Alfred Victor Verville (November 16, 1890 – March 10, 1970) was an American

aviation pioneer Aviation pioneers are people directly and indirectly responsible for the advancement of flight, including people who worked to achieve manned flight before the invention of aircraft, as well as others who achieved significant "firsts" in aviation a ...

and aircraft designer who contributed to

civilian Civilians under international humanitarian law are "persons who are not members of the armed forces" and they are not "combatants if they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war". It is slightly different from a non-combatant, b ...

and

military aviation Military aviation comprises military aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling aerial warfare, including national airlift ( air cargo) capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a war the ...

. During his forty-seven years in the aviation industry, he was responsible for the design and development of nearly twenty

commercial Commercial may refer to: * a dose of advertising conveyed through media (such as - for example - radio or television) ** Radio advertisement ** Television advertisement * (adjective for:) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and s ...

and military airplanes. Verville is known for designing

flying boat A flying boat is a type of fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in that a flying boat's fuselage is purpose-designed for floatation and contains a hull, while floatplanes rely on fusela ...

s, military racing airplanes (such as the record breaking

Verville-Sperry R-3 Racer __NOTOC__ The Verville-Sperry R-3 Racer was a cantilever wing monoplane with a streamlined fuselage and the second aircraft with fully retractable landing gear, the first being the Dayton-Wright RB-1 Racer. In 1961, the R-3 racer was identified a ...

), and a series of commercial cabin airplanes. His planes were awarded with the Pulitzer Speed Classic Trophy in 1920 and 1924. Verville was a founder of three aeronautical companies, the General Aeroplane Company, Verville Aircraft Company, and the

Buhl Aircraft Company CA-6 Airsedan ''Spokane Sun God'' The Buhl Aircraft Company was a US aircraft manufacturer founded in Detroit in 1925 which remained in operation until 1933. Buhl designed and manufactured the Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster, the first aircraft to re ...

. He worked for General

Billy Mitchell William Lendrum Mitchell (December 29, 1879 – February 19, 1936) was a United States Army officer who is regarded as the father of the United States Air Force. Mitchell served in France during World War I and, by the conflict's end, command ...

during his service at the

United States Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial war ...

from 1918 to 1925. From 1937 to 1945, he worked as a consultant for companies such as

Douglas Aircraft The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer based in Southern California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas; it then operated as ...

Curtiss-Wright The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation of Curtiss, Wright, and v ...

, Snead Aircraft, and Drexel Aviation. Verville spent the next sixteen years in the

U.S. federal government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 ...

, primarily in the

Bureau of Aeronautics The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (''i.e.'', responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of naval aircraft and relate ...

, before retiring in 1961. Verville received many honors and awards, including a selection as a fellow of the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, also called the Air and Space Museum, is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, it opened its main building on the Nat ...

in 1962. An

airmail stamp An airmail stamp is a postage stamp intended to pay either an airmail fee that is charged in addition to the surface rate, or the full airmail rate, for an item of mail to be transported by air. Airmail stamps should not be confused with airmai ...

was issued in 1985 by the

US Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

in Verville's honor. In 1991, he was posthumously inducted into the Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame.

Early life and career

Verville was born in Atlantic Mine, a small town in

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by t ...

, on November 16, 1890, as the son of Victor Verville and Fabianna Miron. As a child, his mother bought him a Conyne-style

box kite A box kite is a high performance kite, noted for developing relatively high lift; it is a type within the family of cellular kites. The typical design has four parallel struts. The box is made rigid with diagonal crossed struts. There are two sa ...

from

Sears Roebuck Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...

, which captured his imagination and started his interest in flight and aviation. Verville also began reading stories about the Wright brothers in newspapers and magazines with great interest. Later he even wrote to the Wrights and

Glenn Curtiss Glenn Hammond Curtiss (May 21, 1878 – July 23, 1930) was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He began his career as a bicycle racer and builder before moving on to motorcycles. As early ...

and received responses. After graduating from Adams Township High School, Verville took a

correspondence course Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at a school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance. Traditionally, this usually in ...

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems which use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. He moved to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, at the age of twenty, and from 1910 to 1913 he worked in the electrical departments of the

Detroit Edison Company DTE Electric Company (formerly The Detroit Edison Company) was founded in 1886. DTE Electric's power generation portfolio includes renewable energy, but is primarily generated by fossil fuels. In 2021, 67.32% of electricity generated by DTE came ...

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

, and

Hudson Motor Car Company The Hudson Motor Car Company made Hudson and other branded automobiles in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., from 1909 until 1954. In 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator to form American Motors Corporation (AMC). The Hudson name was continued through ...

. By 1913, Verville had made his mind up that he wanted to learn to fly.

William Edmund Scripps William Edmund Scripps (May 6, 1882 – June 12, 1952) was a pioneer aviator and the publisher of ''The Detroit News''. He was also an original founder of the WWJ radio station. Biography He was born on May 6, 1882 to James E. Scripps, the ...

, the editor and owner of ''

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...

'', introduced Verville to Glenn Curtiss in July 1913. Curtiss encouraged Verville to apply for his spring 1914 flight school. Instead, Verville went to

Hammondsport, New York Hammondsport is a village at the south end of Keuka Lake, in Steuben County, one of the Finger Lakes of New York, United States. The Village of Hammondsport is in the Town of Urbana and is northeast of Bath. History Lazarus Hammond founded ...

, in February 1914, where

Curtiss Aeroplane Company Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (1909 – 1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer originally founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss and Augustus Moore Herring in Hammondsport, New York. After significant commercial success in its first decades ...

was located, and told Curtiss he wanted to work as an apprentice in his drafting and engineering shop. Curtiss agreed and this began Verville's aviation career. Verville excelled as a draftsman and designer, but still wanted to attend flight school and to become an exhibition pilot. After applying and being passed over three times for the

Curtiss Flying School A Curtiss Jenny on a training flight Curtiss Flying School at North Beach California in 1911 The Curtiss Flying School was started by Glenn Curtiss to compete against the Wright Flying School of the Wright brothers. The first example was locate ...

, Verville went to Curtiss, who responded: "No, Mr. Verville you don't want to be a pilot. We can get all the pilots we want. What we want are designers. You're eallya designer and you don't know it." While at Curtiss Aeroplane, Verville took an active part in the development of the transatlantic flying boat ''America'' (which was a Curtiss H-2) and the

Curtiss Jenny The Curtiss JN "Jenny" was a series of biplanes built by the Curtiss Aeroplane Company of Hammondsport, New York, later the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. Although the Curtiss JN series was originally produced as a training aircraft for ...

of World War I fame. In the fall of 1914, Verville left the company and joined the Aeromarine Plane and Motor Company in New Jersey; shortly thereafter, he joined the Thomas-Morse Airplane Company. In March 1915, he returned to Detroit and joined the General Aeroplane Company, where he led his first full design and build to his specifications, the Verville Flying Boat. On July 9, 1917, Verville married Bertha M. Kamrath in

Escanaba, Michigan Escanaba ( ), commonly shortened to Esky, is a port city in Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on Little Bay de Noc in the state's Upper Peninsula. The population was 12,616 at the 2010 census, making it the third-largest city i ...

. He had three children with her, daughters Betty and Janet, and son Myron. Also in 1917, Verville left the General Aeroplane Company to become executive engineer of Fisher Body Corporation, where he supervised the construction of de Havilland DH-4 airplanes.

U.S. Army service

In June 1918, Verville joined the

Engineering Division The Engineering Division was a division of the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps in the United States Department of War. It was formed on 31 August 1918, under the direction of Lt Col Jesse G. Vincent, to study and design American versions of f ...

of the

U.S. Army Air Service The United States Army Air Service (USAAS)Craven and Cate Vol. 1, p. 9 (also known as the ''"Air Service"'', ''"U.S. Air Service"'' and before its legislative establishment in 1920, the ''"Air Service, United States Army"'') was the aerial warf ...

(USAAS) as a civilian, and was based out of the USAAS Engineering Division at

McCook Field McCook Field was an airfield and aviation experimentation station in Dayton, Ohio, United States. It was operated by the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps and its successor the United States Army Air Service from 1917 to 1927. It was named fo ...

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

. In 1920, the young engineer gained national prominence when his

Verville-Packard R-1 Racer The Verville-Packard R-1 Racer was a military racing aircraft that was modified from Alfred V. Verville's previous Verville VCP-1 design. The R-1 is sometimes known also as the Verville-Packard VCP-R or the Verville-Packard 600. The R-1 was ...

won the Pulitzer Speed Classic Trophy at the first held

National Air Races The National Air Races (also known as Pulitzer Trophy Races) are a series of pylon and cross-country races that have taken place in the United States since 1920. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew ...

(at

Roosevelt Field, New York Roosevelt Field is a former airport, located east-southeast of Mineola, Long Island, New York. Originally called the Hempstead Plains Aerodrome, or sometimes Hempstead Plains field or the Garden City Aerodrome, it was a training field (Hazel ...

) by finishing first out of twenty four other planes, achieving a top speed of 156.54 mph. In 1919 Brigadier General Billy Mitchell requested the Engineering Division to design a light-weight "motorcycle of the air" that could operate as a liaison between Army field units. Verville completed the Messenger design in early 1920. The Lawrence Sperry Aircraft Company of Farmingdale was contracted to build five Messengers in April 1920. The first Messenger flight was on November 1. Later designated the

Verville-Sperry M-1 Messenger The Sperry Messenger was an American single-seat biplane designed by Alfred V. Verville working for the Engineering Division of the United States Army Air Service (USAAS) and built under contract by Sperry Corporation, Sperry Aircraft Company of ...

, the plane is notable for its small size, simple construction, and inexpensive cost, which made it ideal for testing and experimentation. The

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics 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 ...

used one in its pioneering aerodynamic research programs from 1923 to 1929. Sperry modified twelve into the radio-controlled Messenger Aerial Torpedo and developed the apparatus for a Messenger to make the first successful airship hook on and release in December 1924. Following

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, in the capacity as an engineering advisor, Verville joined General

and his aide, Lieutenant

Clayton Bissell Major General Clayton Lawrence Bissell (July 29, 1893 – December 24, 1972) was an air officer in the United States Army and United States Army Air Forces during World War I and World War II. World War I service Bissell graduated from Valpara ...

, on their sailing trip to Europe in December 1921. The three men toured France, Italy, Germany, Holland, and England in order to check on the European progress of aviation. From their research they produced a 206-page report, which was published as a U.S. Army Air Service Information Circular. General Mitchell asked Verville to incorporate some of the European developments they had observed and to produce a plane for the U.S. Army Air Service's participation in the upcoming 1922 National Air Races. The resulting plane, the

, was the second plane to utilize

retractable landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...

and incorporated many features advanced for its time. The completion of the R-3 encountered challenges because the planned

Curtiss D-12 The Curtiss D-12, sometimes identified with the military designation Curtiss V-1150, was an aircraft engine of 18.8 liter displacement. It was a water-cooled V12, producing 443 hp (330 kW) and weighing 693 lb (314 kg). It was ...

engine was not available. So, instead Verville had to use the problematic Wright H-3 (Hispano) engine, which had major vibration issues. Three R-3s competed in the 1922 National Air Races, but only one finished in 5th place with a top speed of 181 mph. After the 1922 race, Verville was able to finally obtain a Curtiss D-12 engine. It was installed on an R-3 and based on trials, it was determined that it could break a world record. On March 31, 1923, with Orville Wright officially observing from the ground, pilot Lieutenant

Alexander Pearson Jr. Lieutenant Alexander Pearson Jr. (November 12, 1895 – September 2, 1924) was a prominent aviation figure in the Army Air Service from 1919 until his death in 1924. He is credited with setting the world speed record in March 1923. Pearson Fiel ...

set a 500 km world speed record of over a 10-lap course at

Wilbur Wright Field Wilbur Wright Field was a military installation and an airfield used as a World War I pilot, mechanic, and armorer training facility and, under different designations, conducted United States Army Air Corps and Air Forces flight testing. Loca ...

. For the 1924 National Air Races, his R-3 won the 1924 Pulitzer Speed Trophy at 216 mph. While at the Air Service, Verville was awarded eight aeronautical patents for technologies such as airplane truss design, radiator mounting, and an automatic gun mechanism.

Buhl and Verville Aircraft Companies

In 1925, Verville left the government service to co-found the Buhl-Verville Aircraft Company with the Buhl family in

. On March 29, 1927, Buhl was awarded the first Approved

Type Certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applica ...

for its

Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster The Buhl-Verville CA-3 Airster (also known as the J4 Airster, after its engine), was a utility aircraft built in the United States in 1926, notable as the first aircraft to receive a type certificate in the US, (i.e. A.T.C. No. 1) issued by the A ...

(i.e. A.T.C. No. 1) issued by the

Aeronautics Branch The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...

of the

Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for bu ...

on March 29, 1927. There were a total of 20 of this aircraft manufactured and it broke a number of speed and endurance records, placing at the top of the

Ford National Reliability Air Tour The Ford Reliability Tour, properly called "The National Air Tour for the Edsel B. Ford Reliability Trophy", was a series of aerial tours sponsored in part by Ford from 1925 to 1931 and re-created in 2003. Top prize was the Edsel Ford Reliability ...

and the

. Verville was the chief designer from the company's founding in 1925 until 1927. In 1928, Verville left Buhl-Verville to establish the Verville Aircraft Company, also in Detroit. The company sought to market planes to the wealthy private owner. Verville Aircraft produced the Verville Air Coach, a four-passenger, high-wing

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

, which made its debut at the 1929 Detroit Air Show and the

Verville Sport Trainer The Verville Sport Trainer AT was a two-seat tandem biplane designed by Alfred V. Verville 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 ...

, a two-seat tandem biplane. The

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...

purchased four Sport Trainers under the designation YPT-10. The USAAC tested with five different engine versions resulting in YPT-10 thru YPT-10D designations.

Bureau of Air Commerce and consulting

Verville joined the Aeronautics Branch of the

in 1933. The Aeronautics Branch became the

Bureau of Air Commerce The Air Commerce Act of 1926 created an Aeronautic Branch of the United States Department of Commerce. Its functions included testing and licensing of pilots, certification of aircraft and investigation of accidents. In 1934, the Aeronautics Branc ...

in 1934. During his time there, Verville served in the following roles: aeronautical engineer; chief of the Manufacturing, Engineering, and Inspections Service; and finally assistant chief of the Aeronautic Development Section. In his role as chief of the Manufacturing, Engineering, and Inspections Service, he was in charge of the reviews for issuing

type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). It confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production, is in compliance with applica ...

s for all manufactured airplanes. Verville left government service to be a consultant for companies including

(1937–38),

(1941–42), Snead Aircraft (1942), and the Drexel Aviation Company (1942–45). Verville briefly returned to the

from 1939 to 1941.

U.S. Navy service and retirement

In 1945, once again returning to government service, he joined as a member of the Naval Technical Mission to Europe, and later, the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage of ...

(1946–1961). At the

, from 1950 until his retirement in 1961, Verville was a technical advisor and consultant to the director of the Technical Data Division. Verville retired in 1961 and moved to

La Jolla, California La Jolla ( , ) is a hilly, seaside neighborhood within the city of San Diego, California, United States, occupying of curving coastline along the Pacific Ocean. The population reported in the 2010 census was 46,781. La Jolla is surrounded on ...

Death

He died on March 10, 1970, from a heart attack at age 79.

Honors

In 1962, Verville was selected as a fellow of the Smithsonian's National Air Museum. He was honored with ten Certificates or Letters of Commendation from the U.S. Armed Forces. He was an

honorary fellow Honorary titles (professor, reader, lecturer) in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties. This practice primarily exists in the UK and Germany, as well as in m ...

of the

Society of Experimental Test Pilots The Society of Experimental Test Pilots is an international organization that seeks to promote air safety and contributes to aeronautical advancement by promoting sound aeronautical design and development; interchanging ideas, thoughts and suggest ...

and was named an Elder Statesman of Aviation by the

National Aeronautic Association The National Aeronautic Association of the United States (NAA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and a founding member of the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). Founded in 1905, it is the oldest national aviation club in the Uni ...

in 1956. In 1961, he was elected as a fellow of the

American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) is a professional society for the field of aerospace engineering. The AIAA is the U.S. representative on the International Astronautical Federation and the International Council of ...

. In 1991, he was posthumously inducted into the

Aviation Hall of Fame. The Smithsonian

established the Verville Fellowship in his name, which is a competitive nine-to-twelve month in-residence fellowship for researching the history of aviation. Over 20 boxes of material from Verville's estate are housed at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum's Garber Facility. A 33 cent

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

was issued on February 13, 1985, bearing Verville's name, picture, the text "Aviation Pioneer", and an image of his Verville-Sperry R-3 Racer low-wing monoplane.

Planes designed by Verville

Over the course of his forty-seven years in designing and building planes, Verville contributed to the design and development of nearly twenty different aircraft. A plane he designed, the

is on permanent exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum's

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, also called the Udvar-Hazy Center, is the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)'s annex at Washington Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly area of Fairfax County, Virginia. It holds numerous e ...

. Another plane he designed, the

won first place at the 1924 Pulitzer Trophy Races. In June 1961, it was honored as one of the twelve most significant aircraft of all time by ''

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...

'' and it was featured on a

USPS The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...

airmail stamp issued in 1985. 1915verville

Curtiss Aircraft Company

(1914) * famous World War I plane * Verville contributed to design America (1914) * first plane of Curtiss H-2 line * planned to be first transatlantic flight, but interrupted by WWI * transatlantic flying boat

General Aeroplane Company

Verville Flying Boat (1916) * 2 passenger, open cockpit,

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

* 100 hp Curtiss OX-5 or Maximotor pusher * Mahogany hull and wing floats constructed by Mayea Boat Company (Detroit) Gamma S (1917) * A two-seater, open cockpit,

floatplane A floatplane is a type of seaplane with one or more slender floats mounted under the fuselage to provide buoyancy. By contrast, a flying boat uses its fuselage for buoyancy. Either type of seaplane may also have landing gear suitable for land, ...

, biplane with an 80 hp

Le Rhône Le Rhône was the name given to a series of popular rotary aircraft engines produced in France by Société des Moteurs Le Rhône and the successor company of Gnome et Rhône. They powered a number of military aircraft types of the First World ...

pusher engine. Gamma L (1917) * Similar to Gamma S, with wheels. * Twin floats were replaced with wheels for winter operations off the ice of Lake St. Clair.

U.S. Military

Verville-Clark-Pursuit 1 & 2 (1920) * Function: fighter (also known as VCP-1/2) * Two VCP-1 and two VCP-2 built * VCP-1 re-designated VCP-1A & R-1 Racer, VCP-2 redesignated PW-1 & PW-1A * While at the

and

Aeronautical Systems Center The Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) is an inactivated Air Force product center that designed, developed and delivered weapon systems and capabilities for U.S. Air Force, other U.S. military, allied and coalition-partner warfighters. ASC managed ...

of the Signal Corps – post-

: November 11, 1918-September 1919

(1920) * Function:

racing In sport, racing is a competition of speed, in which competitors try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time. Typically this involves traversing some distance, but it can be any other task involving speed to reach a specific goa ...

; crew: 1; engines: 1x 638 hp Packard 1A-2025 V-12 * On November 27, 1920, Captain

C. C. Moseley Corliss Champion Moseley (July 23, 1894 – 1974) was a United States Army aviator and later civilian trainer. He won the inaugural Pulitzer Air Race in 1920. Following his service in World War I, where he was credited with one aerial victory, he ...

, flying a Verville-Packard VCP-R, won the

Pulitzer Trophy Race The National Air Races (also known as Pulitzer Trophy Races) are a series of pylon and cross-country races that have taken place in the United States since 1920. The science of aviation, and the speed and reliability of aircraft and engines grew ...

Mitchel Air Force Base Mitchel Air Force Base also known as Mitchel Field, was a United States Air Force base located on the Hempstead Plains of Long Island, New York, United States. Established in 1918 as Hazelhurst Aviation Field #2, the facility was renamed later ...

. with a maximum speed of . * While in the Air Service

(1921) * Function: messenger, manufactured by Sperry Aircraft Company * This plane is exhibited in the National Air and Space Museum's

(1922) * Participated in the 1922 and 1924 Pulitzer Trophy Races; won first place in 1924. In June 1961, it was honored as one of the twelve most significant aircraft of all time by ''Popular Mechanics''.

Engineering Division TP-1 __NOTOC__ The Engineering Division TP-1 was a two-seat biplane fighter designed by Alfred V. Verville and Virginius E. Clark at the United States Army Air Corps Engineering Division. A second aircraft was completed as an observation biplane and ...

(1923) * Was a two-seat biplane fighter designed by Alfred V. Verville and Virginius E. Clark at the United States Army Air Corps Engineering Division. * Prototype TP-1 was built as the XTP-1 and tested at

in 1923. YPT-10 (1925), Primary Trainer * Similar design to Verville Sport Trainer AT * While at the Air Corps

Buhl-Verville

Buhl-Verville CA-3/CW-3 Airster (1925–1926) * CA-3 Airster, 200 hp Wright J-4 engine * CA-3A Airster, 225 hp Wright J-5 engine * CW-3 OX5 Airster, 90 hp Curtiss OX-5 engine * CW-3 Wright Trainer, 220 hp Wright J-5 engine (short military trial) * Also known as: J4/J5 Airster or B-V Airster

Verville Aircraft Company

Verville Air Coach (1929) * four passenger, high-wing cabin monoplane designed in 1927 by Verville * Model 102 (104-W, Warner Engine) * Model 104-C * Model 104-P (Packard Diesel Coach) Verville Sport Trainer (1930) * This plane is in

storage Storage may refer to: Goods Containers * Dry cask storage, for storing high-level radioactive waste * Food storage * Intermodal container, cargo shipping * Storage tank Facilities * Garage (residential), a storage space normally used to store car ...

in the Smithsonian Institution system; its engine was a

Packard DR-980 The Packard DR-980 is an American nine-cylinder air-cooled aircraft Diesel engine first certificated in 1930. The engine was unpopular despite its economy and reliability due to the unpleasant nature of its diesel exhaust fumes and ...

References

External links

A. Verville Fellowship at NASM

Image of Alfred Verville Airmail stamp (Smithsonian Institution website)

AirZoo Museum Page Commemorating Alfred Verville, Kalamazoo, Michigan
{{DEFAULTSORT:Verville, Alfred Aviation pioneers American aerospace designers American aerospace engineers 1890 births 1970 deaths Fellows of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics People from Houghton County, Michigan Scientists from Michigan United States Army Air Service 20th-century American engineers Engineers from Michigan

Early life and career

U.S. Army service

Buhl and Verville Aircraft Companies

Bureau of Air Commerce and consulting

U.S. Navy service and retirement

Death

Honors

Planes designed by Verville

Curtiss Aircraft Company

General Aeroplane Company

U.S. Military

Buhl-Verville

Verville Aircraft Company

See also

References

Further reading

External links