Pomilio FVL-8

04/21/2025. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "At the request of the Engineering Division of the US Army Signal Corps at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, USA, Ottorino Pomilio of the Turin-based Pomilio company undertook the design of a single-seat fighter around the then-new Liberty engine. The eight-cylinder water-cooled Liberty engine produced 275 hp at 1,590 rpm. Designated FVL-8, the Pomilio-designed fighter was of wooden construction with plywood fuselage skinning, the plywood skinning fuselages was relatively new to American practice. An outstanding feature was the location of the fuselage above the lower wing instead of on it, the radiator was fitted in the center section of the lower wing. The FVL-8 would carry an armament of twin synchronized 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine guns.

In August 1918 Ing. Ottorino Pomilio and his brothers Alessandro and Ernesto sold the company to Ansaldo and moved to the USA. Six prototypes of the FVL-8 were ordered (s/n 40080 to 40085), and would be built in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. However, it is not sure all six were completed, certain is that at least two were delivered to McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio, the 40081 (pictured above) in February 1919, where it received the Project Number "P-69", and later the 40084. On December 17, 1919, the wings of the latter were damaged when used for static strength testing, on March 8, 1920 its fuselage was damaged when used for testing 1.46 in (37 mm) high explosive ammunition.

The Flights Test Branch of the Engineering Division at McCook Field executed an official performance test on November 23, 1920, the results were disappointing, as stated in the Pilots' Observations Report:

"The general flying qualities of this airplane seem to make it unsuitable for pursuit work. It is slow, maneuvers poorly, and is longitudinally unstable. The airplane is difficult to land properly owing to its tendency to ground loop, and the type of tail skid supplied causes the machine to porpoise as soon as the skid touches the ground. This type of skid prevents easy taxying. The cooling is inadequate and the radiator is ineffectively shuttered. Engine mounting seems to give considerable trouble owing to the inherent vibration of the 8-cylinder Liberty."

The designation of the aircraft, Pomilio FVL-8 (Fighter Victory Liberty-8), has also been noted in several publications written as Pomilio Bros. Victory Liberty 8, Pomilio PVL-8 and Engineering Division FVL-8. In one publication both the FVL-8 and PVL-8 were used."

With thanks to Kees Kort for the supplied details.