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.

Quick Facts Role, Manufacturer ...
Waco 10
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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
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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.

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1930 Waco ATO Taperwing at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum near St Louis
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1929 Waco ATO Taperwing of Vintage Wings of Canada.
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1929 Waco CTO at Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort South Carolina

Later aircraft used three-letter designations, the first denoting the engine (except for the two mailplanes), the second denoting the wing installed, S or T meaning Straight or Tapered wing, and the final O indicating it was a derivative of the 10. An -A suffix indicated an armed variant intended for export.

More information Early Designation, Post-1928 Designation ...
Early
Designation
Post-1928
Designation
Marketing
Designation
EnginePower
10GXE90Curtiss OX-590 hp (67 kW)
10-WASO220-TWright J-5220 hp (160 kW)
10-TATOWright J-5220 hp (160 kW)
BSO/BSO-ABS-165Wright J-6-5165 hp (123 kW)
CSOC-225Wright J-6-7225 hp (168 kW)
CTOWright J-6-7225 hp (168 kW)
10-HDSOHispano-Suiza 8A or E150–180 hp (110–130 kW)
HSOPackard DR-980 Diesel225 hp (168 kW)
HTOPackard DR-980 Diesel225 hp (168 kW)
JTOWright J-6-9300 hp (220 kW)
JYMMailplaneWright J-6-9300 hp (220 kW)
JWMMailplaneWright J-6-9330 hp (250 kW)
KSOKinner K-5100 hp (75 kW)
OSOKinner C-5210 hp (160 kW)
PSOJacobs radials140–170 hp (100–130 kW)
QSOContinental A70165 hp (123 kW)
RSOWarner Scarab110 hp (82 kW)
240-AContinental W-670240 hp (180 kW)
300-A300 hp radial300 hp (220 kW)
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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 JYM and JWM were mailplane derivatives with a 14" fuselage stretch.

In the 1990s the unrelated The WACO Aircraft Company in Forks, Washington offered a homebuilt kit version of the ATO model.[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

More information Year, Model ...
YearModelSerial #RegistrationLocationReferences
1927GXE781N312DCGatlinburg–Pigeon Forge Airport, Tennessee
1928GXE1388N6675KHistoric Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri[3]
1928GXE1464NC4899Ohio History Connection[4]
1928GXE1521C-GAFDCanada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario[5]
1928GXE1554NC6974Eagles Mere Air Museum at Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania[6]
1928GXE1586NC5852privately owned and based at Covington, Ohio[7][8]
1928GXE1644/3065CF-AOIReynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta[9]
1928GXE1810N6513Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum[10]
1928ATOA-4NC5814EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin[11][12]
1928ATOA-20N6714Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum[13]
1929ATOA-65CF-BPMReynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta,
previously owned by Vintage Wings of Canada, Gatineau, Québec
[14][15]
1929ATOA-103NC906HHistoric Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri[3]
1929CTOA-118N13918WACO Aircraft Museum, Troy, Ohio[16]
1929GXE1869NC8529privately owned and based at Corning, Iowa[17]
1929DSO3006N605NWestern Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum[18]
1929CSO1657N7662Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum[19]
1929CTOAT-3005N516MWestern Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum[20]
1930ATOD-3128NC663NHistoric Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri[21]
1930CSO3140N671NHistoric Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri[3]
1932CTOA-3596NC280WHistoric Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri[3]
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Specifications (Waco GXE)

Data from Aerofiles[22]

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[23]
  • 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)

References

Further reading

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