That Time When WACO Designers Went a Little Crazy

The WACO Aristocraft was a single-engine, four-place aircraft targeting the scores of pilots returning from World War II.

Jason McDowell

Tuesday, September 03, 2024 at 11:02 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Kimberly Johnson

A WACO marketing photo presents the unique Aristocraft as a personal airplane for the family. Note the large, fully reversible wooden pusher propeller. [Courtesy: WACO]

Key Takeaways:

In 1947, WACO, known for its biplanes, attempted to enter the post-World War II personal aircraft market with a novel design called the Aristocraft.
The Aristocraft was a four-place aircraft featuring a front-mounted engine that drove a pusher propeller in the tail via a long, complex driveshaft, claiming advantages like reduced drag and noise.
Despite securing approximately 300 orders, the inherent weight, complexity, and likely vibration issues associated with its unique driveshaft design prevented any production aircraft from ever being built.

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To most people, the name WACO is synonymous with elegant biplanes from the golden era of aviation. While the company did stray from convention and build a single monoplane in 1940 to compete for a military contract, the traditional WACO is a classic, open-cockpit biplane that is happiest cruising low and slow above fragrant hayfields on calm summer evenings.

In 1947, however, WACO’s designers and engineers went a little crazy.