Waco N series

Waco N series
Airworthy 1938 Waco AVN-8 cabin biplane with fixed tricycle undercarriage at the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum, Creve Coeur Airport near St Louis
Role	Four-seat tricycle undercarriage cabin biplane
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Waco Aircraft Company
First flight	1937
Status	a few still airworthy in 2009
Primary user	private owner pilots
Number built	approx 20
Developed from	Waco C series

The Waco N series is a range of 1930s American-built cabin biplanes with a fixed tricycle undercarriage produced by the Waco Aircraft Company.

Waco introduced the luxury N series biplane in 1937. It was based on the Waco C series five-seat Custom Cabin Waco with that model's curved pointed wings, but with an unusual fixed tricycle undercarriage and a modified tail with a lower rudder extension to give increased side area. The Waco N was fitted with flaps on all four wings to improve the aircraft's landing characteristics.

The prototype, was designated ZVN-7, with the '7' indicating its year of manufacture (1937), and was powered by the 285 hp (213 kW) Jacobs L-5 engine. Only around 20 examples of the N series were completed, as the AVN-8, and ZVN-8. A few were impressed by the USAAC during the Second World War as the UC-72J and UC-72L. One AVN-8 was used by the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, for trials with tricycle landing gear.

An example of the AVN-8 is maintained in airworthy condition by the Historic Aircraft Restoration Museum at Creve Coeur Airport near St Louis Missouri.

Data from Green, 1965, p. 306

General characteristics

Performance

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