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| Currently we are operating a 1940
and 1942 Waco UPF-7, a 1944 PT-17, and a 1944 N- 2S4 |
| 1940 & 1942 WACO UPF-7 |
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| We have one Waco at the Museum of Flight and one
close by.
1940 & 1942 WACO UPF-7
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The Weaver Aircraft Company was founded in 1920 by George
"Buck" Weaver, E.J. "Sam" Junkin, and Clayton Brukner. The trade name Waco
(rhymes with taco) was coined from the title letters of Weaver Aircraft Co.
Originally located in Lorain, Ohio, the company moved to Troy, Ohio, drawn
by the concentration of aviation related businesses that had sprung up
around nearby Dayton, home of the Wright Brothers. In late 1942, Waco ceased
production of powered airplanes. Between 1942 and 1945, Waco built over
14,000 Waco CG-4A troop/cargo gliders, which were used in both theaters of
war. Aircraft production at Waco ceased with the end of the war.
The first Waco UPF-7 was rolled out of the Waco factory at Troy, Ohio in
June of 1937. The UPF-7 was designed as a pilot trainer, both for primary
student training and advanced training phases, including aerobatics. 600
UPF-7s were manufactured between 1937 and late 1942. Most were delivered to
civilian flight schools participating in the Government's Civilian Pilot
Training Program (CPTP) to train thousands of civilian pilots as a backlog
in case of war. The U.S. Army Air Corps acquired 14 UPF-7s, which were
designated YPT-14. The CAA (Civilian Aeronautics Authority-predecessor to
the FAA) ordered 31 UPF- 7s; these were assigned to government inspectors to
monitor civilian aviation operations.
NC39738 (s/n 5871) was built in September, 1942 and was the 21st from the
last UPF-7 built. Upon completion, it was delivered to Lakeport Airport,
Illinois for use in a CPTP flight school. NC30143 (s/n 5540) was built in
November, 1940 and delivered to Brown Flying Service in Sacramento,
California.
Out of the original 600 UPF-7s built, there are approximately 80 in
airworthy condition today. Compared to many other popular biplanes of this
era, including the venerable Stearman of which there were nearly 10,000
built, the UPF-7 is relatively rare and quite valuable to collectors due to
the fewer number built and left today with their original wartime history.
Certification ATC #642 issued 6/5/37, Overall Length 23 ft 6 inches, Top
Speed 130 mph
Engine: Continental W670-6A 220 hp, Height 8 ft 6 inches, Stall Speed 55 mph
Wingspan-top 30 feet, Wingspan-bottom 26'10", Cruise 115 mph
Chord (both) 4'9", Wing area 243.6 sq feet, Range 250 miles
Fuel capacity 50 gallons, Fuel burn 12-15 gallons per hour |
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All airplanes use a Continental 670 engine (220 horse
power) or Jacobs L-4's and are rebuilt and serviced continuously.
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| 1936 CABIN WACO YKS-6 |
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click Picture for a larger
size
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1936 CABIN WACO YKS-6
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By 1929, the burgeoning airplane "trade" was calling for
a range of new airplanes ranging in power from 90 to 300 H.P., however, the
memorable financial events in the "fall" of the year furnished a clue to the
fact that Waco, for the first time, sold less airplanes than the previous
year. Curtailed industrial activity in 1930 removed many of Waco's potential
corporate customers from the market, so Waco started expanding coverage to
the limited select customers who could afford to repurchase an airplane
every several years desirous of finer appointments, better radio and flight
instruments and higher speeds. Also a growing market in Central and South
American emerged with an increase in the frequency of political revolutions.
Waco expanded its coverage by producing for the various governments a
convertible mail plane equipped with mounts for two machine guns and bomb
racks for demolition bombs. This brought considerable business and served
the owners well as an inexpensive multipurpose of outstanding utility.
The first Cabin Waco was built in 1931. By 1933, this four place cabin was
sold into 13 foreign countries and its domestic sales rivaled the several
open cockpit sport types. Year by year, the cabin model was offered in more
advanced designs for specialty users, such as the freight haulers operating
in the Canadian and Alaskan "Bush" country who used hundreds of these
airplanes working to and from the thousands of small northern lakes. They
were landed on skis in winter and on hydroplane floats in summer. Men,
tools, rations and even building materials and machine parts were thus
dropped into that northern wilderness to prospect or mine gold, and then
picked up later by arrangement. The "Waco-Freighter" pioneered this
industry. In Ketchikan, Alaska, Bob Ellis bought a Waco YKS-6 for one of his
first planes in "Ellis Air Transport Company." He later merged his company
with several other smaller "bush" companies in Alaska to form the "roots" of
Alaska Airlines today. His plane was #NC16210, only thirty-one production
numbers away from our own plane in our collection; # NC16241.
In 1936, what had been called the "Standard Cabin Waco" was designated as
the model YKS-6. This differentiated it from several other models with more
customized appointments for wealthier individuals whose buying power was not
diminished by the depression. The "6" on the YKS-6 stands for 1936 as well
as the second number on the tail number #NC16241 which also stands for the
year in which the plane was built.
Common designation 4-5 place cabin land plane, Gas Capacity 70 gallons
Power Plant Jacobs L-4 225 H.P. engine, Oil Capacity 5 gallons
Approved type certificate #533, Top Speed 147 mph
Span overall 33 feet 3 inches, Cruising speed 140 mph
Length overall 25 feet 4 inches, Landing speed 49 mph
Height overall 8 feet 6 inches, Climb first minute 800 feet
Gross Weight 3250 pounds, Service ceiling 15,000 feet
Empty weight 1809 pounds, Gas consumption 14 gal/hr
Disposable load 1441 pounds, Landing gear extended 87"
Pay load 933 pounds, Original price $ 4995.00 |
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| BOEING PT-17 & N2S4 KAYDETS |
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BOEING PT-17 & N2S4 KAYDETS
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Lloyd Stearman was a well known aircraft designer of the
late 1920's and 1930's. After working as the main designer for the Travel
Air Company, he founded his own company in 1926. In November 1933, Stearman
engineer Mac Short and his staff began a revision of the Stearman civilian
Model 6 or military YPT-9 (Stearman Cloudboy). This effort was in response
to an Army design competition. They produced a prototype model in 60 days
known as the Kaydet Model 75 (Army Air Corps designator PT-13D: Navy
designator N2S5). In July 1936, the Army ordered 26 PT-13s. In 1938, the
Boeing Aircraft Company bought the company and created the Stearman Aircraft
Division renaming it the Wichita Division in 1941.
The planes pictured above were manufactured in May of 1944 #N68462 and June
of 1944 #N68827. The Boeing Kaydets were used extensively by both the Army
Air Corps and the U.S. Navy during World War II as primary trainers hence
the PT designator. The Kaydet with the all-yellow paint scheme is that of a
mid-1944 Army Air Corp PT-13D. The Kaydet with the blue fuselage and yellow
wings and tail has U.S. Navy markings that were specified during the period
that are less ornate than those used by the Army at that time. The Army
often had red and white alternating colors at the rear of the rudder.
Because the original PT-13D and N2S5 referred to Kaydets built with Lycoming
engines which have been converted to the Continental W-670-5 engine (220
hp), the planes are now officially a PT-17 (Army) and N2S4 (Navy); but of
course, everyone knows them today as...Stearmans."
Gross empty weight 2,175 lbs., Fuel capacity 46 gallons
Maximum gross weight 2,950 lbs., Consumption 15 gallons per hour
+6.67 g's to -2.67 g's; fully aerobatic Speed 95 miles per hour
WORLD WAR II AT-6 "TEXAN" WAR BIRD RIDES
Fly the wild blue yonder in an original WWII
aircraft. See and feel for yourself the joy and exhilaration of flying an
original historic flying machine.
Pilot Lee Oman & the T-6
To purchase a Ride for
yourself or someone special. call today
CALL 206-730-1412 FOR
RESERVATIONS.
- 15 minutes $249.00*
- 30 minutes with light aerobatics $495.00*
- 40 minutes with aerobatics $695.00*
- PARACHUTE PROVIDED
- Passenger sits in the back seat.
* Washington Sales Tax of 8.8% added to the
price.
Gift Certificates for the War Bird Ride, T-6, must be
used by July 31, 2011. At this time, all unused Gift Certificates for the T-6
will switch to redemption on the biplanes at the same corresponding dollar
value.
AT-6 TEXAN
The T-6 Texan two-place advanced trainer was the classroom for most of the
Allied pilots who flew in World War II. Called the "SNJ" by the Navy and the
"Harvard" by the RAF, the T-6 was designed as a transition trainer after
learning in a primary trainer such as the Waco UPF-7 or the PT-17 and N2S-4
Stearmans and before being assigned to their first-line tactical aircraft.
The AT-6 advanced trainer was one of the most widely used aircraft in history.
Evolving form the BC-1 basic combat trainer ordered in 1937, 15,495 Texans were
built between 1938 and 1945. The U.S.A.A.F. procured 10,057 AT-6's; others went
to the Navy as SNJs and to more than 30 Allied nations. Most A.A.F. fighter
pilots trained in AT-6's prior to graduation from flying school. Many of the
"Spitfire" and "Hurricane" pilots in the Battle of Britain trained in Canada in
"Harvards," the British version of the AT-6. To comply with neutrality laws,
U.S. built Harvards were flow north to the border and were pushed across.
In 1948, Texans still in U.S.A.F. service were re-designated as T-6's when the
AT, BT and PT aircraft designations were abandoned. To meet an urgent need for
close air support of ground forces in the Korean Conflict, T-6's flew "Mosquito
missions" spotting enemy troops and guns and marking them with smoke rockets for
attack by fighter-bombers.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Span: 42 ft
- Length: 20 ft. 6 in
- Height: 10 ft. 10 in.
- Weight: 5,617 lbs. loaded
PERFORMANCE
- Maximum Speed: 210 mph
- Maximum Range: 629 miles
- Maximum Altitude: 24,200 ft
- Number of Crew: 2
- Armament: None (Some AT-6's used for
gunnery/bombing training)
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 @ 600 hp.
Manufacturer: North American
Cost: $ 27,000
Getting Closer
Very Close
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