SPAD Fighting Scout

The Societe Pour Anonyme Depurdussin (SPAD) line of scouts became renowned in WWI. They first drew attention from the public when the all-American Lafayette Esquadrille was formed and given SPADs, although, outdated models. The S.VII was fast, especially on the level, but also in a climb or a dive. It was also a very stable gunnery platform. It first flew in 1916, with over 3,500 being built.

The SPAD XIII (shown above) was an improved VII, being larger, refined and far more powerful. The S.XIII was a good gun platform, fast, sturdy and powerful. They were a good gun "platform" because they used in-line engines, not rotaries. The rotaries, true to their name, rotated around the crankshaft and generated a lot of rotational torque in the aircraft. An in-line engine did not do this. But the SPAD was not easy to fly and the engine was not entirely satisfactory. About 7300 were built from 1917. (The SPAD XIII shown here is that of the Memorial Flight Asscn. based near Paris. It is the oldest surviving SPAD XIII and the only one that regularly flies. It is an authentic but extensively restored airplane, built in 1918 and fitted with a 220 hp Hispano-Suiza V8 engine. It was used by Charles Andre Daulan of Escadrille Lafayette. Jean Salis was the last owner before he gave it to Memorial Flight from Le Bourget if the airplane could be based from La Ferte Alais! The first post-restoration flight was made on May 4, 1991 followed by a public display at La Ferte Alais.)

They were clean, sturdy biplane fighters that eventually equipped most French, Italian, American and Belgian fighter units, as well as being sold to many other countries after WWI. The SPAD line of fighters were the most important French fighters of WWI.

Technical Details
The SPAD S.VII was powered by the 180hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ab in-line engine. It could attain a speed of 212km/h, with a ceiling of 6650 m and an endurance of 1hr 30min. Armament was a rather in-adequate single 7.7 mm machine gun mounted on the cowling.

The S.XIII was powered by the 220hp Hispano-Suiza 8 Bc in-line engine. It could attain a speed of 212 km/h, it had a ceiling of 6550 m and an endurance of 1h 40m. It came equipped with a much more satisfactory pair of 7.7 mm machine guns mounted on the cowling.

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Image From:
Hervé Champain, with his permission. Check out his excellent photo archive site.
Thank you to Melvin Hiscock of the Memorial Flight Assoc. for the information on the pictured SPAD XIII.