DAN SHUMAKER COLLECTION
No. 12628. Vought VE-7G (A-5698) US Navy
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Vought VE-7G

11/15/2014. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "The VE-7, product of the new Lewis & Vought Corporation at Long Island City, NY, appeared in the summer of 1918 after the Aircraft Production Board urged American industry to turn out new original designs for the war program instead of trying to adapt European designs, as had been the previous policy. Vought was asked to develop an advanced trainer to use the 150 hp French Hispano-Suiza Model A engine, then in production by the Simplex Automobile Division of the Wright-Martin Company. (After WW I, Lewis & Vought was renamed Chance Vought Corporation after its founder, the famed aircraft designer Chance M. Vought.)

The VE-7 proved to be an excellent design that generally resembled a slightly scaled-down British DH-4 with the nose of a French Spad. Large orders were soon placed, and additional manufacturers were lined up to assist in production. However, the VE-7 did not go into production during the war. This was due to an economy and time-saving measure that resulted in the same 150 hp Wright-Hispano engine being installed in the existing 90 hp Curtiss JN-4D primary trainer, making it the JN-4H for advanced training duties. After the war, the USN became interested in a version of the VE-7 fitted with the 180 hp Wright-Hispano E engine. The naval versions were built by Vought and by the Naval Aircraft Factory to a total of 128, which was really large-scale production for the early 1920s. BuNo A-5661 to A5700, A-5912 to A-5969; A-5971; A-6011 to A-6030, A-6436 to A6444.

Procured originally for training purposes, the performance of the VE-7 was such that it was used for a great variety of work under a number of sub-designations:


Created November 15, 2014