page_title: Alfred V. Verville
section_title: U.S. Army service
hierarchical_section_title: Alfred V. Verville / U.S. Army service
caption_attribution_description: English: Picture of the Verville Packard R-1 Racer, which won the Pulitzer Trophy in 1920
context_page_description: Alfred Victor Verville was an aviation pioneer and aircraft designer who contributed to civilian and military aviation. During his forty-seven years in the aviation industry, he was responsible for the design and development of nearly twenty commercial and military airplanes. Verville is known for designing flying boats, military racing airplanes, 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. He worked for General Billy Mitchell during his service at the United States Army Air Service from 1918 to 1925. From 1937 to 1945, he worked as a consultant for companies such as Douglas Aircraft, Curtiss-Wright, Snead Aircraft, and Drexel Aviation. Verville spent the next sixteen years in the U.S. Federal government, primarily in the Bureau of Aeronautics, before retiring in 1961.
  Verville received many honors and awards, including a selection as a fellow of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in 1962.
context_section_description: In June 1918, Verville joined the Engineering Division of the U.S. Army Air Service (USAAS) as a civilian, and was based out of the USAAS Engineering Division at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. In 1920, the young engineer gained national prominence when his Verville-Packard R-1 Racer won the Pulitzer Speed Classic Trophy at the first held National Air Races (at Roosevelt Field, New York) by finishing first out of twenty four other planes, achieving a top speed of 156.54 mph.
  In 1919 Brigadier General William 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 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 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, in the capacity as an engineering advisor, Verville joined General Billy Mitchell and his aide, Lieutenant Clayton Bissell, 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 Verville-Sperry R-3 Racer, was the second plane to utilize retractable landing gear and incorporated many features advanced for its time. The completion of the R-3 encountered challenges because the planned Curtiss D-12 engine was not available. So, instead Verville had to use the problematic Wright H-3 (Hispano) engine, which had major vibration issues. Three R-3's 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. set a 500 km World Speed Record of 167.73 mph (269.94 km/h) over a 10-lap course at Wilbur Wright Field. 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.
caption: Photo of C. C. Mosley, who piloted the R-1 Racer to victory at the 1920 National Air Races in New York.
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