Waco N series
| Waco N series | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Airworthy 1938 Waco AVN-8 cabin biplane with fixed tricycle undercarriage at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Creve Coeur Airport near St Louis | |
| Role | Four-seat tricycle undercarriage cabin biplane |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Waco Aircraft Company |
| First flight | 1937 |
| Status | a few still airworthy in 2009 |
| Primary user | private owner pilots |
| Number built | approx 20 |
| Developed from | Waco C series |
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 C series five-seat Custom Cabin Waco with that model's curved pointed wings, but with an unusual fixed tricycle undercarriage and a modified tail with a lower rudder extension to give increased side area. The Waco N was fitted with flaps on all four wings to improve the aircraft's landing characteristics.[1]
Operational history
The prototype, was designated ZVN-7, with the '7' indicating its year of manufacture (1937), and was powered by the 285 hp (213 kW) Jacobs L-5 engine.[2] Only around 20 examples of the N series were completed, as the AVN-8, and ZVN-8. A few were impressed by the USAAC during the Second World War as the UC-72J and UC-72L. One AVN-8 was used by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, for trials with tricycle landing gear.
An example of the AVN-8 is maintained in airworthy condition by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum at Creve Coeur Airport near St Louis Missouri.
Variants
- ZVN-7 and ZVN-8
- 285 hp (213 kW) Jacobs L-5
- AVN-8
- 330 hp (246 kW) Jacobs L-6 engine
Specifications (AVN-8)
Data from Green, 1965, p. 306
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Capacity: 3 passengers
- Length: 27 ft 7 in ( m)
- Wingspan: 34 ft 9 in ( m)
- Height: 8 ft 6 in ( m)
- Wing area: 246 ft2 ( m2)
- Empty weight: 2,493 lb ( kg)
- Gross weight: 3,800 lb ( kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Jacobs L-6 seven-cylinder radial air-cooled, 330 hp ( kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 161 mph ( km/h)
- Cruise speed: 151 mph ( km/h)
- Service ceiling: 14,200 ft ( m)
- Rate of climb: 900 ft/min ( m/s)
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Waco VN Series. |
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Green, William (1965). The Aircraft of the World. Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
- Simpson, Rod (2001). Airlife's World Aircraft. Airlife Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84037-115-3.
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