine. *

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 ...

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 armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, mi ...

used 3 as J2W-1. * Waco SQC-6:

Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr 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 ...

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:

engine. 68 built. *Waco AGC-8: 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: Menasco Pirate inline engine. Unknown number built. *Waco UGC-7:

engine. None built. *Waco VGC-7:

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 (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: Nosewheel Type with Jacobs L-6 engine. 15 built. * Waco ZVN-7 & Waco ZVN-8: Nosewheel Type with

engine. 6 built.

Waco E series (1939–1940)

* Waco ARE Aristocrat: Jacobs L-6 engine. 4 built. * Waco HRE Aristocrat:

engine. 5 built. * Waco SRE Aristocrat: Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine. 21 built. * Waco WRE Aristocrat: Wright R-975 engine. None built.

Gliders

* WACO Primary Glider: single place trainer. * Waco CG-3: troop glider intended for training CG-4 pilots. *

, also known as the "Hadrian", troop glider. * Waco CG-13: troop glider. * Waco CG-15: troop glider.

Other transports

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

. * Waco Aristocraft: 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

* [http://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