The Verville Sport Trainer AT was a two-seat tandem biplane designed by
Alfred V. Verville
Alfred Victor Verville (November 16, 1890 – March 10, 1970) was an American aviation pioneer and aircraft designer who contributed to civilian and military aviation. During his forty-seven years in the aviation industry, he was responsibl ...
as a civilian version of the YPT-10 primary trainer, intended to appeal to the wealthy private owner.
The White Aircraft Company bought the rights to the AT in 1939.
Civilian version
![1939-White-Verville-Trainer-WVAT1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/1939-White-Verville-Trainer-WVAT1.JPG)
The Sportsman, as it was also known,
[Joseph P Juptner's US Civil Aircraft, Volume 3 (Page 193-195). ][Joseph P Juptner's US Civil Aircraft, Volume 4 (Pages 83-86). ] offered excellent flight characteristics and good stability, due in part to the design of the lower wing. With leather trim, battery with starter, and navigation lights, the Sport Trainer sold for $5,250. There were 10 manufactured. The owner of serial number one was Eugene Francis May.
One AT was built for
NACA
The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its assets ...
testing in 1930, and was designated the AT-4. It had modified wide landing gear with added fittings for pontoons, which may or may not have been used. The colors were a blue fuselage, silver wings, yellow stripe. Special equipment included: EDO pontoon fittings with structural bearing, steel interplane struts. On 31 January 1931, test pilot Lou Meister bailed out of this plane after entering an unrecoverable spin. He died when his parachute did not fully deploy after bailing out.
One AT was modified in 1931 for
Lycoming Manufacturing Company of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It was designated the LT Sportsman. It was fitted with a 210 hp
Lycoming R-680.
Kenneth Parker, the son of
George Safford Parker, founder of
Parker Pen Company
The Parker Pen Company is a French manufacturer of luxury writing pens, founded in 1888 by George Safford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States. In 2011 the Parker factory at Newhaven, East Sussex, England, was closed, and its productio ...
owned an AT.
Military version - trainer
The USAAC purchased 4 YPT-10's and tested with 5 different engine versions resulting in YPT-10 thru YPT-10D designations. It had a 165 hp engine and could produce top speed of 120 mph, which was not faster than other aircraft of that era, but was more than adequate for the flight training purposes of the Army.
Specifications
;Other specs:
*Heywood air starter
*dual A.P.C. brakes
See also
*
Alfred V. Verville
Alfred Victor Verville (November 16, 1890 – March 10, 1970) was an American aviation pioneer and aircraft designer who contributed to civilian and military aviation. During his forty-seven years in the aviation industry, he was responsibl ...
References
External links
Aviation Enthusiast Corner
{{Wright Field project numbers
1930s United States military trainer aircraft
1930s United States sport aircraft
Verville aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Biplanes
Aircraft first flown in 1930