Evening star., 1934-09-02

IL OAh IA4C Stdf4OpO1IlG OI Dll1Iary pro-
lection.
The intention of the Federal Avia-
ton Commission to 60 into the very
delicate question Of merging all gov
ernmental aviation activities, includ-
ing consolidation of the Army ard
Navy air services, is the cause of
considerable agitation in military cir
cleS.
The Navy will attempt to explain
graphically its side of the question
by demonstration of fleet aviation
activities for the benefit Of Clark
Howell, sr., and the members of
his commission at sea of the Virginia
Capes, September 6.
The demonstration, although an
nounced as being primarily for the
purpose OF acquainting the Federal
Aviation Commission with the oper-
ations Of naval aviation, has behind
1t the purpose Of demonstrating the
absolute interdependence of the fleet
and fleet aviation.
Admiral William H. Standley, act
ing Secretary of the Navy, explained
that members Of the commission would
be shown that naval aviation meant
the adaptation of airplanes to naval
use and not merely the placing Of
alrplaneS on naval vessels. Exact
coordination of ships and airplanes
Is necessary In naval operations,
Admiral Standley said, and naval
pilots must be not only airplane pilots
but sailors, with a thorough knowledge
OF the sea, naval operations and naval
tactics.
Verville Appointment Lauded.
Appointment of Alfred v. Verville,
airplane designer and builder. as chief
of the Manufacturing Inspection Ser
vice OF the Bureau Of Air Commerce,
Department of Commerce, brings into
the Federal aviation service a veteran
of 20 years of aeronautical engineering
service in civil and military aviation.
In his new post Mr.. Verville will
| supervise the examination of engi-
neering plans for new types Of air1
planes, the inspection of completed
planes submitted to the department
| for approval as to airworthiness and
licensing for use in air commerce and
administration of the airworthiness
requirements. He succeeds John H.
Geisse, recently named chief of the
bureaus new development section.
During the past 20 years Mr.. ver-
vile has given most of his time to
the designing and building Of air
| planes. He was born In Atlantic,
Mich, November 16, 1890, and for q
number Of years has made his home
in Dearborn, Mich. His first airplane
was pusher-type land plane built in
| 1915. In the same year he built the
first flying boat manufactured In De-
troit.
From 1918 to 1924 verville was at
McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, as a civ
ilian engineer with the Army Air
Corps, except for period during the
war when he was sent to Europe to
| study pursuit airplanes. On his re-
turn to this country. in 1918, he de-
veloped pursuit plane with welded
steel tube fuselage, forerunner of the
type of construction now commonly
| found
The Verville Packard and Verville
Sperry racing airplanes, which he de-
signed, won the Pulitzer speed tro-
phies in 1920 and 1924. The latter of
these was of low-wing, retractable
landing gear design, forerunner of the
modern types. In 1922 Mr.. Verville
returned to Europe as a member of
an Army Air Corps commission.
After entering the field of COM
mercial manufacturing in 1925, Ver-
vile designed several well known air.
craft, including the Buhl-verville
Airster, which bore the first approved
type certificate issued by the Bureau
of Air Commerce, then just organized
as the Aeronautics Branch Of the
Commerce Department.