The story
In 1931 Waco built its first successful cabin biplane, the QDC: four seats behind a cowled radial, entered through a door between the wings on the left side. The Standard Cabin line ran until 1942, and the first letter of each model name told you the engine, which is why there are so many of them: UEC, UIC, UKC, YKC, YKS, VKS and more. In 1935 Waco added the slightly larger Custom Cabin; early ones like the CUC share this code, while the E Aristocrat has its own. When the war came, cabin Wacos were drafted into Allied air forces, and Civil Air Patrol crews flew some on anti-submarine patrols off the US coast with 50- or 100-pound bombs.
Britain's Long Range Desert Group flew two impressed cabin Wacos behind Axis lines in North Africa: a Standard Cabin YKC called the Little Waco and a Custom Cabin ZGC-7 called the Big Waco. The unit's future commander, Guy Prendergast, had them fitted with long-range tanks and flew one himself.
Quick answers
How do you identify a Cabin?
A chunky biplane with a fully enclosed cabin, a cowled radial and side windows under the upper wing. The upper wing is noticeably longer than the lower one. Standard Cabins have a strut linking upper and lower ailerons; Custom Cabins have ailerons on the upper wing only. Early ones carry a skylight in the cabin roof. A Beechcraft Staggerwing has its lower wing ahead of the upper one and retractable wheels; a cabin Waco's wheels stay down.
What does a Cabin sound like?
A smooth, unhurried radial drone, softened a little by the cabin it pulls along.
How fast is the Cabin?
Top speed is 120 kts (138 mph, UKC-S).
How many passengers does the Cabin carry?
Up to 4. A typical layout is Pilot and three to four passengers in an enclosed cabin.
How far can the Cabin fly?
Range is about 434 nmi (UKC).
How big is the Cabin?
It is 25 ft 3 in (UKC-S) long and 33 ft 3 in (upper wing, UKC-S) across the wings.
When did the Cabin first fly?
Its first flight was in 1931.
How many Cabins have been built?
Several hundred Standard Cabins across many sub-models (83 UIC alone), plus about 300 Custom Cabins built.
How rare is a Cabin in Bogey?
COMMON. Everyday traffic. You will catch plenty of these, and every first catch still counts. Your first Cabin catch is worth 25 points.
