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"WACO", MODEL 9                43

"Jenny type" airplane of 30 foot wing span. It had a top speed of some 88 m.p.h., a good all-round performance. Soon to follow was the 3 place "Model 7" which was considerably improved over the "Six", and then came the unusual "Model 8". The "Model 8" was a cabin biplane that was powered with a "Liberty 6" (Hall-Scott) engine and could carry people! Junkin and Bruckner were both fine pilots and did their own testing and demonstrating, and often resorting to week-end passenger hopping for money to help meet the payroll!

It wasn't until the advent of the "Model 9" in 1925 that "Waco" airplanes came to be recognized on a more or less nation-wide level, their enthusiastic acceptance was indeed welcomed at the little "Waco" plant. Forty-seven of these "Nines" were built in 1925, some 164 were built in 1926 and 65 were reported built in 1927. In 1927, the "Nine" had to compete for sales with the new "Model 10"; the "Ten" was going great, it was selling exceptionally well and the "Nine" was slowly losing out, so it was finally discontinued from production. Beside the hundreds of small operators who used the "Waco 9" for a multitude of duties, it was also used on a few of the early air-lines. Clifford Ball operated an air-line from Pittsburgh to Cleveland, starting in April of 1927 used "Waco 9's" to start with. This line later became Pennsylvania-Central, and later became Capitol Airlines. Embry-Riddle also used "Waco 9's" on their passenger and express line from Louisville to Cleveland which was inaugurated in May of 1927. So it is evident that the beloved "Nine" certainly did it's [[its]] share, and more, for the development of civil aviation. According to some reports from here and there, a few of these old-timers have been restored; they have been completely rebuilt to as-good-as-new and are still flying.

Listed below are specifications and performance data for the OX-5 powered "Waco 9"; span upper 31'7", span lower 29'4", chord both 62.5", wing area 290 sq ft., air-foil "Aeromarine", length 23'3", height 9'3", empty wt. 1320, useful load 780, payload 385, gross wt. 2100 lb., max.speed 92, cruise 79, land 35, climb 500, ceiling 12,000 ft., gas cap. 37 gal., oil 4 gal., approx. range 375 miles, price at factory ranged from $2500 when first introduced to $2025 when finally discontinued. The fuselage framework was built up of welded steel tubing, faired to shape with wood fairing strips and fabric covered. The wing panels were built up of spruce spars and wood built-up ribs, also fabric covered. Interplane struts were of steel tubing in streamlined section, and interplane bracing was of standard braided aircraft cable. All movable controls were cable operated.