Waco PG-2 (oz7028)

About this Plan

Waco PG-2. Radio control scale model powered glider. WWII troop glider.

Quote: "A unique WWII twin engine aircraft that's loaded with fun. Waco PG-2 by Peter Miller.

The Waco CG-4A glider, better known to British modelers as the Waco Hadrian, had an illustrious history in the airborne operations of WWII, although it was best known for the operations on D-Day and at Arnhem.

Less well known are the powered versions of this aircraft. The PG-1 was a standard Hadrian fitted with two Franklin engines attached to the wing struts, while the PG-2 had two Ranger engines fitted to the wing.

The idea was to use these versions for ferrying, battlefield liaison, and ambulance work, and also for towing standard Hadrians to the landing zones. The best information that I can glean says that only ten PG-Ts were built and that no one could work out how to use them, so they spent their life towing up normal glider Hadrians at training schools in the USA.

As a model, the PG-2 has a lot going for it. It is one of the easiest to build scale twins ever; the low power needed to fly the model means that it will be very docile under engine-out conditions, and there are a whole range of options that can be employed with the model.

As drawn, the model is very basic; the controls are rudder, elevator, and ailerons, but throttled engines could be fitted - Cox Queen Bees or PAW 80 or 100's for example. Options include air brakes, opening nose with R/C jeep driving out or even a straight glider. Build two, one with engines and one without and do some scale glider towing, but you will need more power than the Texacos.

In this year, the 50th anniversary of D-Day, it would be nice to run some simple competitions; how about a Triathlon - duration, cargo, and spot landing would be very suitable events.

The model is 1/16 scale and is designed for quick, inexpensive construction. It is designed to be light, and anyone who doubts this and wants to beef it up should read the introduction to the construction.

The Waco PG-2 is a wonderful scale subject from the designer's point of view. The shape is so simple that there is no wasted weight merely to achieve the scale outline. My priorities were scale shape, ease of construction, light weight, and strength. The last two are very much interconnected because a light model does not need to be as strong since the inertia loads are less in an 'arrival'.

Full-size aircraft have their structures divided in primary, secondary, and tertiary areas and all loads are spread out by tapering off the strength. This was done without com-promising the ease of construction. The only real loads on the fuselage are the wing attach-ment points and the undercarriage. The frame-work and 1/64 ply doublers combined with lite ply formers are more than adequate for this. I have built .40 powered camera planes to the same basic design as the fuselage using 1/4 sq and 1/16 ply and they have survived some very rough operating conditions.

The wing is heavier than needed; the trailing edge could be lighter and smaller and the sheeting could be 1/32, but in the interests of warp resistance and ease of con-struction, I chose the sizes shown.

The engine loads and vibrations are taken by the D box leading edge over the first three bays; the only reason that the lower sheeting is extended is to provide some support for the rear of the nacelles. The nacelle construction was developed for a powered glider with the Cox Texaco. That model has racked up at least a hundred flights and the nose is as solid as ever..."

Hi Steve - Here is Peter Miller's Waco PG-2 from RCM magazine issue 10-95. This scan illustrates the declining print quality, intentional or not, during the last few years of RCM. Scans should still be build-able, but keep a sanding block handy! Full size plan scans seem to be popping up less and less. I hope the originals are not in a land-fill as some suggest.

Direct submission to Outerzone.

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