The Verville Sport Trainer AT was a two-seat tandem biplane designed by Alfred V. Verville

Alfred V. Verville

Alfred Victor Verville was an aviation pioneer and designer who contributed to civilian and military aviation. During his 47 years in the aviation industry, he led the design and development of nearly a dozen commercial and military airplanes...

 as a civilian version of the YPT-10 primary trainer, intended to appeal to the wealthy private owner.

The White Aircraft Company bought the rights to the AT in 1939.

Civilian version

The Sportsman, as it was also known, offered excellent flight characteristics and good stability, due in part to the design of the lower wing. With leather trim, battery with starter, and navigation lights, the Sport Trainer sold for $5,250. There were 10 manufactured. The owner of serial number one was Eugene Francis May.

One AT was built for NACA

NACA

- Organizations :* National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the forerunner of the U.S. federal agency NASA* National Association for Campus Activities, an organization for programmers of university and college activities...

 testing in 1930, and was designated the AT-4. It had modified wide landing gear with added fittings for pontoons, which may or may not have been used. The colors were a blue fuselage, silver wings, yellow stripe. Special equipment included: EDO pontoon fittings with structural bearing, steel interplane struts. On 31 January 1931 ,test pilot Lou Meister bailed out of this plane after entering a unrecoverable spin. He died when his parachute did not fully deploy after bailing out.

One AT was modified in 1931 for Lycoming Manufacturing Company

Lycoming Engines

Lycoming Engines is a U.S. aircraft engine company, known primarily for its general aviation engines. For most of its history Lycoming has been part of the AVCO group as AVCO Lycoming. In 1987 AVCO was purchased by Textron to become Textron Lycoming...

 of Williamsport, Pennsylvania. It was designated the LT Sportsman. It was fitted with a 210 hp Lycoming R-680.

Kenneth Parker, the son of George Safford Parker, founder of Parker Pen Company owned an AT.

Military version - trainer

The USAAC purchased 4 YPT-10's and tested with 5 different engine versions resulting in YPT-10 thru YPT-10D designations. It had a 165 hp engine and could produce top speed of 120 mph, which was not faster than other aircraft of that era, but was more than adequate for the flight training purposes of the Army.

Rarely, the YPT-10 was referred to as the PT-10.

YPT-10 General Specifications:

• Span: 33'0"
• Length: 25'0
• Load: 642 lbs
• V: 108/90/52
• Ceiling: 12,000'
• FF: 2/x/31

Versions

• PT-10C 1931
  • Engine: Lycoming R-680 (200 hp)
  • Number: 1 from conversion
• YPT-10D 1931
  • Engine: Kinner C-5
  • Number: 1 from conversion

Specifications

Other specs:

• Heywood air starter
• dual A.P.C. brakes