Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Welch OW 5M

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Top speed
  
145 km/h

First flight
  
April 1931

Wingspan
  
10 m

Manufacturers
  
Orin Welch Aircraft Company, Welch Aircraft Industries Inc, 1720 Mishawaka Ave., South Bend IN.

The Welch OW-5M (along with the OW-6M, OW-7M and OW-8M) were a family of American two-seat light cabin monoplanes designed by Orin Welch based on his first cabin monoplane design, the ACA Falcon. Welch's goal was to design cheap and functional light aircraft. The aircraft is a strut-braced high-wing monoplane with an enclosed cabin with side-by-side seats for two. It is similar in appearance to the Aeronca C-3, save for the wing struts. It had a steerable tailwheel landing gear and a nose-mounted engine. The fuselage was constructed with fabric covered welded steel tubing with a triangular cross section. The controls were mounted overhead with an adjustable control wheel that could be positioned for either pilot. Welch developed their own low-pressure wheels and tires for suspension.

Contents

Welch aircraft were first built at Welch Aircraft Industries Inc, 1720 Mishawaka Ave., South Bend IN., then production moved to Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania in 1940, with the first aircraft christened "The Wyoming Valley". Total production of all types was 55 aircraft, 35 of which were Continental powered OW-5M models.

Their company location history 1927: (Orin) Welch Aircraft Co, Anderson IN. 1928: Welch Aviation Co. 1931: Refinancing as Air-Craft Corp of America, 1406 S Meridian Ave, Anderson and Portland IN. 1936: Welch Aircraft Industries Inc, 1720 Mishawaka Ave., South Bend IN. 1940: Acquired by Aircraft Corp, La Porte IN; Welch Aircraft Developments, 221 Conyham St, Wilkes Barre PA.

Variants

OW-5M
Powered by a 40hp (30kW) Continental A-40-4 engine. Type Certificate held by the Hartmann Aircraft Corporation and sometimes described as the Hartmann OW-5M. 38 aircraft
OW-6M
Powered by a 37hp (28kW) Aeronca E-113-B engine. Type Certificate held by Stewart Aircraft Industries and sometimes described as the Stewart OW-6M. 7 aircraft
OW-6S
OW-6 with 45hp Szekely SR-30 and experimental, two-speed gear-reduction system regn. no NX14521, c/n 110.
OW-7M
Powered by a 45hp (36kW) Welch O-2 engine. 8 aircraft
OW-8M
Powered by a Franklin 4-AC-150 engine. 2 aircraft
OW-9M
Proposed variant with a Lycoming O-145, not built.
Welch ACE Falcon
A prototype fitted with an 60hp Anzani radial engine

Survivors

  • An OW-8M built from an uncompleted factory OW-5M is on display at the Airpower Museum, Iowa, United States.
  • A scale model of the OW is displayed in the atrium lobby of the South Bend Regional Airport (KSBN).

    • Specifications (OW-5M)

    Data from skyways

    General characteristics

  • Crew: 1 (pilot)
  • Capacity: 1 (passenger)
  • Wingspan: 34 ft 5 in (10.49 m)
  • Empty weight: 515 lb ( kg)
  • Gross weight: 954 lb ( kg)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Continental A-40-4 flat-four piston, 40 hp (40 kW)

    • Performance

  • Maximum speed: 90 mph (145 km/h)
  • Range: 250 miles ( km)
  • Service ceiling: 15,000 ft ( m)

    • References

    Welch OW-5M Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA