Waco Custom Cabin series
Waco Custom Cabin series | |
---|---|
Waco EQC-6 marked as Grant McConachie's aircraft | |
Role | Four to five place cabin sesquiplane
|
Manufacturer | Waco Aircraft Company |
First flight | 1935 |
Introduction | 1935 |
Primary user | Private individuals, air taxiis |
Produced | 1935–1939 |
Number built | 350+ |
Variants | Waco E series, Waco N series |
The Waco Custom Cabins were a series of up-market single-engined four-to-five-seat cabin
Design
Nearly all of the Waco Custom Cabins were powered by radial engines (there being one factory-built exception, the MGC-8) and the purchaser could specify almost any commercially available engine and Waco would build an aircraft powered by it, hence the profusion of designations, as the first letter indicates the engine installed. Some models were offered in case someone wanted a specific engine but not all were built. Fuselage structure was typical for the period, being welded steel tubing with light wood strips to fair the shape in. The wings were made of spruce with two spars each, having ailerons on only the upper wings, mounted on a false spar.
Designation clarification
Waco had been building a series of successful
Operational history
The Custom Cabin series, with its improved performance proved to be popular and many were purchased by small commercial aviation firms and non-aviation businesses. Approximately 300 Custom Cabin Wacos of all types (excluding the Waco E series and the Waco N series), were produced between 1935 and 1939. Some were employed as "executive transports". Many served in the Canadian bush country, where they normally operated on skis in winter and EDO floats in summer. Many of these Canadian Wacos were ordered and built as freighters with additional doors. In 1936 an EQC-6 operated by Speers Airways of Regina, Saskatchewan was the first non-military government operated air ambulance in Canada.[4] With the onset of
Variants
The Waco Custom cabin series included all of the enlarged-cabin sesquiplanes from 1935 and can be further divided into six basic models, OC, UC QC, GC, RE and VN, with additional subtypes differing primarily in engine installation (indicated by the first letter of the designation or by a low dash number, i.e. -1, -2) and by model year (dash numbers -6, -7, -8). Letters were not used sequentially. Each basic type was offered with almost any engine the customer wished and designations were created accordingly, however some engines were more popular than others resulting in some types being offered, but never built. Due to the wide variety of engines already offered, it was both relatively easy and common to change the installed engine, resulting in a lot of confusion as to the correct designation to use for a specific airframe.
The RE series is more refined aerodynamically than earlier models; the wings are fully plywood-skinned, and instead of a bulky compression strut carrying lift loads, a more conventional set of streamlined
1935 OC Series (54+ built)
- UOC
- 210 hp (157 kW) Continental R-670-Bengine. four built.
- YOC
- 225 hp (168 kW) Jacobs L-4engine. 50+ YOC and YOC-1 built. Built as UOC and re-engined.
- YOC-1
- 285 hp (213 kW) Jacobs L-5engine. Built as UOC and re-engined. One impressed by USAAF as UC-72N.
1935 UC Series (30+ built)
- CUC
- 250 hp (186 kW) Wright R-760-Eengine. 30+ built of all CUC types.
- CUC-1
- 285 hp (213 kW) USAAFas UC-72F.
- CUC-2
- 320 hp (239 kW) Wright R-760-E2engine. Built as CUC and re-engined.
1936 QC Series (C-6) (120 built)
- AQC-6
- 330 hp (246 kW) Jacobs L-6engine. Seven built. One impressed by USAAF as UC-72G.
- AQC-6 Freighter: At least two aircraft ordered through Fleet Aircraft and built for use in Canada with additional freight doors on both sides of the fuselage and equipped for floats. Engine same as for standard AQC-6. Additional aircraft may have been modified.[7]
- CQC-6
- 250 hp (186 kW) Wright R-760-E engine. None built.
- DQC-6
- 285 hp (213 kW) Wright R-760-E1 engine. 11 built.
- EQC-6
- 320 hp (239 kW) Wright R-760-E2 engine. 20 built. USCG used three as J2W-1[8]
- SQC-6
- 300 hp (224 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr. engine. None built.
- UQC-6
- 210 hp (157 kW) Continental R-670 or 225 hp (168 kW);hp Continental W-670-6. None built.
- VQC-6
- 250 hp (186 kW) Continental W-670-M1engine. One built.
- YQC-6
- 225 hp (168 kW) Jacobs L-4 engine. 13 built. One ex-RAAF example re-engined with 200 hp (149 kW);hp DeHavilland Gypsy 6 inline engine.
- ZQC-6
- 285 hp (213 kW) Jacobs L-5 engine. 68 built. One impressed by the USAAF as UC-72Q and five as UC-72H.;[9] Swedish AF Tp-8a
- ZQC-6 Freighter: At least eight aircraft ordered through Fleet Aircraft and built for use in Canada with additional freight doors on both sides of the fuselage and equipped for floats. Engine same as for standard ZQC-6. Additional aircraft may have been modified.[7]
1937–38 GC Series (C-7 and C-8) (96+ built)
- AGC-8
- 300 hp (224 kW) Jacobs L-6 engine. 17 built, two modified to EGC-8. Two impressed by USAAF as UC-72P.
- DGC-7
- 285 hp (213 kW) Wright R-760-E1 engine. Two built.
- EGC-7
- 320 hp (239 kW) Wright R-760-E2 engine. 38 built.
- EGC-8
- same as EGC-7 for 1938. Seven built, plus two modified from AGC-8, and one used to trial 260 hp (194 kW) Menasco C-6S-4for MGC-8. Four impressed by USAAF as UC-72B
- MGC-8
- Menasco Buccaneer inline engine. One modified, unknown number built.
- UGC-7
- 210 hp (157 kW) Continental R-670 engine. None built.
- VGC-7
- 250 hp (186 kW) Continental W-670-M1 engine. None built.
- YGC-7
- 225 hp (168 kW) Jacobs L-4 engine. None built.
- YGC-8
- 225 hp (168 kW) Jacobs L-4 engine. Trailling edge flaps. None built.
- ZGC-7
- 300 hp (224 kW) Jacobs L-5 engine. 28 built. Four impressed by USAAF as UC-72E
- ZGC-8
- same as ZGC-7 for 1938, four built.
1938 VN Series (N-8) (20 ca. built)
- AVN-8
- 330 hp (246 kW) Jacobs L-6 engine.
- ZVN-8
- 285 hp (213 kW) Jacobs L-5 engine.
1939 RE Series (30 built)
- ARE Aristocrat
- 330 hp (246 kW) Jacobs L-6 (four built, one impressed by USAAF as UC-72A)
- HRE Aristocrat
- 300 hp (224 kW) Lycoming R-680-E3 (five built, two impressed by USAAF as UC-72C)
- SRE Aristocrat
- 450 hp (336 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr SB-2/-3(21 built, 13 impressed by USAAF as UC-72)
- WRE Aristocrat
- 450 hp (336 kW) Wright R-975– none built
Military designations
- A-54
- Royal Australian Air Force designation for impressed YQC-6[10]
- Tp-8a
- Swedish Air Force designation for ZQC-6. Tp-8 was a generic designation for all Wacos.[11]
- J2W
- US Coast Guard designation for three EQC-6 bought from Waco. Additional aircraft impressed by the US Navy were undesignated.[8]
- UC-72/C-72
- US Army Air Forces designation for impressed Custom Cabin series Wacos.[9]
UC-72B : EGC-8 four impressed UC-72E : ZGC-7 four impressed UC-72P : AGC-8 two impressed UC-72Q : ZQC-6 one impressed UC-72G : AQC-6 one impressed UC-72H : ZQC-6 five impressed UC-72F : CUC-1 one impressed
Operators
Civil operators
Wacos were used in small numbers by a very large number of individual operators in many countries.[12]
Military operators
Most operators operated either a single example, or a very small number.
- Argentine Navy (EQC-6 and UOC)[13]
- Royal Australian Air Force impressed (YQC-6)[10]
- Exército Brasileiro (30 EGC-7)[14]
- Royal Canadian Air Force impressed (AQC-6)[15]
- Department of National Defence purchased (two ZQC-6)[16]
- Finnish Air Force impressed (ZQC-6)[17]
- Royal Netherlands Air Force possibly impressed (EGC-7)[18]
- Royal New Zealand Air Force impressed (UOC)[19]
- Nicaraguan Air Force (EGC-7)[20]
- South African Air Force impressed at least ten Wacos of different types (CUC and YOC)[citation needed]
- Swedish Air Force (ZQC-6)[11]
- Royal Air Force impressed (ZVN-8)[21] and ZGC-7[6])
- United States Coast Guard (three EQC-6)[8]
- United States Navy[8]
- United States Army Air Forces (impressed 18 of various types – see above)[9]
Aircraft on display
Aside from the large number of privately owned Wacos that continue to exist,[22] a number have also found their way into museums.
Museum | Location | Type | Identity |
Canadian Museum of Flight[23] | Langley, BC | AQC-6 | CF-CCW |
EAA AirVenture Museum[24] |
Oshkosh, WI | ARE | NC20953 |
Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum[25] | Maryland Heights, MO | AVN-8 | NC19378 |
Golden Wings Flying Museum[26] | Minneapolis, MN | CUC-1 | NC15233 |
Virginia Aviation Museum[27] | Richmond, VA | YOC | NC17740 |
War Eagles Air Museum[28] | Santa Teresa, NM | EGC-8 | NC19354 |
Yukon Transportation Museum[29] | Whitehorse, YT |
ZQC-6 | CF-BDZ |
Specifications (ZQC-6)
Data from Juptner, U.S. Civil Aircraft Series, Vol. 6[30]
General characteristics
- Crew: one
- Capacity: four passengers
- Length: 26 ft 8 in (8.13 m)
- Upper wingspan: 35 ft 0 in (10.67 m)
- Lower wingspan: 24 ft 6 in (7.47 m)
- Height: 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m)
- Wing area: 244 sq ft (22.7 m2) total
- Clark Y
- Empty weight: 2,023 lb (918 kg)
- Gross weight: 3,500 lb (1,588 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Jacobs L-5 seven cylinder radial engine, 285 hp (213 kW) , first letter in designation (Z) indicates engine installed.
- Propellers: 2-bladed
Performance
- Maximum speed: 166 mph (267 km/h, 144 kn)
- Cruise speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn)
- Service ceiling: 17,000 ft (5,200 m)
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Avro Club Cadet
- Avro 641 Commodore
- Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
- Bristol Type 110A
- Brown-Young BY-1
- Canadian Vickers Vanessa
- Cunningham-Hall PT-6
- Stinson SB-1 Detroiter
Related lists
- List of civil aircraft
- List of aircraft of World War II
- List of aircraft of the United States during World War II
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- List of military aircraft of Sweden
- List of military aircraft of Finland
References
Notes
- ^ a b Aerofiles 'That Waco Coding System' accessed 10 June 09
- ^ Brandly, 1981
- ^ Brandley, 1986, p.76
- ^ http://www.wdm.ca/skteacherguide/WDMResearch/AirAmbulance_TeacherGuide.pdf Saskatchewan's Air Ambulance Service, by Janet MacKenzie, 30 September 2002 – Accessed 29 May 2012
- ^ Congressional Record – Awarding a Congressional Gold Medal to members of the Civil Air Patrol Archived 2016-01-14 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 27 June 2012
- ^ a b Jenner and List 1999, pp.9, 27, 45–46
- ^ a b Brandly, 1986, p.74
- ^ a b c d Swanborough & Bowers, 1990, p.534
- ^ a b c Aerofiles – USAAF Impressed Wacos, 2009
- ^ a b Francillon, 1970, p.8
- ^ a b Annerfalk, 1999, p.188
- ^ Golden Years of Aviation (aircraft registrations) Archived 2012-02-19 at the Wayback Machine, accessdate 29 May 2012
- ^ "World Air Forces Argentina Air Force". www.worldairforces.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012.
- ^ "World Air Forces Brazil Air Force". www.worldairforces.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2012.
- ^ "World Air Forces Canada Air Force". www.worldairforces.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2012.
- ISBN 0-9602734-2-5.
- ^ "World Air Forces Finland Air Force". www.worldairforces.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012.
- ^ "World Air Forces Netherlands Air Force". www.worldairforces.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012.
- ^ Duxbury, 1987, p.57
- ^ "World Air Forces Nicaragua Air Force". www.worldairforces.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012.
- ISBN 0-9602734-2-5.
- ^ *FAA Registry Search for Waco Archived 2012-02-17 at the Wayback Machine accessed 12 June 2009
- ^ Waco AQC-6 Retrieved 28 June 2012
- ^ WACO ARE – NC20953 Retrieved 28 June 2012
- ^ Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum List of Aircraft Retrieved 28 June 2012
- ^ Golden Wings Flying Museum – The Collection Retrieved 27 June 2012
- ^ Virginia Aviation Museum Historic Aircraft (p 25) Archived 2016-05-12 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 28 June 2012
- ^ War Eagles Air Museum Newsletter First Quarter 2005 Retrieved 28 June 2012
- ^ Waco CF-BDZ Retrieved 10 January 2024
- ^ Juptner, 1993, pp.353–355
Bibliography
- ISBN 91-86642-049.
- Brandley, Raymond H. (1986). Waco Aircraft Production 1923–1942 – Troy, Ohio: Waco Aircraft Co (Second ed.). R.H. Brandly. ISBN 978-0960273454.
- Brandley, Raymond H. (1989). Waco Airplanes – Ask Any Pilot – The Authentic History of Waco Airplanes and Biographies of... R.H. Brandly. ISBN 0-9602734-0-9.
- Brandley, Raymond H. (1981). Waco Airplanes – Ask Any Pilot – The Versatile Cabin Series. R.H. Brandly. ISBN 0-9602734-2-5.
- Duxbury, David; Ewing, Ross; MacPherson, Ross (1987). Aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Singapore: Heinmann. ISBN 0-86863-412-3.
- Francillon, Rene J. (1970). Royal Australian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Pacific. Aero Pictorials 3. Fallbrook CA: Aero Publishers Inc. LCCN 76-114412.
- Green, William (1965). The Aircraft of the World. Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
- Jenner, Robin; List, David; Badrocke, Mike (1999). The Long Range Desert Group 1940–1945. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-958-1.
- Juptner, Joseph P. (1962). U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol. 1. Los Angeles, California: Aero Publishers, Inc. LCCN 62-15967.
Juptner, Joseph P. (1993). U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol. 6. McGraw-Hill.
- Kobernuss, Fred O. (1999). Waco – Symbol of Courage and Excellence. unk.: Mystic Bay Publisher. ISBN 1-887961-01-1.
- Simpson, Rod (2001). Airlife's World Aircraft. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-115-3.
- Swanborough, Gordon; Bowers, Peter (1990). US Navy Aircraft Since 1911. Putnam. ISBN 0-85177-838-0.
- FAA Registry Search for Waco
- Various (26 April 2009). "Aerofiles Waco Page". Retrieved 7 June 2009.
- Various (26 April 2009). "45 USAAF Impressed Wacos". Retrieved 23 May 2012.