Waco INF

General Description

The Waco Aircraft Company of Troy, Ohio was a major manufacturer of aircraft in the U. S. from 1928 – 1935. Beginning in Lorain, Ohio in 1921 as the Weaver Aircraft Company, they moved to Troy in 1924 and became the Advance Aircraft company keeping the Waco logo.  Then, in 1929 they changed the name to the Waco Aircraft Company. The Waco (wah-co) system of model designation takes some time to understand – the first letter identified the engine-type, the second the wing style, and the third the fuselage design.

The Waco F series of two and three-seat light biplanes were developed to replace the Waco O series, and entered production in 1930.  The initial models being the KNF (100 hp Kinner K-5), the RNF (110 hp Warner), and the INF (125 hp Kinner B-5), all three-seaters. This series culminated in the UPF-7 military trainer, of which 600 were built between 1937 and 1942. The INF, RNF, and KNF series of airplanes were marketed as less expensive options to the bigger and faster YMF model which was powered by a 225 hp Jacobs L-4.

Waco INF – What the letters mean

• I – This letter represents the engine type. In this case, I = Kinner B-5 radial engine
• N – This letter identifies the airframe series. The “N” series was a popular Waco trainer design in the early 1930s. It was a lightweight, open-cockpit biplane with tandem seating and fixed gear.
• F – Stands for straight (non-swept) wings. Waco used the third letter to describe wing configuration:
  • F = Straight wings
  • T = Tapered wings
  • S = Swept-back wings
    
    

Our Waco INF

The Museum’s Waco INF was originally built as a KNF model in 1930 with a 100 hp Kinner K-5 engine. It was later converted to an INF when its engine was upgraded to a 125 hp Kinner B-5

Being built in 1930, this airplane is one of the oldest flying airplanes in Western Canada, and one of just a few Waco INFs in the world. It was designed as a sport plane, and like most Wacos it displays a high quality of construction and has very good flight characteristics. Our museum pilots report that it is a pleasure to fly.

Our INF was originally used for “corporate flying” by a Seattle based washing machine salesman, and visited British Columbia to attend numerous air shows in the 1930s. It then passed through 16 owners in 20 years, and for some time it was based in Los Angeles and San Diego, California, as well as Valier, Montana. Between 1943 and 1970 it was involved in several accidents, rebuilds, and re-coverings, and converted from a 3-seater to a 2-seat configuration in 1943. Sadly, the airplane owner’s records and original logbooks were lost around 1946. The INF’s last American owner was Don “Kinner” Brown, who found the dismantled remains of the Waco in a chicken coop in 1959. He rebuilt the airplane and later sold it to Russ Clancy of Canadian Specialties who imported it into Canada in 1972.

Mike Meeker of Mission City, BC was the final owner of the Waco INF, and he kindly donated it in airworthy condition to the Canadian Museum of Flight in December 1979.

After a crack was discovered in the engine exhaust collector ring in 2003, the plane was grounded, and a fundraising campaign was started to raise money to repair or replace the ring. As luck would have it, more than enough donations came in to replace the collector ring, to the point that the additional funds were enough to perform a complete ground up restoration of the INF. It now carries the original colours that it left the Waco factory with a vermillion red fuselage with black pin stripe, and silver wings and tail feathers. The museum is very proud to have this beautiful and rare airplane in our collection, and in airworthy condition.

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INF History Report. Recently our General Manager got a phone call asking about the INF. The caller said he was a previous owner and had tracked the aircraft down to the Museum. He promised to send some information and photographs. Here’s what arrived from previous owner, Joe Hitch;

Here are some pictures of the Waco when myself and Kirk Hime owned it in El Centro, California.  We purchased a skeleton with all the parts and we rebuilt it. The year was 1946. We purchased the aircraft from Hank Coffin at Vail Field in Los Angeles CA. There were no log books with it when we got it so we started with new log books.