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Curtiss OX engine. During tests Lawrence had many an exciting ride over their secret test range at Great South Bay, Long Island.

In late 1917 he enlisted as Ensign in the Navy, later advancing to Lt. Naval Aviation on March, 1918, and was granted a Naval Aviators License. While engaged in torpedo development tests an accident put him in the hospital and he was later released from active service.

In March, 1919 the Lawrence Sperry Aircraft Company was formed at Farmingdale, Long Island, with Lawrence Sperry, President and Theo. Arter, General Manager. At first the firm engaged in buying and selling Government surplus planes and engines, but immediately started experimental military plane contract development work. During the year announcements was made of the new Sperry Land and Sea Triplane. Having 48-foot span, with a boat hull and a retractable land gear, it was powered by a pusher Liberty engine mounted on top of the middle wing. Lawrence conducted land flight tests of this machine at Mitchell Field and water tests at Rockaway Beach, but nothing of note came of this project.

That fall and into 1920 Sperry was also developing the Lawrence Sperry Sport Monoplane. This was a high-wing, externally strut braced plane, using a standard "Jennie" fuselage, engine and landing gear. With 38-foot span and a modern high-lift wing section, the machine had a vastly improved performance. Sperry had erected a small factory building and did his flying from an adjoining pasture lot.

During November, 1920 the new Verville-Sperry Army Air Service "Messenger" plane was flying. This plane was designed at McCook Field, Dayton, Ohio by Fred Verville's engineering group and Sperry took the contract to build them. Intended for military communication service, it was small, pronounced stagger tractor biplane of 20-foot span, normal 2-wheel landing gear, and using a 3-cylinder 60 H.O. Lawrence radial engine. Sperry loved this little plane and did some astounding things with it. It had a very low landing speed, a top speed of 95 M.P.H. and a fuel consumption of over 30 miles per gallon. Sperry flew it all over, landed almost anywhere, kept it in his garage and used it to go to work, occasionally taking off and landing in streets.

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