Warbird Information Exchange

Here are a few photos from the gathering last week:

My old Waco....1935 Waco YKC-S NC14620


My wife Susan's 1930 Waco RNF NC663Y


Dave Allen's 1930 Waco ASO NC662Y


Lee Parsons' 1931 Waco QCF-2 NC11427


Craig Smith's 1940 Waco YPF-7 NC29974


Doug Parsons' 1934 Waco YKC NC14073


David Parsons' 1934 Waco UKC NC14010

Joe Kaminskas' 1930 Waco RNF NC859V


John LeBlanc's 1936 Waco YKS-6 NC16241


Harold Johnson's 1934 Waco UMF-3 NC14041


Jim Wilson's 1936 Waco YKS-7 NC16598


Pete Heins' 1930 Waco CRG NC600Y


Jim Clark's 1929 Waco CSO NC618N


Joe Norris' 1942 Waco UPF-7 NC39748


Jim Wheeler's 1936 Waco ZQC-6 NC16203


Dick Jackson's 1934 Waco S3HD NC14048


Jim Beisner's 1928 Waco ASO NC5852


Jerry Brown's 1942 Waco UPF-7 NC39727


Mark Harter's 1937 Waco YKS-7 NC17474


John Patterson's 1934 Waco UKC NC14047


Ted Teach's 1930 Waco INF NC864V


Tim Pinkerton's 1930 Waco KNF NC113Y


Jim Keller's 1942 Waco UPF-7 NC39721

And some more:

Mark Schiebe's 1940 Waco UPF-7 NC29919


Dick Ash's 1940 Waco UPF-7 NC29303


Bill Knight's 1941 Waco UPF-7 NC30188


Jim Kirk's 1942 Waco UPF-7 NC39725


Bob Frost's 1930 Waco INF NC11203


Steve Givens' 1930 Waco RNF NC129Y


Eric Zimmerman's 1942 Waco UPF-7 NC39753


Bob Grist's 1936 Waco EQC-6 NC16214


Ron France's 1942 Waco UPF-7 NC39754


Mike Brown's 1940 Waco UPF-7 NC29300


Phil Riter's 1930 Waco PSO NC119Y


Dave Schroeder's 1936 Waco ZQC-6 NC2277


Tom Eggert's 1937 Waco YKS-7 NC17453


Steve Thomas' 1941 Waco SRE NC1252W


Dave Stroup's 1936 Waco YKS-6 NC16246


Jim Smith's 1942 Waco VKS-7F NC31663


Phil Coulson's 1932 Waco UBA NC13041


Ken Kreutzfeld's 1938 Waco ZVN-8 NC1937S


Dennis Simmon's 1933 Waco UIC NC13072


John Swander's 1932 Waco UEC NC12471


John Gerth's 1941 Waco UPF-7 NC32158


Tom Brown's 1931 Waco QDC NC11470


Larry Harmacinski's 1932 Waco UEC NC13050


Carl Buck's 1936 Waco ZKS-6 NC330TC


My old 1928 Waco GXE NC4777


Jack Hill's 1941 Waco UPF-7 NC32071


Classic YMF-5 N14081 owned by Robin Williams


Fisher Waco UMF Phil Robbins

Wow! That was truly an impressive gathering of vintage Wacos.

Great lookin' airplanes there. It has always amazed me though, just how many different model numbers there were for Wacos. Heck, they're worse than Spitfires in that regard.

I am curious though, do the folks in the Vintage Aviation world that do not paint their airplanes in original schemes, such as Harold Johnson's 1934 Waco UMF-3 NC14041 (in your second set of pictures), get a bunch of crap from everyone, like can sometimes happen in the Warbird world?

Gary

No...not really. Harold's airplane (UMF-3 NC14041) was restored back around 1962 and has been flying ever since with only maintenance as needed. It was popular in the 1960's-70's to paint Wacos in owner-designed paint schemes and not the way they left the factory. Not until the 80's-90's did we start seeing Wacos painted in "correct" paint schemes and styles. It would be pretty boring to see all the UPF-7's painted blue/yellow (for CPT and military) or black/orange (for CAA airplanes). The also did not have wheelpants when they left the factory and certainly not bump cowls, just straight smooth cowls that usually were removed fairly quickly (for field maintenance) and never put back on.

The theme today is generally back to a factory style paint scheme although any scheme applied could be called a factory scheme as Waco was quite willing to paint an airplane any way the customer wanted if they paid the price.

What's the story behind Mr. Kreutzfelds's ZVN-8 NC1937S? Was it a factory 'one off' for a particular customer or were a few of them built?
What about landing and ground handling being so short coupled?

Great photos, Andy!

Thank you for posting.

Can you tell me a little more about your WACO [The one with the bare fuselage]? What does the piece of paper says?


Saludos,


Tulio

The Inspector wrote:What's the story behind Mr. Kreutzfelds's ZVN-8 NC1937S? Was it a factory 'one off' for a particular customer or were a few of them built?
What about landing and ground handling being so short coupled?

The tricycle geared "N" model was a regular production Waco. Introduced in 1937, it was just a bit ahead of its time. As a result there were perhaps 21 or so produced. Somewhere around 6 or so left with one other flyable, though it rarely sees air time. It has a spectacular approach angle with the four big vacuum split T/E flaps (one in each wing) that deploy to some 60 degrees! When cruising around the pattern and the flaps are extended, the windshield turns from blue sky to solid green as the nose pitches down!! Quite dramatic...takes nearly cruise power to drag it around the pattern with the flaps down.
Ground handling is absolutely flawless. Steerable nose wheel with integral damper. Very easy to grease it on when combined with the flaps. It finds a substantial ground air cushion. And having 3 big ol' 10" tires, it rolls readily over most terrain.
Air handling is typical Waco....splendid control blending and easy ailerons. It does have a tendancy to be notchy with rudder....perhaps due to the steerable nose wheel acting as a forward rudder. But you adapt to it. Ken handles this plane very well.
Very nice airplane. I liked Ken's comment about working on the nosewheel....he jokes about how the early short Citations have but 150lbs or so on the nose strut....the Waco N just about splits the weight equally 3 ways between all the wheels! The nose strut carries something like 750# !! You don't just tie a cement block to the tail to service the nosewheel!

Hey thanks for posting pictures of what looked like a really great event. I wish I could have been there.

There were so many wonderful airplanes in attendance.

Cheers,

David

My Waco 10 is NC4777 s/n 1211 although the fuselage is stamped G-3158 as it was a factory built replacement. The airplane has been in storage since 1940. I have all the paperwork and logs from day one. It was converted from a 90hp Curtiss OX-5 to a Milwaukee Tank engine of 115hp back in 1930-31. The Milwaukee Tank was an OX-5 converted to air-cooled. The airplane is absolutely original and is complete. I sold the Milwaukee Tank engine and the cowling as I had no intention of flying it with that engine (I like to actually leave the pattern). We intend to re-engine the airplane with a 235hp Wright R-760.