Viewing page 6 of 28

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

42     U.S. CIVIL AIRCRAFT

[[image - faint photograph of a Waco 9 with floats]]
[[caption]] Fig. 46. A "Waco 9" on Edo floats, powered by OX-5 engine of 90 b.p. [[/caption]]

In it's approximate 3 year run, the "Waco Nine" had built up a very good reputation and had many enthusiastic boosters, but even at that it had to give away the new "Model 10" because the "Ten" was even that much better! The standard "Model 9" [[underlined]]first sold for $2500[[/underlined]], at the factory, and then was [[underlined]] reduced to $2225[[/underlined]]; later to $2125, and finally came down to the low figure of [[underlined]]$2025[[/underlined]]. The "Waco 9" was manufactured by the Advance Aircraft Co. at Troy, Ohio. Elwood J. Junkin, President 

Like a good many other airplane companies of this early period, "Waco" had it's misty beginning in the "turn of the twenties". It so happened that Geo. "Buck" Weaver had been barnstorming through Ohio in 1919 and was joined by Charlie Meyers, who had also been barnstorming in various parts of the country. Along the way, they were joined by two young fellows named Clayton Bru[[strikethrough]]c[[/strikethrough]]kner and Elwood Junkin. Aspirations common to all in the troupe led to the formation of a company, of sorts, to build airplanes in the town of Lorain, Ohio. This company was labelled the "Weaver Aircraft Co." and was, to some extent, under the guidance of "Buck" Weaver. Weaver was a fairly well known airman of this period, who for a time previous had been mechanic for the inimitable E.M. "Mattie" Laird and was also flying "Laird-Swallows" on exhibition. "Buck" Weaver was unfortunate to meet with severe illness and passed away about [[strikethrough]]midyear [[/strikethrough]]Aug in 1924. Always active and well-liked, he was sorely missed by many of the old flying fraternity. The catchy trade-name of "Waco" had been coined from the title letters of the "Weaver Aircraft Co." and by coincidence, "Buck" Weaver liked the sound of "Waco" in view of his happy associations at Waco, Texas while a flying instructor for the [[circled]]Air Service[[/circled]] during the first World War period. This early enterprise formed in about 19[[strikethrough]]20[[/strikethrough]] 17, actually had but very little significance in the make-up of airplane manufacturing history, but among old-timers there is always a saying, "I remember Waco clear back to the Buck Weaver days"!

A more fruitful beginning must be credited to the valiant and diligent efforts of Elwood "Sam" Junkin and [[circled]]Clayton J. Bruckner[[/circled]], two young enthusiasts who became avidly interested  in aviation way back in 1914 and became steadfast partners. "Waco"  [[underlined]] as we came to know it [[/underlined]], was hopefully but quite eagerly started in rather modest quarters at Troy, Ohio in 1923, largely by the efforts of Junkin and Bru[[strikethrough]]c[[/strikethrough]]kner, who already had gained considerable experience and could boast of a few successful seasons as airplane manufacturers. Their first "Waco" at Troy, Ohio was the OX-5 powered "Model 6", a 3 place

[[right margin]]
Signal Corps' 

there to Waco 8's

[[solved?]] 
1923 by "Buck" Weaver [[?]] Ohio.
Weaver Aircraft Co.

Fig. 47. The first "Waco", which was called the "Cootie", built in 1920.
By Weaver Aircraft Co - Lorain Ohio.