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6 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. Airplanes - Types - Vought Airplane - Model VE 7 with 150 H Hispano Suisa Motor Designed by Chance M. Vought - NARA - 17341878: Unknown author Unknown author or not provided· Public domain
- 2. Paul King and the Vought VE-7 - GPN-2000-001380: NACA· Public domain
- 3. Richard E Byrd with Vought VE-7 1925: National Photo Company· Public domain
- 4. Vought VE-7 replica (3-10-2025): ZLEA· CC BY-SA 4.0
- 5. Vought VE-7 VO-1M SantoDomingo 1922: The original uploader was Looper5920 at English Wikipedia ., 2007-01-05 (original upload date)· Public domain
- 6. William R. Coyle with USMC officer and VE-7 plane 1925: National Photo Company Collection· Public domain
what is it?
The Vought VE-7 "Bluebird" was an early biplane of the United States. First flying in 1917, it was designed as a two-seat trainer for the United States Army, then adopted by the United States Navy as its first fighter aircraft. In 1922, a VE-7 became the first airplane to take off from an American aircraft carrier.
How to recognise it: 1 piston engine with propeller · 10.5 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 109 years ago, in 1917.
- Wingspan of 10.5 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1917
- introduced
- 1922
- retired
- 1928
- status
- retired
- number built
- 128
- role
- fighter and trainer
- makers
- Vought
- engines
- 1× Wright-Hispano E-3
- length
- 7.5 m
- wingspan
- 10.5 m
- height
- 2.6 m
- max take-off weight
- 879 kg
- top speed
- 171 km/h
- range
- 467 km
- ceiling
- 4,600 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q1433944, Wikipedia: Vought VE-7 (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.