Waco’s Big Beautiful EGC-8

PacificFlyer | Jan 06, 2012 | Comments 1

Story And Photos
By Gilles Auliard

Looking for something to load up with camping gear, the grand kids and your full size friends to go places with a lot of stuff?

Well step right over here, my friend, we have the plane for your, a 1937 Waco EGC-8, a big gentle airplane that's surprisingly light on the controls at cruise speed. Or so says Jim Clark of Chapman, Kans. who just happens to own a freshly restored EGC-8 registered as N61KS (c/n 5072).

But this is no ordinary Waco, which you'll appreciate when you see the price. But first, a little background on how this marvelous airplane came to be.

In 1931, the Waco Aircraft Co. introduced its new series, the "C" (for cabin) family of airplanes. This was a departure from their long standing tradition of open cockpit biplanes, and a necessity, as the flying public was demanding it.

In 1935, the Custom Cabin series was introduced with a sesquiplane arrangement and ailerons on the top wing only. The AGC-8 and EGC-8 models, considered by many the best product of the Troy company well after its demise, appeared in 1937.

The type certificate for the AGC-8, powered by the 300 hp Jacobs J-6 engine, was issued on October 30, 1937 at the same time as its EGC-8 variation built around a 320 hp Wright R-670-E2 engine.

The Department of Commerce had been an enthusiastic user of Waco products since its creation and the newly formed CAA continued the tradition, budgeting eight model AGC-8's during the 1937 fiscal year.

Delivered in 1939, they were assigned to hack duties for field inspectors at various CAA stations. NC61 was transferred to the Civil Aeronautics Authority on August 17, 1939, and assigned to the Air Safety Board of Garden City, Long Island, NY.

In 1944, the airplane was converted to an EGC-8 by removal of the Jacobs engine and substitution with a Wright E-670-R2 engine.

"The CAA bought eight Wright engines and mounts and had them installed at different shops around the country," Clark explained.

"We can always tell because they used different size sledgehammers to modify the firewall and one can see the marks left when they had to beat the firewall into submission to install the engine."

We know what you're thinking but sledgehammers were standard equipment at most A&P and mechanics' shops in the late '30's. How do you think they repaired Harleys?

NC61 was declared surplus to CAA needs on January 8, 1946 and offered on the general aviation market where it was snatched up by Warren L. Schaper of Minneapolis and registered as NC69607.

Periodically changing hands, in 1970 the Waco became the custody of Chuck Hall of Manhattan, Kans. who initialed a restoration program and had the airplane registered as N61KS (for Kansas).
"In 2006, I was looking for this specific model," Clark said.

"Chuck, a friend of mine, had one at his private strip, and I went to talk to him about it to know if it was for me.

"I spent the following year looking for a suitable -eight example but could not find one. One day, Chuck called me asking if I was still looking, and offered to sell me his.

"He was comfortable with the idea because he knew that I would restore it, keep it and fly it in the Junction City area."

On September 9, 2007, Clark was officially the owner of the Waco. This was only half the fun:
"I sent Marvin Hornbostel of Raven Aero Service, a shop located on my home field, and his team of mechanics to Chuck's hangar to get the airplane ready for the 20 miles or so ferry flight," he said.

"After about two weeks of work, we could envision ferrying the airplane to Junction City.

"This was much preferred over dismantling and shipping, because in the process, you lose parts and the airplane gets damaged. Chuck Hall sat on the right, reading the numbers to me while I was flying.

"We took off from his private field with half tanks and flew around the Fort Riley restricted area, a 30-35 minutes flight."

Everything went fine, he said, with his first landing at Junction City, where he started taxiing to the hangar. But once on the tarmac, the engine died.

"It seemed that the flight dislodged some crud we could not flush out in the tanks, starving the engine of fuel," clark said. "It could have happened at any time.

God takes care of idiots and pilots"

A long time airplane driver, Clark has owned 28 airplanes over 40 years, including five biplanes: a Great Lakes, Starduster, Skybolt, Waco CSO and the Waco EGC-8, proving that the adage is apparently true.

Once in the shop, the Waco was stripped down, dismantled and restored to a better-than-new look in three years. It now displays its original livery with black fuselage and orange wings, with the CAA emblem, which took a great deal of research to replicate.

First post restoration flight took place on June 29, 2010 with no real issue to report. Clark showed the plane at the National Biplane Fly-in (PF, July '11) and his efforts were rewarded with the Grand Champion award. By the way, full fitted out EGC-8's cost $16,000.

A little pricey in 1937? Step over here ...

Waco EGC-8 Specifications as powered by a 320 hp Wright R-760-E2 engine

Length: 27' 4"

Height: 8' 7"

Upper Wingspan: 34' 9"

Lower Wingspan: 24' 6"

Upper Wing Chord: 72"

Lower Wing Chord: 48"

Total Wing Area: 246 sq. ft.

Empty Weight: 2,432 lbs

Useful Load: 1,368 lbs

Gross Weight: 3,800 lbs