Waco ENF (oz6235)

About this Plan

Waco ENF. Scale model biplane for RC. This is a 1/6 scale model of the 1931 inline engined Waco aircraft, for .60 - .90 power.

Quote: "A beautiful sport scale model ofa one-of-a-kind Waco for .60-.90 2-stroke / .90-1.20 4-stroke engines

The local skeptics started tetling me that the Waco Aircraft Company never built a biplane wan an inline engine even before I cut the first piece of wood for my ENF. An old guy at the Prop Nuts big bird meet in Crosby, Texas last summmer actually told me: Nice looking ship, too bad Waco neverbuilt anything like it. No less of a scale guru than Bob Banka of Scale Model Research told RCM Editor Dick Kidd that to his knowledge Waco did not build such an airplane.

I had hoped to be the first person to do an article on a Waco that did not subject the reader to a dose of the dreaded Waco alphabet soup torture, but the doubters have forced this upon you.

The 'F' in the designation meant a three-place open cockpit biplane. Waco buffs be quick to point out that the UPF-7, the WWII training plane, was only a two-place ship, but Waco was not above making exceptions to its own rules. The 'N' in the code identified the style of wing and airfoil. The fun starts with the first letter of the designation, which identified the type of engine installed.

Most or these early 'F' model Wacos were powered by the 5-cylinder radial Kinner engine and were known as either the KNF or INF, depending on which Kinnir was used. There was also an RNF, powered by the 7-cylinder Warner radial. Waco produced four MNFs, powered by the in 4-cylinder in-line Menasco engine. All of the above were type-certificated aircraft. The four MNFs were sold to China in the early 1930s which explains why so few people have ever heard of them. The ENF was a one-of-a-kind ship built in 1931 as a testbed for the 4-cylinder Chevrolair Martin 333 inverted in-line engine. Waco simply look a standard Menasco-powered MNF and installed the Martin 333. The two aircraft were identical in appearance.

I once owned the original ENF which I partially restored before selling it in the late 1960s. When I got it, it had been converted to a Kinner power plant, the Martin 333 having long before been swept into the dustbin of aviation history. I have heard that the person who purchased the airplane from me found a Menaseo and created an MNF. I do not remember his name or know his whereabouts, but if some reader knows about this airplane, perhaps he could send a picture to RCM as a follow-up to this article.

Sentimental attachments aside, there are many features of the ENF/MNF that make it an irresistible model subject. The long in-line engine nose moment, the wonderfully graceful, if somewhat complicated, 'outrigger' landing gear, identical upper and lower wing panels and last but not least, the sexy tapered ailerons. The plans also show placement of the fire wall for the radial-engined versions. These-were sold with and without a 'speed ring' type cowling. The plane would be a little easier to build as a radial engine job. Simply hang a engine and some dummy jugs up front or mortage your home and buy one of the new working radials.

There are a few deviations from scale. A bit of length was added to the fuselage which is also slightly narrower than scale to facilitate bending the two sides together. The gear was widened for better ground handling and the tail outlines were enlarged a little. I also omitted the middle strut in the cabanes for simplicity, although it is shown in the plans as dotted lines. The objective was to a simple to build, light and easy to fly giant scale bipe that would be a little different than everything else at the big bird meets

Construction. Wings. We'll jump into constniction with the wing, which are easy. Make 45 ribs from 1/16 'C' grain balsa and 11 from 1/8 hard balsa. For the top wing, place the ribs on the bottom front spar, keeping the centerline of the ribs parallel with the table top. Glue in place the top front Spar. Next shim the back of the ribs and install the top rear spar. I built the top wing all in one piece and then cut through the spars between the center action and the outer panels. Bevel the ribs and spars for the proper dihedral and install the top 1/4 in ply dihedral brace..."

Direct submission to Outerzone.

Supplementary file notes

Article pages, text and pics, thanks to theshadow.

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