Warbird Information Exchange

Scanning some photos for my book so I thought I would post a few here:

AVN-7 PROTOTYPE NC17731


AVN-8 NC231E


ZVN-8 NC1937S


AVN-8 NC17 CAA AIRPLANE


ZVN-8 VT-AKI SIR DONALD FIELD JODPHUR, INDIA


AVN-8 NC2278 COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA


ZVN-8 NC19399 ERICKSON & REMMERT BROOKLYN, NY


AVN-8 NC2276 TWA AIRLINES


AVN-8 NC19387 H. G. HILLS SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Thanks for posting all the pictures, but nose wheeled biplanes just don't look right................

We have a candidate for ugliest airplane contest.

What a horrible thing to do to a beautiful airplane...

An AVN-8 sat for years outside at Ried's Hillview in San Jose, CA early/mid 1960's. Never saw it fly . IIRC, it was sort of looked down on by the AAAer's. Kind of how a wartime Stearman or UPF-7 was viewed at the time. Times change and I would love to fly either Waco today. You can still keep the PT-17's!

I am including the type in my next book as well. Any idea of the exact date the prototype tri-gear Cabin Custom was first test flown?

visaliaaviation wrote: You can still keep the PT-17's!

Charles I dont like them either.

I do like the tri-waco, I was refering to charles comment on not liking the PT-17..............I wonder why

Butt ugly.

I guess beauty is as beauty does - and it might be easier for some pilots to land that thing, but you'd have to convince them to buy it first!

Ryan

RyanShort1 wrote:I guess beauty is as beauty does - and it might be easier for some pilots to land that thing, but you'd have to convince them to buy it first!

Ryan

It's 1937. You are a vain wealthy pilot. You bought a new $12,000 (depression dollars remember) gorgeous Waco Custom cabin (tailwheeler of course) and because you are better at making money than piloting, you promptly crash your investment in a horrific groundloop. All the sudden you can see past the third wheel on the front...you can now put aside your vanity and bruised ego and actually fly a cabin class airplane.

You would be amazed (but shouldn't be) how often that scenario occured. Often, N buyers were previous Waco owners/pilots who had a "record". Waco smartly responded to their clientele. They are a wonderful flying (and landing) aircraft.

Go get 'em WHEELSUP. Looks like you and I are the only ones who think they are cool.....and probably the only ones who have actually been in one!

Isn't one of those flyable still? I think there neat

Wheels up wrote:

RyanShort1 wrote:I guess beauty is as beauty does - and it might be easier for some pilots to land that thing, but you'd have to convince them to buy it first!

Ryan

It's 1937. You are a vain wealthy pilot. You bought a new $12,000 (depression dollars remember) gorgeous Waco Custom cabin (tailwheeler of course) and because you are better at making money than piloting, you promptly crash your investment in a horrific groundloop. All the sudden you can see past the third wheel on the front...you can now put aside your vanity and bruised ego and actually fly a cabin class airplane.

You would be amazed (but shouldn't be) how often that scenario occured. Often, N buyers were previous Waco owners/pilots who had a "record". Waco smartly responded to their clientele. They are a wonderful flying (and landing) aircraft.

Well, having groundlooped before I CAN see and sympathize with that view, but on the other hand, I think I'd do what I did when that happened. Get a bit more training and experience and conquer the thing... Wonder if it was rich doctors buying them back then, too...

Ryan

Training wheels for doctors and lawyers.

Considering that an AVN-8 in 1937-38 cost $11,375 (15 sold) and a ZVN-8 was $10,695 (6 sold) I can say that not your average guy owned one. As in most of the Custom Cabins sold, they were doctors, lawyers, and well-to-do businessmen. Many of these were the Learjet/Citation/G-4's of the day.