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. 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 Curtiss OX-5 engine became the GXE. near St Louis . South Carolina Later aircraft used a three-letter designation, the first denoting the engine, 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.
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 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 were single seaters with a 14" stretch in the fuselage. In the 1990sThe 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. The WACO 240-A was a straight-wing fighter, built for export, powered by 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 or two bombs. There was also an export model WACO Pursuit 300T-A, with Wright or Wasp Jr engine.
Surviving aircraft
Specifications (Waco GXE)
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era
