Terence O’Neill’s Pea Pod N10T of 1963 was a diminutive machine in which the pilot lay in a prone position, with most of his body inside the wing. It was powered by a 35 hp Kiekhaefer O-4-35 boat engine mounted inside the vertical fin, and could be carried atop the family car. Taxi tests were performed, but it could not meet FAR 103 requirements and reportedly never flew.

O’Neill Airplane designed the eight-seat Model J Magnum with unusual four-wheel undercarriage in 1980s. Further developed Magnum V8 six-seater, featuring swing tail for loading cargo, which can be built from plans and some available components.

The Magnum is a bush-type, designed around radial engines like prototype’s 350 HP turbocharged Jacobs R755S, a manufacturer’s modification of the L4M 245HP Jacobs. It features an extra-large cabin 49 inches wide by 102 inches long, plus an additional 68 inches cargo camping gear area. Special features are: stall/spin safety system with wind-wing angle indicator, vertical stabilator with forward-canted axis, and slotted stabilator; instant-droppable fuel tank to avoid post-crash fire hazard; and full-span dive flaps intended to limit airspeed to 185 mph at 3800 pounds gross, combined with structural design strength of 7 G’s yield, the maximum available from full-flapped wing at 185. Super rough-ground stability achieved by dual nosewheels.

Power (optional 245 hp) 350 hp
Gross Wt. 2900-3500 lb
Empty Wt. 1750-2000 lb
Wingspan 30 ft 3 in
Length 23 ft l1 in
Top alt, cruise 200+ mph
SL cruise 140 mph
Stall 60 mph
Climb rate 1000 fpm
Takeoff run 1000 ft
Landing roll 1000 ft
Range 400 mi. plus 45 min. reserve

Magnum V8 Pickup
Engine: Ford 351ci V8, 380 hp
Speed max: 185 mph
Cruise: 140 mph
Range: 800 sm
Stall: 61 mph
ROC: 1200 fpm
Take-off dist: 1000 ft
Landing dist: 1000 ft
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft
HP range: 350-450
Fuel cap: 110 USG
Weight empty: 1900 lbs
Gross: 3800 lbs
Height: 9 ft
Length: 25.8 ft
Wing span: 36 ft
Wing area: 189 sq.ft
Seats: 2+
Landing gear: dual nose wheel

After the war, Waco developed a new monoplane, the Aristocraft, but abandoned it in 1947, and the company went out of business. O’Neill Airplane Co. formed 1962 to develop Waco’s last design, the Waco Model W Aristocrat, for which all rights were acquired. Terry O’Neill flew the aircraft for a brief period after he had completed the restoration.

The Waco W was flown for only a brief period as it was converted into the tail dragger Aristocraft II, with the engine mounted in the nose, in this configuration it was flown in October 1963 and retained most of the original fuselage, the wings and horizontal tail of NX34219.

The Artstocraft uses the Waco wing design, simplified for amateur builders. The II design was awarded a Provisional Type Certificate (Al 9CE) by the FAA in 1969. It is one of the largest homebuilts, seating up to six persons. Originally powered by a 200-hp Lycoming IO-360, one amateur builder was adapting the Blanton 220-hp Ford 23 turbo and is using conventional landing gear for more speed and lower cost for cross country use.

In 1968 O’Neill refitted it with six seats, a tricycle landing gear and a single swept fin tail, in this configuration it was flown in October 1968, still registered N34219, but re-designated Model W Winner.

The O’Neill Pea Pod canard design was proposed also, but all activity on the Aristocraft terminated in 1974.

Wingspan 36 ft l0 in
Length 25 ft l0 in
Gross Wt. 2650-3300 lb
Empty Wt. 1600-1800 lb
Top speed 135 mph
Cruise 120 mph
Stall 55 mph
Climb rate 500 fpm
Takeoff run 1000 ft
Landing roll 1000 ft
Range 600 miles

Model W
Wingspan: 37ft 6in
Length: 26.7ft
Height: 8ft 4in
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