Constructed by the members of the Vought Heritage Foundation, this is a replica of the first VE-7 produced by Lewis and Vought and was nicknamed "Bluebird". It was donated to the museum in 2012. There were 128 VE-7s built for the US navy, the last ones retired in 1928.

The original designation of the OU observation aircraft was UO, with the letter U allocated to Vought. In the US Navy's post-1923 designation system the letters were reversed. Fitted out as a seaplane the type used a larger tailfin than as a landplane. Photo by: Leslie Jones / Boston Public Library

Aircraft of the cruiser USS Raleigh which visited Norway in 1924, apparently in July. The ship supported the flight of the Douglas World Cruisers. Photo from: Norsk Teknisk Museum

Possibly a prototype under evaluation with other aircraft by the US Army Air Service. The US Navy became the main operator. Photo from: National Archives at College Park, Maryland

Operated both as a catapult-launched floatplane and a landplane/carrier aircraft. Photo from: National Archives at College Park, Maryland

Richard Byrd testing a rubber lifeboat for the upcoming MacMillan Arctic Expedition. According to one newspaper, this was to take place at Anacostia although others claim this is 'New York'. A-5914 is listed as a VE-7SF, a single-seat landplane fighter variant of the VE-7 Bluebird. This floatplane is a two-seater. One VE-7SF was reportedly converted to VE-7SH floatplane. Photo from: Library of Congress