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Island but was rejected because of his broken ankles sustained in the earlier plane accident. However, he was offered a position at the University of California campus as head of the Department of Theory of Flight, School of Military Aeronautics, which he accepted. There many of his students went on to become famous Air Service Officers.

With his devoted interest in planes, teaching soon became monotonous, so late in 1917 he resigned to accept a position as purchasing agent for the U.S. Aircraft Corporation at Redwood City, California. This new firm had taken over the former Christofferson aircraft factory and had a contract to build done hundred JN4 Curtiss trainers and spare parts. While there Waterman was advanced to Chief Engineer, then General Manager. The firm was dissolved after the war and Waterman was retained to liquidate the assets. Wanting to return to southern California he purchased some of the inventory and moved to Venice, California in 1919. There he leased space in the Crawford Airplane and Supply Company building and formed the Waterman Aircraft Manufacturing Company. From his inventory of "Jennie" parts he built a Hisso-powered machine for L.C. Brand. Other orders followed, then the business was moved to larger facilities in Santa Monica, California, where he started to make custom-built planes for sportsmen.

In February, 1920 Waterman built a new liberty-engined biplane, similar to the World War I LeFere, but as a deluxe enclosed machine, for L.C. Brand. This beautifully finished plane was for two passengers and pilot, with mahogany interior, non-breakable glass windows and English whipcord upholstery. Called the Waterman Model 3L-400 it has two feet more wing span than the LePere and was fabricated completely from raw materials, even to making the plywood from basic veneers. In August he rebuilt a twin-engine Pacific Hawk biplane for George F. Stephenson, substituting Hall Scott L-6, 200 H.P. engines for Curtiss OX motors. In October he had a 10-passenger rebuilt Curtiss Engine biplane for sale. At that time Waterman was editing articles on aviation for some of the aero magazines.

In February, 1921 Waterman announced completion of his type 3-0X100 3-place

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