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.

Waco 10
Waco 10 giving joy rides.
Role	light passenger transport
Manufacturer	Advance Aircraft Waco Aircraft Company
Designer	Charles Meyers
First flight	1927
Introduction	1927
Produced	1927–1933
Number built	1,623

Waco 10 (or GXE) in the Canada Aviation Museum.

Design and development

The Waco 10 was a larger span development of the Waco 9, both single-engined three-seat single-bay biplanes constructed around steel-tube frames. The wing covering was fabric, and both upper and lower planes carried ailerons, which were strut linked. The two passengers sat side by side in a cockpit under the upper wing and ahead of the pilot, who had a separate cockpit. It had a split-axle fixed undercarriage and a tailwheel. The main undercarriage was fitted with hydraulic shock absorbers, unusual at the time on a light aircraft. The fin could be trimmed on the ground to offset engine torque, and the tailplane could be trimmed in flight. Initially it was powered by a Curtiss OX-5 water-cooled 90° V-8 engine producing 90 hp (67 kW).

Its first flight was in 1927. It was numerically the most important type to be built by Waco, with at least 1,623 built over a period of 7 years from 1927 to 1933 and was fitted with a very large variety of engines of radial and V configuration.

Operational history

The Waco 10 turned out to have excellent handling, and there was a ready supply of war-surplus Curtiss engines. It was widely used for the popularisation of aeronautics through barnstorming and joyrides, and was also much used as a trainer and by small operators for charter flights.

Variants

In 1928, after the Waco 10 had entered production, Waco changed its designation system so that the basic model 10, powered by a 90 hp (67 kW) Curtiss OX-5 engine became the GXE.

1930 Waco ATO Taperwing at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum near St Louis

1929 Waco ATO Taperwing of Vintage Wings of Canada.

1929 Waco CTO at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort South Carolina

Later aircraft used a three-letter designation, the first denoting the engine (except for the two mailplanes), the second, S or T meaning Straight or Tapered wing and the final O indicating it belongs to the Waco O series, ostensibly for open cockpit - or 10. An -A suffix indicated an armed variant intended for export.

Early Designation	Post-1928 Designation	Marketing Designation	Engine	Power
10	GXE	90	Curtiss OX-5	90 hp (67 kW)
10-W	ASO	220-T	Wright J-5	220 hp (160 kW)
	ATO		Wright J-5	220 hp (160 kW)
	BSO	BS-165	Wright R-540A	165 hp (123 kW)
	BSO-A		Wright R-540A	165 hp (123 kW)
	CSO	C-225	Wright R-760	225 hp (168 kW)
	CTO		Wright R-760	225 hp (168 kW)
10-H	DSO		Hispano-Suiza 8A or E	150–180 hp (110–130 kW)
	HSO		Packard DR-980 Diesel	225 hp (168 kW)
	HTO		Packard DR-980 Diesel	225 hp (168 kW)
	JTO		Wright R-975	300 hp (220 kW)
	JYO		Wright R-975	300 hp (220 kW)
	KSO		Kinner K-5	100 hp (75 kW)
	OSO		Kinner C-5	210 hp (160 kW)
	PSO		Jacobs radials	140–170 hp (100–130 kW)
	QSO		Continental A70	165 hp (123 kW)
	RSO		Warner Scarab	110 hp (82 kW)
		240-A	Continental W-670	240 hp (180 kW)

Apart from the water-cooled V-8 Curtiss and Hispano-Suiza engines, all of the rest were air-cooled radials.

Other engines were fitted experimentally, without unique designations, including the Rausie, Ryan-Siemens, and 115 hp (86 kW) Milwaukee Tank engine. This last engine was an air-cooled version of the Curtiss OX-5, and was intended as an aircraft engine.

The two mailplane derivatives from the O series (types JYM and JWM) were single seaters with a 14" stretch in the fuselage.

In the 1990s The WACO Aircraft Company in Forks, Washington offered a homebuilt kit version of the ATO model, featuring a book of re-drawn plans and an instruction manual.[1]

The WACO 240-A was a straight-wing fighter, built for export, powered by 240 hp (180 kW) Wright engine. At least six were bought by the Cantonese Chinese aviation services. They were armed with twin .30 Browning machine guns and had racks for five 25 lb (11 kg) or two 100 lb (45 kg) bombs.[2]

There was also an export model WACO Pursuit 300T-A, with 300 hp (220 kW) Wright or Wasp Jr engine.[2]

Surviving aircraft

Year	Model	Serial #	Registration	Location	References
1927	GXE	781	N312DC	Gatlinburg–Pigeon Forge Airport, Tennessee
1928	GXE	1388	N6675K	Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri	[3]
1928	GXE	1464	NC4899	Ohio History Connection	[4]
1928	GXE	1521	C-GAFD	Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario	[5]
1928	GXE	1554	NC6974	Eagles Mere Air Museum at Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania	[6]
1928	GXE	1586	NC5852	privately owned and based at Covington, Ohio	[7][8]
1928	GXE	1644/3065	CF-AOI	Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta	[9]
1928	GXE	1810	N6513	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	[10]
1928	ATO	A-4	NC5814	EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin	[11][12]
1928	ATO	A-20	N6714	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	[13]
1929	ATO	A-65	CF-BPM	Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, previously owned by Vintage Wings of Canada, Gatineau, Québec	[14][15]
1929	ATO	A-103	NC906H	Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri	[3]
1929	CTO	A-118	N13918	WACO Aircraft Museum, Troy, Ohio	[16]
1929	GXE	1869	NC8529	privately owned and based at Corning, Iowa	[17][18]
1929	DSO	3006	N605N	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	[19]
1929	CSO	1657	N7662	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	[20]
1929	CTO	AT-3005	N516M	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	[21]
1930	ATO	D-3128	NC663N	Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri	[22]
1930	CSO	3140	N671N	Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri	[3]
1932	CTO	A-3596	NC280W	Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri	[3]

Specifications (Waco GXE)

Data from Aerofiles[23]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 2 passengers
• Length: 23 ft 6 in (7.16 m)
• Wingspan: 30 ft 7 in (9.32 m)
• Height: 9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)
• Airfoil: Aeromarine 2A[24]
• Empty weight: 1,199 lb (544 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,025 lb (919 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Curtiss OX-5 V-8 water-cooled piston engine, 90 hp (67 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 97 mph (156 km/h, 84 kn)
• Cruise speed: 84 mph (135 km/h, 73 kn)
• Stall speed: 37 mph (60 km/h, 32 kn)
• Range: 380 mi (610 km, 330 nmi)
• Rate of climb: 500 ft/min (2.5 m/s)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

(Partial listing, only covers most numerous types)

• Alexander Eaglerock
• American Eagle A-101
• Brunner-Winkle Bird
• Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster
• Command-Aire 3C3
• Parks P-1
• Pitcairn Mailwing
• Spartan C3
• Stearman C2 and C3
• Swallow New Swallow
• Travel Air 2000 and 4000

Related lists

• List of aircraft
• List of civil aircraft

References

1. Purdy, Don (15 July 1998). AeroCrafter homebuilt aircraft sourcebook (5th ed.). Benicia, Calif.: BAI Communications. p. 288. ISBN 0963640941.
2. Forman, Harrison (September 1934). "American warplanes in China". Popular Aviation (Forman, Harrison. American warplanes in China, "Popular aviation" September 1934, pp.151-152): 151–152.
3. "Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum". Fairchild24.com. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
4. "Where is it now. Collections from the Former Ohio History of Flight Museum". Ohio History Connection Blog. Ohio History Connection. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
5. "Waco 10 (GXE) – Canada Aviation and Space Museum". Aviation.technomuses.ca. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
6. "1928 Waco GXE Eagles Mere Air Museum". eaglesmereairmuseum.org/index.shtml. Retrieved 2014-03-21.
7. Rose, Scott (2002-03-18). "Vintage Registry - A Warbirds Resource Group Site - Waco". Vintage.warbirdregistry.org. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
8. Federal Aviation Administration (August 2012). "Make / Model Inquiry Results N5852". Retrieved 7 August 2012.
9. Skaarup, Harold A. (2001). Canadian Warbird Survivors - A Handbook on where to find them. Nebraska: Writers Club Press. ISBN 978-059520668-1.
10. "WACO GXE - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
11. "Waco 10/ATO". Airventuremuseum.org. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
12. "Master Aircraft List". Airventuremuseum.org. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
13. "WACO ATO "Taperwing" - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
14. Transport Canada (August 2012). "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register". Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 7 August 2012.
15. "WACO Taperwing A.T.O. > Vintage Wings of Canada". Vintagewings.ca. Retrieved 2012-08-07.
16. Federal Aviation Administration (August 2012). "Make / Model Inquiry Results N13918". Retrieved 7 August 2012.
17. "unknown". Pilot: 49. December 2011. Cite uses generic title (help)
18. Federal Aviation Administration (August 2012). "Make / Model Inquiry Results N8529". Retrieved 7 August 2012.
19. "WACO DSO - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
20. "WACO CSO - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
21. "WACO CTO "Taper Wing" - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org. Retrieved 2013-08-05.
22. "Museum Hangar 1, John Cournoyer's Wonderful Wacos". Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
23. Aerofiles (April 2009). "Waco". Retrieved 2009-06-10.
24. Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". m-selig.ae.illinois.edu. Retrieved 16 April 2019.

Further reading

• Juptner, Joseph P. (1962). U.S. Civil Aircraft. 1. Los Angeles, California: Aero Publishers, Inc. LCCN 62-15967. OCLC 29356554.
• Brandly, Raymond H. (1986). Waco Aircraft Production 1923-1942 (2nd ed.). Troy, Ohio: Waco Aircraft Co. ISBN 0-9602734-5-X.
• Kobernuss, Fred O. (1999). Waco - Symbol of Courage and Excellence. Mystic Bay Publisher. ISBN 1-887961-01-1.