Waco F series

Aircraft Picture - Waco UPF-7 built 1941 ex US Civilian Pilot Training Program at Sun n' Fun, Lakeland, Florida, in April 2009

Role: open-cockpit biplane
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Waco Aircraft Company
Introduction: 1930
Status: YMF-5 in production
Primary user: private pilot owners and training schools

The Waco F series was a range of American-built private pilot owner and training biplanes of the 1930s from the Waco Aircraft Company.

Development

The Waco 'F' series of biplanes supplanted and then replaced the earlier 'O' series of 1927/33. The 'F' series had an airframe which was smaller and about 450 pounds (200 kg) lighter than the 'O' series, while continuing to provide accommodation for three persons in tandem open cockpits. A similar performance to the earlier model was obtained on the power of smaller and more economical engines.

Airplane Picture - Waco RNF of 1931 displayed at the Pima Air Museum Tucson Arizona in 1991

The initial models were the INF (125 hp (93 kW) Kinner engine), KNF (100 hp (75 kW) Kinner) and the RNF (110 hp (82 kW) Warner Scarab), all of which had externally braced tailwheel undercarriages. Many further sub-models followed with more powerful engines of up to 225 hp (168 kW). The most powerful in the range was the ZPF of 1936/37, intended for executive use.

Operational history

Airplane Picture - Waco UBF of 1932 flown by Texaco preserved at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Missouri, June 2006

The 'F' series was popular with private owner pilots for sporting and other uses and continued in production through the late 1930s. The tandem cockpit UPF-7 version was adopted by the Civilian Pilot Training Program and continued to be built in numbers (over 600) until 1942.

The YMF of 1934, which had a modified wider and longer fuselage, was returned to production in March 1986 by WACO Classic Aircraft of Lansing Michigan as the YMF-5. Over 100 YMF-5s have been completed by WACO Classic Aircraft and the type remains in low-rate production.

Considerable numbers of 'F' series biplanes, both original and newly built, remained in service in mid-2009.

Airplane Picture - Waco ZPF-6 three-seat executive aircraft built for Texaco Oil in 1936. Preserved airworthy at Sebring, Florida

Variants (in approximate chronological order)

(per Simpson, 2001, p. 573)

INF
125 hp (93 kW) Kinner B-5
KNF
100 hp (75 kW) Kinner K-5
RNF
110 hp (82 kW) Warner Scarab
PCF
170 hp (127 kW) Jacobs LA-1 and new cross-braced undercarriage
PBF
as PCF with modified 'B' wings
QCF
165 hp (123 kW) Continental A70
UBF
210 hp (157 kW) Continental R-670
UMF

Airplane Picture - 1940 WACO UPF-7

210 hp (157 kW) Continental R-670A and longer wider fuselage and larger vertical fin
YMF
as UMF with 225 hp (168 kW) Jacobs L-4
YPF-6 and YPF-7
225 hp (168 kW) Jacobs L-4
ZPF-6 and ZPF-7
285 hp (213 kW) Jacobs L-5
UPF-7
tandem training version with wider-track undercarriage and 220 hp (164 kW) Continental radial (designated PT-14 by the USAAC)
YMF-5
built by WACO Classic Aircraft from March 1986 onwards. In June 2009 the company unveiled the latest updated variant, the YMF-5D
JW
Two UBF designated XJW-1 were used by the US Navy as hook-up trainers for the Curtiss F9C Sparrowhawk airship borne fighters.

Note: from 1936 Waco added year suffixes to designations-e.g. YPF-6, YPF-7, with the numeral being the last figure of the year of manufacture

Specifications (UPF-7)

Airplane Picture - A brand new 2006 model WACO Classic Aircraft YMF-F5C at Sun 'n Fun 2006

Data from Green, 1965, p. 307

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 1 trainee or passenger
Length: 23 ft 1 in ( m)
Wingspan: 30 ft 0 in ( m)
Height: 8 ft 5 in ( m)
Wing area: 244 ft ( m)
Empty weight: 1,870 lb ( kg)
Gross weight: 2,650 lb ( kg)
Powerplant: 1 x— Continental W-670-6A seven cylinder radial, 220 hp ( kW)

Airplane Picture - Waco YPF at Sun 'n Fun 2006

Performance

Maximum speed: 128 mph (207 km/h)
Cruise speed: 114 mph (185 km/h)
Range: 400 miles (644 km)
Service ceiling: 14,800 ft (4,511 m)

Bibliography

Green, William (1965). Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd. ISBN none.
Simpson, Rod (2001). Airlife's World Aircraft. Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-115-3.

Waco F series Pictures

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Source: WikiPedia