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History of the WACO Aircraft Company
Part I - Early Beginings and Rough Times: 1919 - 1923 (Page 1)

The history of WACO Aircraft Company is an important part of the early days of aviation, but it is also a big part of the history of the city of Troy, and the state of Ohio. Though WACO ceased to exist as an aircraft producer in 1946, a large number of the aircraft are still flying, and pieces of the WACO mystique have found there way into unexpected places in the culture of modern America.

In the beginning there were four men, Clayton Brukner and Elwood "Sam" Junkin, who met in school in Battle Creek Michigan, and established barnstorming pilots Charley Meyers and George "Buck" Weaver. Brukner and Junkin started in 1919 by building a float plane that was a failure and never actually flew. 


Soon after they moved to Lorain, Ohio, where Junkin met Charley Meyers. Meyers had designed an aircraft with Buck Weaver and asked Brukner and Junkin and if they would help build it.

This aircraft was one-man, monoplane called the Cootie. (Most WACO historians consider the Cootie to be the "WACO 1," though Brukner considered the flying boat the first WACO.)  According to noted WACO historian Fred Koberness, the Indian motorcycle engine from the flying boat eventually was used by Brukner on a go-cart type machine that he used on his Troy property.

The so called "Brukmobile" was restored by Joel Leavelle a WHS trustee and is currently on display at WACO field. The Brukmobile will be on display at this years WACO Celebration held on August 26th-28th 2005.

 

 

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WACO HISTORICAL SOCIETY, 1865 S. County Rd. 25A, TROY, OHIO 45373, 937-335-9226

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