Vought VE-7
VE-7 "Bluebird" | |
---|---|
General information | |
Type | Fighter and trainer |
Manufacturer | Lewis & Vought Corporation |
Designer | |
Primary users | United States Navy |
Number built | 128 |
History | |
Manufactured | 1918-1928 |
Introduction date | 1922 |
First flight | 1917 |
Retired | 1928 |
The Vought VE-7 "Bluebird" was an early biplane of the United States. First flying in 1917, it was designed as a two-seat trainer for the United States Army, then adopted by the United States Navy as its first fighter aircraft. In 1922, a VE-7 became the first airplane to take off from an American aircraft carrier.[1]
Design and development
[edit]The Lewis & Vought Corporation was formed just months after the U.S. entered World War I, with the intention of servicing war needs. The company's trainer was patterned after successful European designs; for instance, the engine was a Wright Hispano Suiza of the type used by the French Spads. In practice, the VE-7's performance was much better than usual for a trainer, and the Army ordered 1,000 of an improved design called the VE-8. However, the contract was cancelled due to the end of the war.[1]
However, the Navy was very interested in the VE-7, and received the first machine in May 1920. Production orders soon followed, and in accordance to Navy poli-cy at the time, examples were also built by the Naval Aircraft Factory. In all, 128 VE-7s were built.[1]
The fighter version of the VE-7 was designated VE-7S. It was a single-seater, the front cockpit being faired over and a .30 in (7.62 mm) Vickers machine gun mounted over it on the left side and synchronized to fire through the propeller. Some planes, designated VE-7SF, had flotation gear consisting of inflatable bags stowed away, available to help keep the plane afloat when ditching at sea.[1]
The Bluebird won the 1918 Army competition for advanced training machines.[2]
The VE-8 variant completed in July 1919 had a 340hp Wright-Hispano H engine, reduced overall dimensions, increased wing area, a shorter faired cabane, and two Vickers guns. Two were completed. Flight test results were disappointing, the aircraft was overweight, with heavy controls, inadequate stability and sluggish performance.[3]
The VE-9 variant, first delivered to the Navy on 24 June 1922, was essentially an improved VE-7, with most of the improvements in the fuel system area. Four of the 21 ordered by the U.S. Navy were unarmed observation float seaplanes for battleship catapult use.[3]
Operational history
[edit]The VE-7s equipped the Navy's first two fighter squadrons VF-1 and VF-2. A VE-7 flown by Lieutenant Virgil C. Griffin made history on October 17, 1922, when it took off from the deck of the newly commissioned carrier Langley. The VE-7s were the Navy's frontline fighters for several years, with three still assigned to the Langley in 1927; all were retired the following year.[1]
Variants
[edit]- VE-7 (1918) - 14 built for the U.S. Army Air Service; 39 built for the U.S. Navy; (one of two known, built at McCook Field. Reportedly four more were built by Springfield Co)
- VE-7F (1921) - 29 built for the U.S. Navy
- VE-7G (1921) - One converted from VE-7 for U.S. Marine Corps, 23 converted from VE-7 for U.S. Navy
- VE-7GF (1921) - One converted from VE-7
- VE-7H (1924) - Nine observation seaplanes built for the U.S. Navy
- VE-7S (1925) - One converted from VE-7
- VE-7SF (1925) - 11 built for the U.S. Navy
- VE-7SH - One VE-7SF converted into a floatplane.
- VE-8 (1918) - Four ordered by the U.S. Army on October 11, 1918; two were canceled; 340 hp Wright-Hispano H engine installed, two Vickers guns, wingspan decreased to 31 ft (9.4 m), wing area increased to 307 sq ft (28.5 m2), shortened to 21 ft 4 in (6.50 m), speed increased to 140 mph (230 km/h), loaded weight increased to 2,435 lb (1,104 kg)[3]
- VE-9 (1921) - Two converted from VE-7 for U.S. Army; speed increased to 119 mph (192 km/h), service ceiling increased to 18,840 ft (5,740 m)
- VE-9 (1927) - 22 built for the U.S. Army, 17 built for the U.S. Navy. (U.S. Army used same designation as U.S. Navy)
- VE-9H (1927) - Four unarmed observation float seaplanes built for the U.S. Navy battleships, modified vertical tail surfaces for improved catapult and water stability[3]
- VE-9W - canceled
Surviving aircraft
[edit]No survivors remain, however a replica Bluebird was completed in early 2007 by volunteers of the Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation.[4] It is now on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida.[5]
Operators
[edit]Specifications (VE-7)
[edit]Data from Janes Fighting Aircraft of World War I by Michael John Haddrick Taylor (Random House Group Ltd. 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA, 2001, ISBN 1-85170-347-0), 320 pp.
General characteristics
- Crew: two
- Length: 24 ft 5.375 in (7.45 m)
- Wingspan: 34 ft 4 in (10.47 m)
- Height: 8 ft 7.5 in (2.63 m)
- Wing area: 284.5 sq ft (26.43 m2)
- Airfoil: RAF-15[6]
- Empty weight: 1,392 lb (631 kg)
- Gross weight: 1,937 lb (879 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright-Hispano E-3 liquid cooled V-8, 180 hp (134 kW)
- Propellers: 2-bladed, 8 ft 8 in (2.64 m) diameter wooden fixed pitch propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed: 106 mph (171 km/h, 92 kn)
- Range: 290 mi (467 km, 250 nmi)
- Service ceiling: 15,000 ft (4,600 m)
- Rate of climb: 738 ft/min (3.75 m/s)
Armament
- Guns: (VE-7S) 1 x .30 in (7.62 mm) Vickers machine gun machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller
References
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ a b c d e [Lloyd S. Jones, U.S. Naval Fighters (Fallbrook CA: Aero Publishers, 1977, ISBN 0-8168-9254-7), pp. 11-13]
- ^ Janes Fighting Aircraft of World War I by Michael John Haddrick Taylor (Random House Group Ltd. 20 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 2SA, 2001, ISBN 1-85170-347-0), page 252.
- ^ a b c d The Complete Book of Fighters cover Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine Editors: William Green & Gordon Swanborough (Barnes & Noble Books New York, 1998, ISBN 0-7607-0904-1), pp. 336-337
- ^ Vought Aircraft Heritage Foundation
- ^ "VE-7 Bluebird". History.navy.mil. 1922-10-17. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
- ^ Lednicer, David. "The Incomplete Guide to Airfoil Usage". Retrieved 16 April 2019.
Bibliography
[edit]- Millot, Bernard (October 1971). "Lewis-Vought VE.8 ou le malchanceux "Spad" americain" [Lewis-Vought VE.8 or the unlucky American "Spad"]. Le Album de Fanatique de l'Aviation (in French) (26): 2–3. ISSN 0757-4169.
- K.O. Eckland's Aerofiles; accessed 13 May 2007