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| More unusual Waco historical documents https://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=52446 |
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| Author: | barnbstormer [ Sat Mar 08, 2014 1:04 pm ] |
| Post subject: | More unusual Waco historical documents |
Well, if all Waco archival documents cannot be extremely important, at least some can be Pretty  Here is a really nice mounted, Official letter of introduction, document with colorful ribbons and seals and signed by California Secretary of State, Sept 1935. Basically it says that Clayton Brukner, the President of Waco Aircraft Co. should "be extended every courtesy, when traveling thoughout countries in Europe and the Orient. Even still has the Original mint envelope.   
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| Author: | barnbstormer [ Sat Mar 08, 2014 1:25 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Before Waco became one of the most successful aircraft companies in the U.S. the earlier entities, such as Weaver aircraft endured lean times. This is one of the many financial files and bank books and statements through the years. I randomly picked out this Complete (I have only trimmed off the blank bottom of the rest of this page) bank statement for Weaver Aircraft, Medina, Ohio, for Aug/Sept 1923..The company's bank balance started the month with $181.54, and ended the month with $112.26  
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| Author: | barnbstormer [ Sat Mar 08, 2014 2:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
in the very thick files of War Dept correspondence, this is one of hundreds of letters that would fit in the WARBIRD forum, as well. It was obviously sent to all mfrs of Aircraft, during the early war. One of MANY letters warning about sabotage plots against aircraft manufacturing plants. Everything covered from Christmas plots, to the exact length of the gun barrels they wanted on specific mfr, handguns, provided by the govt, to their securtiy guards. Some are even quite funny. In one letter, Brukner's exasperated (and feisty) personal secretary, says, in response to an order, from some Army Major, for immediate security improvements, "Well I locked the doors of the plant last night, and when I arrived in the morning, it was still there." Brukner's hand written response to the Cyanide sabotage plot, is at the bottom with his initials. 
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| Author: | barnbstormer [ Tue Mar 11, 2014 12:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
No feedback? So I must ask... Is there any interest in seeing more of these aero archival glimpses into the past? |
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| Author: | tulsaboy [ Tue Mar 11, 2014 3:22 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Absolutely! I am a Spartan fan/collector/historian, but the WACO docs provide a glimpse into what was probably in Spartan's files...before they were trashed... kevin |
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| Author: | astixjr [ Tue Mar 11, 2014 6:07 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Sure! Love the paperwork! Please post more! |
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| Author: | barnbstormer [ Thu Mar 13, 2014 11:31 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Your mention of the oil companies having such an influence, during "The Golden Age," rang a bell "A nice document I overlooked, first few times I came across it... During The Depression every company was scrambling for business, Here is a hand-written note sent to Waco President Brukner, from Farr Nutter, Deep Rock Oil Company, Sale Manager, Chicago, in 1934. Farr Nutter was an Airmail Pioneer who participated in making history with the First (Day and NIGHT) Transcontinental Air Mail, using DH.4 aircraft, leaving simultaneously from San Francisco and New York. The planes were NOT equipped for night flying and several pilots were killed and mail lots burned etc. But the tag-team system of long hazardous flights over mountains, and night flying, to each leg of the trip (Both Ways) succeeded in 1921. Farr Nutter flew the first of the West-East legs, leaving from San Francisco. Nothing short of heroic, by all involved. The oil companies used many of the early famous pilots as sales reps and managers. including Shell oil, using Jimmy Doolittle and Jimmy Haizlip. The National Air Races biggest sponsors were the oil companies. 
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| Author: | wacoykc [ Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Interesting stuff you have there. Do you have any correspondence with Monty Chumbley? |
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| Author: | barnbstormer [ Mon Mar 24, 2014 9:36 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Do not recall that name. But possibly...There are file drawers with the Original Waco subject file titles on them..and boxes, and some albums-full, that I've separated significant letters and documents, into mylar sheet protectors. It is not the sort of instant name recognition correpondence such as Rickenbacker, Sherman Fairchild, Don Luscombe, Jimmy Haizlip that casues me to stop and scan. Who was Monty Chumbley? |
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| Author: | tulsaboy [ Mon Mar 24, 2014 12:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
If you do find some correspondance with folks from Spartan here in Tulsa, I'd be interested to see it/obtain it. Just if you happen to run across it. Thanks! kevin |
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| Author: | wacoykc [ Thu Mar 27, 2014 6:03 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Monty Chumbley was Waco's South American representative. All Wacos sold in South America, especially those to Brazil, were sold through Monty. |
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| Author: | DH82EH [ Fri Mar 28, 2014 6:39 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
I just noticed this thread Barnstormer. (sometimes, I'm as sharp as a marble  )This is interesting stuff. Thanks for posting. How did it come into your possession? Andy Scott |
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| Author: | barnbstormer [ Fri Mar 28, 2014 4:39 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Hi Andy; My First aviation passion was collecting rare pre-WWII aero engines. ...Only made possible with my Dad's enthusiastic support for several decades. (At its height, our engine collection had 175 Different pre-WWII aero engines, 48 were WWI and earlier, and 19 were the only ones known of their type.)we also had a pretty fair amount of duplicate engines for sale and trade, that helped keep the collection improving) Then we found 395,000 pieces of WWI (NOT WWII) German and Austro-Hungarian Aircraft parts in Europe, from a former WWI Field repair depot that had been abandoned at the end of WWI ) The above items kept gaining us access to the back rooms and storage warehouses of many of the world's aero museums and collectors for supplying them and trading with them.Through the years, have had every thing from file drawers to truckloads of significant aviation archives, including much Waco Company (back to even BEFORE Weaver, and Advance predecessors, to 1915!) and good portions of Cliff Henderson's personal National Air Race archives; Several of the early Curtiss Companies, Wright-Martin Company, for its short existence, The First Glenn Martin company (from 1912-1916), good chunks of the Curtiss Wright Company, and numerous other Personal archives of history making pilots, and aircraft and engine designers *Some RARE ones, like the personal file storage cartons found in an abandoned shed in the Vermont Woods where prolific, important designer, Boris V. Korvin-Kroukovsky has lived his last years. Obscure name but he was the prolific Cheif Designer for EDO aircraft and quite a few of the Aeromarine Company designs..It is wonderful to read their letters, see their thoughts and plans and drawings and photos, and aviation business visions, with the REAL reasons they did so many of these historic projects. Very "Fly-On-The-Wall" history, at the TIME was being made, BY the People who were making it,. So often they will mention that their ideas in these boxes and volumes of correspondence are Private and not to be made public. for various reasons. Some of them dispel 100 year old, commonly accepted aviation Myths and the "assumptions" of later historians. Very exciting stuff. Also acquired a few hundred pieces of choice museum aero art, (many are dicumented ex-Smithsonian exhibits of many decaades ago by famous artist, and some amazing British stuff by J.M Bruce, former RAF Museum curator of many years. Late to the collections...came the more than 120,000 aviation negatives, and more than 35,000 photo prints, and glass slides and negatives etc from all countries, all Eras. Many of those are First Generation, Original aviation Company file photos.. After 45 years of doing that full-time, I now have the burden of finding new homes for it. Have moved all the aircraft, instruments and engines,on... now working through the archival/& signed historic documents/photos, and Original museum-grade, aviation art and aero photo and negative collections. I certainly have enjoyed it, all these years.. As per your member name, Just ONE ofthe photo neg collections, has some 2000 DH negatives, of which 557 are DH82, and some 400 DH82 photo prints, from a British photographer/author's life-long collection |
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| Author: | DH82EH [ Sat Apr 05, 2014 8:15 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Amazing story. Wow! Thanks for that. Talk about having your finger on the pulse of history. I'm a DH fan indeed. Tiger Moth owner, restorer, maintainer and pilot. The Moth club in the U.K. would be a worthy recipient of any historical photos and documents, if you are looking for a home that is. They would share the best of it with enthusiasts, and probably make it all available for the same. Certainly not presuming, just suggesting. Where did your engine collection end up? I had a private tour through Col Palens collection at Old Rheinbeck. Some great stuff there. Andy |
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| Author: | barnbstormer [ Fri Apr 18, 2014 3:05 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: More unusual Waco historical documents |
Been a while so, here's another update of the archives, I found quite fascinating. Shortly before the huge reformation of the former Advance Aircraft Company, into the new Waco Company, one of the largest and most successtul of it's Era, President Brukner expressed interest into acquiring private funding to back his Advance Aircraft Company, and keep the company privately held, rather than going to a public stock offering in April 1927. Then-director of Advance Aircraft sales and marketing, Charles van Sicklen, wanted to be the one to arrange for that funding, and was confident he could. Apparently, Brukner did not make that choice, and van Sicklen subsequently resigned in April, 1928, from Advance, and Became VP and General Sales & Marketing Director of the newly formed Great Lakes Aircraft Company, in Oct 1928. Soon after, Brukner and Waco went with the public stock offering for the new entity, The Waco aircraft Company.(Forever changing it's history) One of the proponents to use van Sicklen and private funding was the famous and colorful R.W. "Shorty" Schroeder, who had been flying since before WWI, flew in WWI, was the U.S. Air Service Cheif test pilot at nearby McCook from 1918-1920, who had set the World's altitude record four times. In the Advance/Waco archives, in correspondence with Brukner, he refers to van Sicklen financing "our company." So I am assuming, he was likely the Cheif test pilot for Advance Aircraft company.. |
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