Viewing page 5 of 77

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

As has been said before, they [[?]] [[?]] planes that first year. They were aided by another young mechanic, E. J. "Sam" Junkin, who became the present Mrs. Junkin's second husband in 1925 following Weaver's death the previous year.

The training camp had been at Waco and that name was the abbreviation for the Weaver Aircraft CO., so that was the name they gave their planes. It is now the Advance Aircraft Co.

Planes built by the young aviators who were barely out of voting age soon gained popularity and the second year they were in business five were built and sold. In 1924, they sold 50 and the days of struggles were over. 

Orders came in. One South American country ordered twelve, while the first planes ever to get into Alaska were the five sent there by the makers in 1925. Year by year the output has increased until three are being made daily now by the 350 skilled mechanics employed in the growing factory at Troy.

The prediction Henry Ford made seven [[?]]

In 1918 the stork made a landing at the Wearer home and left none other than George Charles Weaver, who is now called "Buck" Weaver II, by the hundreds of aviators who knew his father.

Later the litter Weaver family settled down in Troy after exhibition flights in many states. Meager meals were the rule so that money could be scraped together for the materials for the first plane. The wife played the role of cook, mother, wife and assistant. It was she who made by hand the upholstering for the three first planes. 

The plane makers knew that they needed publicity to get their planes before the public. So again they scraped and saved to obtain enough money to exhibit one of the planes in the Hotel Pennsylvania in New York.

A few skeptics said the design was too radical to allow the plane to fly. So "Buck" Weaver took the plane out and showed them a few tricks in the air. New York newspapers provided the publicity. 

[[Image Caption]] Mrs. H. M. Junkin, of 4123 Packard road, who at the age of 29 has had 21 years' experience in aviation and now owns an interest in one of the world's largest factories[[/Image Caption]]

From this point the success of Waco was assured, but many sacrifices had been made by the builders. Still other sacrifices were made by the young woman who was twice a widow at 27.

her family thought it was terrible that she should take to the air, and above all things take a baby along on such dangerous flights. However, her [[circled]] younger [[/circled]] [[inserted]] older [[/inserted]] brother, Charles Meyer also declined to give up his love for aviation and last year was the winner of Spokane derby. He is a member of the Qulet Birdmen, which is the Four Hundred of aviation. During the war, he too was a pilot. [[inserted]] in R.F.C Royal Flying Corps [[/inserted]]

Romance and Tragedy.
There has been so much romance and tragedy in the growth of the big aviation company with which Mrs. Junkin is connected that she has been asked by a film company to write the scenario for a picture.

She also has written many stories of those days of pioneering in the air, when she, her husband and the young son would be on the go month after month to appear in exhibitions.

It is safe to make the assertions that "Buck" Waver II, who is now ten years old, has more hours in the air to his credit than any other youth of the same age in America, from the time he was a few months old until the day his father died four years ago. In summer the Weavers would appear in the northern state and in winter would go the the south. After the factory was started at [[unclear insertion]]Troy, the boy continued to make many flights, all of which were without accident despite the forced landings made at times in remote places.

The test of the real aviator is whether he can make a forced landing [[insertion]] & walk away [[/insertion]]. Mrs Junkin said. He must show both skill, daring and good judgment or his life is the forfeit.

Following the death of Mr. Junkin, the factory had to call in experts to figure out the stresses and plans of the planes they were making. Mrs. Junkin recalls. He carried such figures in his head so that they could not be stolen from him. [[insertion]] Reinforce [[/insertion]]

His plans were drawn in chalk on the floor of the growing factory and then he would obliterate them by scratching them out with his shoes.

Mrs. Junkin has chosen Toledo as her future home so that she will be away from the city where she saw so much tragedy.

Pictures of airplanes in magazines attract the attention of Janet, 2, her curly haired daughter who watches her big brother put toy planes together in the basement of their home. The boy plans new models and at the factory in Troy he can do everything there is to do in the making of plane except weld. Next summer, he wants to learn even that.

Mrs. Junkin's recreation is that of driving out to the Transcontinental airport here to watch planes swoop in from all directions. Many of them are those made in her factory and she knows majority of the pilots. When her two children are grown, she said, she, too, will become a pilot and take the air lanes.

[[Image caption]]Here is one of the fleet Waco planes built in Mrs. H. M. Junkin's factory at Troy, O., She is shown sitting on the sturdy left wing.

Transcription Notes:
some of the written insertions are unclear.