Home > SPAD S.VII

SPAD began development of a single-seat tractor biplane in early 1915, known as the S.V. It was powered by the newly developed 8Aa 8-cylinder Vee engine from Hispano-Suiza which supplied 150 hp (112 kW) and enabled the aircraft to reach 119 mph (192 km/h). The French air force were sufficiently impressed with the performance of the prototype when it first flew in April 1916 that they placed an order for 268 aircraft. The production model was designated the S.VII. Later aircraft were fitted with the 180 hp (134 kW) 8Ac engine. The engines' only flaws were that they were prone to overheating.

The S.VII entered service in August 1916 with Escadrille No. 26 and the first victory achieved by the type came on 23 August by French pilot Armand Pinsard. The Royal Flying Corps initially refused to adopt the S.VII because of a series of fatal crashes due to airframe failures but it was later accepted and S.VIIs were even built under licence at Brooklands. Later in 1917, the S.VII was also employed by the American Expeditionary ForceThe American Expeditionary Force or AEF was the United States military forces in World War I. The AEF helped the French defend the Western Front during the Aisne Offensive in May. US President Woodrow Wilson initially planned to give command of the AEF to's air service though mainly as a trainerA trainer is a training aircraft used to develop piloting, navigational or weapon-aiming skills in flight crew. They have two or more crew seats. Civilian pilots are normally trained in a light aircraft that may be modified from a type primarily built for.

In 1917 Guynemer called for an improved version from SPAD which led to the development of the S.XII and ultimately the S.XIIILafayette Escadrille''. The SPAD S. XIII was a French biplane fighter aircraft of World War I, developed by Societe Pour L'Aviation et ses Derives from the earlier highly successful SPAD S. It was one of the most capable fighters of the war, and one of th which was one of the most successful fighters of the war.

1 Specifications

1.1 General Characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Length: 6.08 m (19 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 7.81 m (25 ft 8 in)
• Height: 2.20 m (7 ft 2 in)
• Wing area: 17.85 m² (192 ft²)
• Empty: 510 kg (1,124 lb)
• Loaded: kg ( lb)
• Maximum takeoff: 740 kg (1,632 lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Hispano-Suiza 8A a, 150 hp (112 kW)

1.2 Performance

• Maximum speed: 192 km/h (119 mph)
• Range: 360 km (225 miles)
• Service ceiling: 5,334 m (17,500 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
• Power/Mass: kW/kg ( hp/lb)