Sperry Messenger

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Sperry Messenger

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Specification 
 ENGINE1 x 60hp Lawrence

Comments
Anonymous, 15.07.2021 17:10

The Sperry who designed and built this aircraft was Lawrence Sperry, the son of the Sperry who was famous for developing gyrocompasses. Lawrence Sperry set up an aircraft company completely separate from his father's business. Lawrence Sperry publicized this little aircraft by landing one at the foot of the steps of the Capital Building in Washington DC. Unfortunately, Lawrence Sperry's aircraft enterprises ceased after he was killed when he crashed while attempting to fly one of these Messenger aircraft across the English Channel.

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Klaatu83, e-mail, 06.08.2014 01:53

This tiny (17 feet 9 inches long, 20-foot wingspan) seingle-seat biplane was intended to be serve as a flying messenger vehicle, to replace a messenger mounted on a motorcycle. About 50 were built for the Army Air Service shortly after World War I, of which a dozen were experimentally converted into "aerial torpedoes", early versions of what would later be characterized as "flying bombs" or "cruise missiles".

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Paul Carattini, e-mail, 05.08.2012 23:30

I saw one years ago at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, NY. On the location of what was Mitchell field. Where Charles Lindbergh took off from for is New York to Paris flight. It was on static display. I do not know if it is still there.

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