Compare aircraft models
Up to four models side by side. Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
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- Piper PA-12S
- Piper PA-16S
- Waco GXE
- Waco RNF
Comparison
4 models side by side: scroll sideways to see them all. The attribute names stay on the left.
| Piper PA-12S | Piper PA-16S | Waco GXE | Waco RNF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | ||||
| Seats | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Landing gear | taildragger | taildragger | taildragger | taildragger |
| Engines | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Engine | Lycoming O-235-C | Lycoming O-235-C1 | Curtiss OX-5 | Warner Scarab (110 hp) |
| Horsepower | 100 hp | 108 hp | 90 hp | 110 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL | 100LL | 100LL | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 | CAR3 | CAR3 | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1946 | 1946 | 1927 | 1930 |
| Production end | 1949 | 1949 | 1930 | 1931 |
| Endorsements required | tailwheel | tailwheel | tailwheel | tailwheel |
| Performance | ||||
| Cruise (75 % power) | 79 KTAS | 84 KTAS | 73 KTAS | 83 KTAS |
| Range (75 %, standard fuel, 30-min reserve) | 540 nm | 432 nm | 335 nm | — |
| Service ceiling | 11,040 ft | 11,040 ft | 12,000 ft | 14,500 ft |
| Climb rate | 510 ft/min | 510 ft/min | 520 ft/min | 800 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 38 KCAS | 42 KCAS | 32 KCAS | — |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — | — | — | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — | — | — | — |
| Load and fuel | ||||
| Seats | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Useful load | 738 lb | 738 lb | 825 lb | 772 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 510 lb | 558 lb | — | — |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,838 lb | 1,738 lb | 2,025 lb | 1,897 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,100 lb | 1,000 lb | 1,200 lb | 1,125 lb |
| Usable fuel | 38 gal | 30 gal | — | — |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 5.6 gal/h | 6 gal/h | — | — |
| Cost of ownership | ||||
| Price, low | $65,000 | $50,000 | — | — |
| Price, high | $200,000 | $85,000 | — | — |
| Prices as of | 2026 | 2026 | — | — |
| Engine TBO | 2,400 h | 2,400 h | — | — |
| Overhaul cost, low | $24,000 | $24,000 | — | — |
| Overhaul cost, high | $34,000 | $34,000 | — | — |
| The fleet and its record | ||||
| Registered, all time | 16 | 2 | 401 | 107 |
| Active fleet | 5 | 0 | 33 | 35 |
| Median year built | 1947 | — | 1928 | 1930 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years1 | — | — | 30.3 · thin base (low) | 28.57 · thin base (low) |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active2 | — | — | 30.3 · thin base (low) | 28.57 · thin base (low) |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 2 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| Transfers per 100 active3 | — | — | 18.18 · thin base (low) | 25.71 · thin base (low) |
| Airworthiness directives | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rate confidence | none | none | low | low |
| Peer scores | ||||
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
| Accident record4 | — | — | — | — |
| Severity5 | — | — | — | — |
| Access6 | 0.7 of 10 | — | 0.2 of 10 | 1 of 10 |
| Support7 | 0.8 of 10 | 0.1 of 10 | 1.5 of 10 | 1.6 of 10 |
| Liquidity8 | — | — | 3.3 of 10 | 8.4 of 10 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown)9 | — | — | Partial: 5 out of 30 (safety not scored, too few records)ranks 2 of 2 here | Partial: 11 out of 30 (safety not scored, too few records)ranks 1 of 2 here |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: Waco GXE, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 33 active; Waco RNF, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 35 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: Waco GXE, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 33 active; Waco RNF, per 1,000 active aircraft · base 35 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: Waco GXE, per 100 active aircraft · base 33 active; Waco RNF, per 100 active aircraft · base 35 active.
- Accident record: Piper PA-12S, class median 33.21 · 223 models in class; Piper PA-16S, class median 33.21 · 223 models in class; Waco GXE, class median 33.21 · 223 models in class; Waco RNF, class median 33.21 · 223 models in class.
- Severity: Piper PA-12S, class median 12.5; Piper PA-16S, class median 12.5; Waco GXE, class median 12.5; Waco RNF, class median 12.5.
- Access: Piper PA-12S, class median 796; Piper PA-16S, class median 796; Waco GXE, class median 796; Waco RNF, class median 796.
- Support: Piper PA-12S, class median 131; Piper PA-16S, class median 131; Waco GXE, class median 131; Waco RNF, class median 131.
- Liquidity: Piper PA-12S, class median 19.89; Piper PA-16S, class median 19.89; Waco GXE, class median 19.89; Waco RNF, class median 19.89.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories. When accident record and severity cannot be scored because the model has too few records, the other three give a partial score out of 30, labelled as such; it is never set against a full score.