Waco 10

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title: "Waco 10" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1920s-united-states-civil-utility-aircraft", "aerobatic-aircraft", "waco-aircraft", "biplanes", "single-engined-tractor-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1927"] description: "American biplane" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco_10" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American biplane ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]

Field	Value
name	Waco 10
image	Farell2_WACO_model_10.jpg
caption	Waco 10 giving joy rides.
aircraft_type	light passenger transport
manufacturer	Advance Aircraft
Waco Aircraft Company
designer	Charles Meyers
construction_date	1927–1933
introduction	1927
first_flight	1927
::

| name = Waco 10 | logo = | logo_size = | image = Farell2_WACO_model_10.jpg | alt = | caption = Waco 10 giving joy rides. | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = light passenger transport | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = | manufacturer = Advance Aircraft Waco Aircraft Company | design_group = | designer = Charles Meyers | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = 1927–1933 | introduction = 1927 | retired = | first_flight = 1927 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Waco_10_(GXE)_01.JPG" caption="Waco 10 (or GXE) in the [[Canada Aviation Museum]]."] ::

The Waco 10/GXE/Waco O series is a range of three-seat open-cockpit biplanes built by the Advance Aircraft Company, later the Waco Aircraft Company.

Design and development

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 90 hp Curtiss OX-5 engine became the GXE. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Waco_ASO_NC663N_HARM_St_Louis_10.06.06R.jpg" caption="St Louis"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e0/Waco_ATO_CF-BPM.JPG" caption="1929 Waco ATO Taperwing of [[Vintage Wings of Canada]]."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Waco_CTO_NC744H_Beaufort_MCAS_SC_24.04.04R.jpg" caption="1929 Waco CTO at [[Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort]] [[South Carolina"] ::

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. ::data[format=table] | Early Designation||Post-1928 Designation||Marketing Designation||Engine||Power | |---| | 10 | | 10-W | | 10-T | | | | | | | | 10-H | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

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 115 hp 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.

The WACO 240-A was a straight-wing fighter, built for export, powered by 240 hp 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 25 lb or two 100 lb bombs.

There was also an export model WACO Pursuit 300T-A, with 300 hp Wright or Wasp Jr engine.

Military designations

;D1W :Brazilian Navy designation for the CSO.

Surviving aircraft

::data[format=table]

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	url=http://fairchild24.com/museum.htm
1928	GXE	1464	NC4899	Ohio History Connection	title=Where is it now. Collections from the Former Ohio History of Flight Museum
1928	GXE	1521	C-GAFD	Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Ottawa, Ontario	url=http://www.aviation.technomuses.ca/collections/artifacts/aircraft/Waco10/
1928	GXE	1554	NC6974	Eagles Mere Air Museum at Eagles Mere, Pennsylvania	url=http://www.eaglesmereairmuseum.org/wacogxe.shtml
1928	GXE	1586	NC5852	privately owned and based at Covington, Ohio	last1=Rose
1928	GXE	1644/3065	CF-AOI	Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta	last1=Skaarup
1928	GXE	1810	N6513	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	url=http://www.waaamuseum.org/collections/airplanes/247-WACO-GXE
1928	ASO	A-10	NC7091	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida	title=University Strives to Restore Historic Biplane
1928	ATO	A-4	NC5814	EAA AirVenture Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin	url=http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collection/aircraft/Waco%2010_ATO.asp
1928	ATO	A-20	N6714	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	url=http://www.waaamuseum.org/collections/airplanes/257-WACO-ATO-Taperwing
1929	ATO	A-65	CF-BPM	Reynolds-Alberta Museum, Wetaskiwin, Alberta,
previously owned by Vintage Wings of Canada, Gatineau, Québec	url = http://wwwapps2.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/2/ccarcs/aspscripts/en/quicksearch.asp	title = Canadian Civil Aircraft Register	access-date = 7 August 2012	last = Transport Canada	author-link = Transport Canada
1929	ATO	A-103	NC906H	Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri
1929	CTO	A-118	N13918	WACO Aircraft Museum, Troy, Ohio	url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=13918
1929	GXE	1801	NC7970	Has Curtiss OXX-6 V8 engine at Texas Air Museum - Stinson Chapter San Antonio Texas
1929	GXE	1869	NC8529	privately owned and based at Corning, Iowa	url = http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNum_Results.aspx?NNumbertxt=8529
1929	DSO	3006	N605N	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	url=http://www.waaamuseum.org/collections/airplanes/246-WACO-DSO
1929	CSO	1657	N7662	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	url=http://www.waaamuseum.org/collections/airplanes/244-WACO-CSO
1929	CTO	AT-3005	N516M	Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum	url=http://www.waaamuseum.org/collections/airplanes/245-WACO-CTO-%E2%80%9CTaper%20Wing%E2%80%9D
1930	ATO	D-3128	NC663N	Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri	title=Museum Hangar 1, John Cournoyer's Wonderful Wacos
1930	CSO	3140	N671N	Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri
1932	CTO	A-3596	NC280W	Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Maryland Heights, Missouri
::

Specifications (Waco GXE)

|ref= U.S. Civil Aircraft Vol. I |prime units?=imp General characteristics

|crew=1 |capacity=2 passengers |length ft=23 |length in=6 |length note= |span ft=30 |span in=7 |span note= |height ft=9 |height in=0 |height note= |wing area sqft=288 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil=Aeromarine 2A |empty weight lb=1200 |empty weight note= |gross weight lb=2025 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity=37 USgal |more general= Powerplant

|eng1 number=1 |eng1 name=Curtiss OX-5 |eng1 type=V-8 water-cooled piston engine |eng1 hp=90 |eng1 note=

|prop blade number=2 |prop name=fixed-pitch propeller |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note= Performance

|max speed mph=97 |max speed note= |cruise speed mph=84 |cruise speed note= |stall speed mph=37 |stall speed note=(landing speed) |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed note= |range miles=385 |range note= |ferry range miles= |ferry range note= |endurance=5 hr 30 min |ceiling ft=12000 |ceiling note= |climb rate ftmin=520 |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |lift to drag= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass= |more performance=

• Take-off run: ft
• Take-off distance to 50 ft: ft
• Landing run: ft
• Landing distance from 50 ft: ft--

References

References

1. (15 July 1998). "AeroCrafter homebuilt aircraft sourcebook.". BAI Communications.
2. (September 1934). "American warplanes in China". Popular Aviation.
3. "Brazilian Military Aircraft Designations".
4. "Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum". Fairchild24.com.
5. "Where is it now. Collections from the Former Ohio History of Flight Museum". Ohio History Connection.
6. "Waco 10 (GXE) – Canada Aviation and Space Museum". Aviation.technomuses.ca.
7. "1928 Waco GXE Eagles Mere Air Museum". eaglesmereairmuseum.org/index.shtml.
8. (2002-03-18). "Vintage Registry - A Warbirds Resource Group Site - Waco". Vintage.warbirdregistry.org.
9. Federal Aviation Administration. (August 2012). "Make / Model Inquiry Results N5852".
10. (2001). "Canadian Warbird Survivors - A Handbook on where to find them". Writers Club Press.
11. "WACO GXE - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org.
12. "University Strives to Restore Historic Biplane".
13. Mazzella, Diana. (2016-03-30). "Bringing History Home".
14. "Waco 10/ATO". Airventuremuseum.org.
15. "Master Aircraft List". Airventuremuseum.org.
16. "WACO ATO "Taperwing" - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org.
17. Transport Canada. (August 2012). "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register".
18. "WACO Taperwing A.T.O. > Vintage Wings of Canada". Vintagewings.ca.
19. Federal Aviation Administration. (August 2012). "Make / Model Inquiry Results N13918".
20. Federal Aviation Administration. (August 2012). "Make / Model Inquiry Results N8529".
21. "WACO DSO - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org.
22. "WACO CSO - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org.
23. "WACO CTO "Taper Wing" - Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum". Waaamuseum.org.
24. "Museum Hangar 1, John Cournoyer's Wonderful Wacos".
25. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage".

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