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Aviation History
1936
1936 - 0516.PDF
FEBRUARY 27, 1936. FLIGHT. 225 Even though it was designed expressly for military duties the Model D resembles in a number of ways the Waco civil type*. TWO of a KIND The Waco Model D and the North American NA-16 Light Military General-purpose Types : A High Performing Biplane and Monoplane with Moderate Power EFFORTS are continually-being made by certain American manufac turers to develop versa tile and economical aero planes for the export market. There are, of course, numer ous countries whose require ments do not warrant the acquisition of high powered and, consequently, expensive machines, and it is these which show interest in such types as the Model D Waco and the North American NA-16. Such machines, in cidentally, should make ad mirable advanced trainers for air services who employ "pukka" high-powered mili tary aircraft. The Waco Model D Military Wacos built previous to the Model D were conver sions of existing commercial designs, but the new type was constructed expressly to suit military requirements. Essen- jauy a single-bay staggered Biplane with wings of unequal *Pan, the Model D is of compo site construction. Its wings ™>* spruce spars, spruce and mahogany plywood ribs, com- presswn members of duralumin tubing, ieading edgeg o duf_ *™«un and trailing edges of ^'mum-plated steel, the whole WACO MODEL D WRIGHT WHIRL WIND OR PRATT AND WHITNEY WASP JUNIOR being fabric-covered. There is no centre section to the top wings, the two panels being joined over the centre line of the fuselage and supported by two taudem vertical struts. Metal-covered ailerons, hinged at an angle to the transverse axis of the aircraft, are fitted to all four planes. The fuselage is a rectangular structure of chrome-molyb denum steel tubes with rigid bracing, faired to an elliptical cross section which merges gradually into a circular section as it approaches the N.A.C.A.- type cowling. Undercarriage Features The split undercarriage is in teresting because its wheels maintain a constant angle dur ing the travel' of the shock- absorbers ; there is no axle in the accepted sense of the word ; all attachments are rigid ; and the widest tread is available at the moment of contact with the ground. Pilot and gunner are seated close together in a transparent sliding enclosure which is' ar ranged so that for normal use of the rear gun the gunner is almost completely enclosed. The Model D is designed to take a wide variety of equip ment for fighting, " attack," bombing, observation, mail- carrying, photographic aad
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