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

Performance

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Waco VN Series.
Notes
  1. Simpson, 2001, p. 575
  2. Green, 1965, p. 306
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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