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 .
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Early Designation | Post-1928 Designation | Marketing Designation | Engine | Power | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | GXE | 90 | Curtiss OX-5 | ||
| 10-W | ASO | 220-T | Wright J-5 | ||
| 10-T | ATO | Wright J-5 | |||
| BSO/BSO-A | BS-165 | Wright J-6-5 | |||
| CSO | C-225 | Wright J-6-7 | |||
| CTO | Wright J-6-7 | ||||
| 10-H | DSO | Hispano-Suiza 8A or E | |||
| HSO | Packard DR-980 Diesel | ||||
| HTO | Packard DR-980 Diesel | ||||
| JTO | Wright J-6-9 | ||||
| JYM | Mailplane | Wright J-6-9 | |||
| JWM | Mailplane | Wright J-6-9 | |||
| KSO | Kinner K-5 | ||||
| OSO | Kinner C-5 | ||||
| PSO | Jacobs radials | ||||
| QSO | Continental A70 | ||||
| RSO | Warner Scarab | ||||
| 240-A | Continental W-670 | ||||
| 300-A | 300 hp radial |
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 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 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.[2]
There was also an export model WACO Pursuit 300T-A, with Wright or Wasp Jr engine.[2]
| Year | Model | Serial # | Registration | Location | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | GXE | 781 | N312DC | Gatlinburg–Pigeon Forge Airport, Tennessee | ||
| 1928 | GXE | 1388 | N6675K | Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri | [3] | |
| 1928 | GXE | 1464 | NC4899 | Ohio History Connection | [4] | |
| 1928 | GXE | 1521 | C-GAFD | Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario | [5] | |
| 1928 | GXE | 1554 | NC6974 | Eagles Mere Air Museum at Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania | [6] | |
| 1928 | GXE | 1586 | NC5852 | privately owned and based at Covington, Ohio | [7] [8] | |
| 1928 | GXE | 1644/3065 | CF-AOI | Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta | [9] | |
| 1928 | GXE | 1810 | N6513 | Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum | [10] | |
| 1928 | ATO | A-4 | NC5814 | EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin | [11] [12] | |
| 1928 | ATO | A-20 | N6714 | Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum | [13] | |
| 1929 | ATO | A-65 | CF-BPM | Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta, previously owned by Vintage Wings of Canada, Gatineau, Québec | [14] [15] | |
| 1929 | ATO | A-103 | NC906H | Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri | ||
| 1929 | CTO | A-118 | N13918 | WACO Aircraft Museum, Troy, Ohio | [16] | |
| 1929 | GXE | 1869 | NC8529 | privately owned and based at Corning, Iowa | [17] | |
| 1929 | DSO | 3006 | N605N | Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum | [18] | |
| 1929 | CSO | 1657 | N7662 | Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum | [19] | |
| 1929 | CTO | AT-3005 | N516M | Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum | [20] | |
| 1930 | ATO | D-3128 | NC663N | Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri | [21] | |
| 1930 | CSO | 3140 | N671N | Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri | ||
| 1932 | CTO | A-3596 | NC280W | Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri |
(Partial listing, only covers most numerous types)