American racing aircraft
The Verville-Packard R-1 was a military racing aircraft that was modified from Alfred V. Verville's previous Verville VCP-1 design. The R-1 is sometimes known also as the Verville-Packard VCP-R or the Verville-Packard 600. The R-1 was the first racing aircraft built for the United States Army Air Corps.
Development
The first R-1 was created from a VCP-1 in 1919, by installing the Packard V-12 engine.[1][2]
Operational history
On November 27, 1920, Capt. Corliss Moseley, flying an R-1 racer, out of 24 track finishers, won the Pulitzer Trophy Race at Mitchel Air Force Base. The top speed was 156.54 mph.[3][4]
It also raced in the 1920 Gordon Bennet Trophy air race.
-
Photo of C. C. Mosley, who piloted the R-1 Racer to victory at the 1920
National Air Races in New York.
-
R-1 Racer in photo c. 1920
-
The VCP-R was damaged on August 2nd, 1920, after colliding on landing with an automobile that had been timing its speed tests at Wright Field.
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era