G.Swanborough, P.Bowers United States Military Aircraft Since 1909 (Putnam)
ENGINEERING DIVISION - POMILIO FVL-8 and BVL-12
Among the aeronautical talent sent to the United States by the allies in 1917/18 to help the aviation programme was the Italian designer Ottorino Pomilio, whose firm of Pomilio Brothers in Turin had been notably successful in the manufacture of two-seat observation and bomber models. At the request of the Engineering Division at McCook Field, Pomilio undertook the design of a single seat fighter, the FVL-8, around the new 280-h.p. Liberty 8-cylinder engine and a bomber, the BVL-12, designed around the later 400-h.p. 12-cylinder Liberty.
Both were of conventional all-wood construction, although the plywood fuselages were relatively new to American practice. The outstanding feature of both models was the location of the fuselage above the lower wing instead of on it. The FVL-8 radiator was in the centre section of the lower wing while the BVL-12 used a nose radiator. Six FVL-8s (40081/40086) and five BVL-12s (40087/40091) were built in Indianapolis, Indiana, but were not completed before the Armistice.
Data for the FVL-8 and the BVL-12 (in parentheses) follow: Span, 26 ft. 8 in. (45 ft. 3 in.); length, 21 ft. 8 in. (31 ft. 10 in.); wing area, 284 sq. ft. (621-5 sq. ft.); empty weight, 1,726 lb. (2,824 lb.); gross weight, 2,284 lb. (4,552 lb.); high speed, 133 m.p.h. (Ill m.p.h.).
J.Davilla Italian Aviation in the First World War. Vol.3: Aircraft M-W (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 75)
Pomilio BVL-12
Ottorino Pomilio’s next design for the United States Engineering Department was the BVL-12 day bomber which was ordered in September 1918. BVL stood for Bomber Victory Liberty. The first example appeared in 2 January 1919. According to Casari, this was an unpowered airframe which would be tested to destruction.
It had a plywood fuselage which was also suspended between the wings (as in the FVL-8). There was three bay wing. Fuel was carried in to tanks behind the engine and one had a gravity feed from the top wing. Armament was one fixed Browning gun, two Lewis guns on a flexible mount fired by the observer/gunner, and 350 pounds o£ bombs (250 lbs were carried in an internal bomb bay).
The other BVL-12 (40087) as the actual flying prototype. It was sent to McCook Field where it was assigned P no. P-68, and flown on 8 April 1919. After being flown for less than nine hours, BVL-12 40087 was surveyed on March 20, 1920. The other four aircraft were delivered unfinished because the Pomilio Corporation had gone bankrupt. The U.S. government graciously accepted the other four aircraft as completing the terms of the contract.
Pomilio BVL-12 two seat bomber with one 400-hp Liberty 12A 12-Cylinder Engine
Wingspan 48 ft. 6 in; length 32 ft. 0 in; height 10 ft. 0 in; wing area 580 sq. ft.
Empty weight 2,540 lbs; loaded weight 4,540 lbs.
Performance (Estimated): Maximum speed 120 mph at ground level; 118 mph at 5,000 ft.; 113 mph at 10,000 ft.; 101 mph at 15,000 ft. Climb to 5,000 ft. in 7 min.; 10,000 ft. in 15 min.; 15,000 ft. in 30 min. Service ceiling 19,000 ft. Endurance 6 hours.
Armament (Planned): One synchronized Marlin machine gun with 500 rounds and two Lewis guns for the observer with 970 rounds. Uo to 350 lbs of bombs
Number Procured: Six.
Army Serials: 40086-40091.
Pomilio Liberty Fighter
Pomilio had hoped to substitute a Liberty engined, single seat fighter in place of one of the BVL-12 bombers. The Air Service rejected this proposal. It is unclear if this aircraft was ever completed; it certainly was never delivered to the U.S. military.
Pomilio Liberty Fighter with one 400-hp Liberty 12A engine
Wing area 335 feet
Empty weight 1,883 lbs; loaded weight 2,725 Ins
Maximum speed 158 mph; climb to 16,000 ft in 18 minutes: 20,000 ft in 28 minutes; 24,000 ft in 45 minutes, endurance 2 hours
Armament was planned to be two synchronized Marlin machine guns.
Data is based on Casari’s American Military Aircraft 1908-1919
