Waco CG1A Blueprints

[Mike Amble]

I am looking for a complete set of original plans for a Waco CG4A glider. I operate a WWII restoration company and have had this idea of building an original CG4A for some time. In all my research I have yet to come up with a complete set of plans. I have snippets, panel layout, technical specs etc. I have approached the Smithsonian Air Museum, AF Library and Kalamazoo Air Zoo, without joy. Anybody have any ideas?

 

[Count de Bastrop]

You probably mean CG-4. The CG-1 was a Frankfort design of which only one static test example was built. Since the static test example failed its test (among other factors), no flying prototype was ever built.

 

[cvairwerks]

Mike: first thing I would do is signup over at Scribd and download the CG-4 Parts catalog. You also need to order the CG-4 drawing list from NASM. It will take a couple of weeks to get and is necessary to help locate drawing numbers that are sorta hidden in the scheme of how WACO did things. WACO sometimes issued drawings that are assembly drawings, and reused detailed part drawings from other projects where they were appropriate. This list has the actual drawing names, while the CD doesn't, only drawing numbers.

Take the time and print out the pages of the numerical parts index so that you can mark it up. Then order one of the CD's with the WACO drawings. The one I have, has something like 40,000 of the company drawings. You can then go thru the master file index and mark off on the paper, the ones that are on the CD. As I've done while extracting other WACO drawings, I copy the files as I find them, to a thumb drive as working copies.

IF you are serious about building, you also want to start haunting fleabay, skygeek, Aircraft Spruce and various other locales for standard AN/NAS parts that will be needed. I've been doing the same for my AT-21 rebuild for several years now and it take some time and some reference flipping, as some of the old parts are no longer available or have been superseded by commercial or MS spec parts. Also be aware, that Cad Type 1, silver colored hardware is almost non-existent, and you will probably just have to go with Type 2 gold colored hardware and paint the exposed portions if you are that anal about it.

There are a number of complete restorations out there, and depending on where they are, you may be able to gain interior access for photos and measurements, or even their restoration files.

If you get serious, you can pm me and we can talk about big projects offline.

 

[Mike Amble]

Mike: first thing I would do is signup over at Scribd and download the CG-4 Parts catalog. You also need to order the CG-4 drawing list from NASM. It will take a couple of weeks to get and is necessary to help locate drawing numbers that are sorta hidden in the scheme of how WACO did things. WACO sometimes issued drawings that are assembly drawings, and reused detailed part drawings from other projects where they were appropriate. This list has the actual drawing names, while the CD doesn't, only drawing numbers.

Take the time and print out the pages of the numerical parts index so that you can mark it up. Then order one of the CD's with the WACO drawings. The one I have, has something like 40,000 of the company drawings. You can then go thru the master file index and mark off on the paper, the ones that are on the CD. As I've done while extracting other WACO drawings, I copy the files as I find them, to a thumb drive as working copies.

IF you are serious about building, you also want to start haunting fleabay, skygeek, Aircraft Spruce and various other locales for standard AN/NAS parts that will be needed. I've been doing the same for my AT-21 rebuild for several years now and it take some time and some reference flipping, as some of the old parts are no longer available or have been superseded by commercial or MS spec parts. Also be aware, that Cad Type 1, silver colored hardware is almost non-existent, and you will probably just have to go with Type 2 gold colored hardware and paint the exposed portions if you are that anal about it.

There are a number of complete restorations out there, and depending on where they are, you may be able to gain interior access for photos and measurements, or even their restoration files.

If you get serious, you can pm me and we can talk about big projects offline.

Thanks for your help. Can't tell how much I appreciate it.

I am very serious about it, retired but still own the company, and have one more, big project in me, I got interested when I visited the Kalamazoo Air Zoo in Kalamazoo MI. They have a full-size restoration and the idea of building one has dogged me ever since. A while ago I heard of a flight deck in France for $6K. I didn't buy it and have kicked myself ever since. Now I have all of the tube bending presses and given a design I can build my own. I have been working with a friend who has been working on B-17 parts for the last few years and has committed to partnering with me.

I had a friend (now deceased), who was in the 101st and flew into Market Garden In a CG-4. He was a rather short fellow and said when he got on the glider, the pitot said they were short on copilots and needed someone up front. He chose Ken and then told him to take off his flak jacket. Ken obliged and the pilot placed it in his seat and sat down.

After working on antique airplanes for the last fifty years, I have collected a fair amount of historical bits and pieces and have long standing accounts with skygeek, aircraft spruce and about every other supplier. The company stocks tubing, AN parts and specializes in fabric work. I purchase a lot of parts from South Africa and Australia where I find parts that don't exist in the US anymore. I have airplanes that I have restored throughout Europe and the US both static Museums pieces and flying, (which I prefer). I think I have the space with a little complaining from the staff so I'm hoping I'm ready. As we always say around here, I'm 99,9% done and only 99.9% to go.

I am looking forward to speaking with you and after I get the materials you suggested. Again, many thanks.....
ks....

 

[cvairwerks]

Mike: I'll pm my email address to you. I'm a 3rd shift guy and notoriously hard to get on the phone. Email is easiest without doing a dedicated hard scheduled time for the phone. Don't be surprised about getting emails sent at 3 am, as I keep the 3rds schedule all the time.

Like you, I've been playing warbirds and restorations for a long time. There's a couple dozen that I've worked on, that are all flyers. There are a couple that are static museum birds, but they are pretty oddball and were not realistically going to be flyables. One is the PQ-14 in the USAF Museum and the other is the HUP-3 in the Marine Corp Museum. We did an L-5 that was a flyer, but went to the Royal Thai Air Force Museum a couple of decades ago. I've heard rumors that it's back stateside and was flying again. Been mostly involved with L-5's. T-6's and a smattering of bigger birds over the years. Supplied some hard to get oxygen stuff for Lucky 13 when I ran onto it as a fluke. Paying job is current production fighters, and retirement is coming next year.

B-17 stuff huh... Desert Rat, Champaign Lady, Lucky 13, Aluminum Overcast or Lacey Lady? Everything else that I know of stateside is at Madras.

Tubing and 45 degree mahogany ply are going to be the big issues. Unless you get regular deliveries of full sticks of 4130, it's probably going to be cheaper in the long run to drive down to Spruce in Atlanta and pick it up. Shipping on anything bigger than about 4 cubic feet or over 8 foot in length has gone absolutely insane. I can roadtrip from the DFW area to Atlanta to get full sticks, spend 3 days on the road and still come out less money than shipping it. 45 degree mahogany ply has become unobtainium... Everyone is out of it and has no clue when it will be available again. Even the mil-spec Finnish metric stuff is getting hard to get. There is a supplier in Canada, but don't know how their prices are with the current tariff situation.

 

[DisplacedTex]

Have you checked ebay? There is currently an original CG-4A instrument panel that looks mint. There are also many tech orders, such as maintenance and erection manuals and parts lists. There are always plenty of ww2 era parts for sale there.

 

[GregP]

You might try Yanks Air Museum in Chino, CA. They have a complete CG1A, with the bulldozer, and might also have a set of plans. Their unit is VERY complete. They generally cooperate with restoration projects, but are quite reluctant to sell anything. They DO trade for items they need. Call and talk with Christen. She runs the Museum.

I assume you tried Air Corps Library.