Aviation Naval Warfare Land Systems Small Arms By Flag By Year By Tag

SPAD S.VII

1916 WORLD WAR 1

History of SPAD P. VII

The SPAD S. VII (or "S. 7") was one of the best French single-seat fighters of the First World War (1914-1918). The aircraft embodies a truly typical "dogfighting", with strong qualities and solid performance figures, reflected in numerous appearances with various Allied air forces during the conflict, including the United Kingdom, Belgium and the United States. The S.VII became more or less the first successful fighter design for the Societe Pour l'Avions et ses Derives - also known by the letters S.P.A.D.

Originally founded by Armand Deperdussin in 1911 before the war, the SPAD group was largely designed by engineer Louis Becherau (including the S.VII itself) during the war, and many of his aircraft remained in service until the 1920s, eventually becoming "classic".

In terms of design, the SPAD VII adopted a very traditional design layout at the time. Its basic form is a biplane design consisting of a low wing configuration and a relatively low high wing configuration for maximum stability, lift and visibility. The engine, which drives a two-bladed wooden propeller, is located at the very forward end of the fuselage and is clad in light alloys. The wings and fuselage feature a fabric-covered internal wooden structure. The wing has two bays with parallel struts and equal spans.

Cabling is widely used for structural support and management of various flight control surfaces. The open-air cockpit is located behind the engine compartment and upper wing assembly, with a normal windshield to protect the pilot from the front. The torso has a shorter back for head support for minimal comfort. Despite the complex wing layout, the open-air nature of the cockpit provided relatively excellent visibility, allowing the pilot to raise and view parts of the aircraft when trying to spot an enemy or ground target.

All major internal components of the aircraft are basically concentrated at the front of the fuselage, while the tail is conventional, with a vertical tail and a pair of horizontal tails. The landing gear is fixed and consists of a pair of single-wheel landing gear legs at the front and a simple tail at the rear.

The SPAD VII was armed with a .303 Vickers machine gun, which proved adequate for engaging enemy aircraft. The machine gun was mounted in front of the pilot, behind the propeller and above the nacelle - firing in synchrony with the rotating propeller blades. This location was a far cry from earlier Allied aircraft, which had machine guns mounted above the upper wing assemblies, as a viable synchronization function had not yet been perfected. The pilot can now use his machine gun to clear ammo jams with relative ease.

Like many similar aircraft of this type, the SPAD VII has no other weapon options.

The SPAD S. VIIs immediately replaced the once excellent Nieuport 11 and 17 "Combat Scouts". The type provided an excellent firing platform comparable to the German products of the time. These airframes have proven to be very strong in the field, able to withstand significant damage and keep flying, thanks to their mostly wooden construction.

Dive quality is excellent due to the solid internal structure, which may have been a strategy used both offensively and defensively (the Nieuport 11s and 17s suffered from significant structural flaws with their weaker "V-Strut" wing designs). The S.VII's engine selection, combined with solid engineering, encourages good cruising speeds and a useful rate of climb. As a result, SPAD pilots can engage the enemy with a certain advantage, or turn to "live to fight another day" if the situation calls for it. If the SPAD S.VII lacks anything, it's its overall mobility compared to its contemporaries.

In addition, low-speed maneuvering requires enough flight experience to avoid fatal errors on the stickespecially when landing.

Power for the SPAD VII is provided by a Hispano-Suiza Series 8 water-cooled V-piston engine producing 150 to 180 hp depending on the fit selected. Performance includes a top speed of nearly 120 mph and service is capped at 17,500 feet. The original production model used the Hispano-Suiza 8Aa series engine, but it was later improved in the form of the Hispano-Suiza 8Ac.

The first flight of the S.VII prototype took place in July 1916, followed by rapid production, with the first 500 produced. A production model with a revised 180-horsepower Hispano-Suiza HS 8Ac engine followed, and a slightly larger wingspan.

It was this second production model that left its final mark on the range, as it produced around 5,000 examples. Total production of the SPAD S.VII peaked at around 6,000 units.

In the end, the design of the SPAD S.VII proved very successful during its lifespan, becoming the mount of choice for several famous war aces, including Frenchman Georges Guynemer and American Eddie Rickenbacker. The S.VII paved the way for a similar S.XIII (p.

13) in other development forms released by the S.P.A.D. and also provided the first fighter for many newly formed American Volunteer pilots serving in France, including the Lafayette Escadrille - About 189 SPAD S. VII that ended up in American hands. Most American pilots then ended their international voyages under the control of SPAD S. XIII.

The range of the original S.VII was so great that the type was later used with air elements all over the world - from Europe to Russia, from the Far East to the United States.