<hi style=afpcap>The Sperry Messenger M-1 had the distinction of being the smallest aeroplane ever ordered by the US Army, having been designed to be the equivalent of a dispatch motorcycle to collect and deliver messages from field commanders. The tiny M-1 was ordered during 1922, and featured a novel device involving an aerial hook to enable the aircraft to attach itself to an airship while in flight ! The aircraft also had a mechanical starter for air starts. The first drop of an M-1 took place in October 1924, while the first hook-on was conducted in December 1924.</hi>
