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SPAD S.XIV

1917 WORLD WAR 1

History of SPAD P. XIV

The SPAD S. XIV is the seaplane version of the earlier S. XII fighter. The original S. XII was developed for a cannon-equipped fighter at the request of French fighter pilot Georges Guynemer. The S. XII commemorates this and features a 37mm Puteaux cannon mounted on the aircraft engine mount, fired through the hollow part of the engine block through the propeller hub. As a single-shot weapon, it had limited tactical value on the battlefield, required manual reloading, and produced excessive smoke when fired. 7.7mm machine guns were also added for more conventional weapons, but this also proved to be limited at a time when most fighter jets were carrying paired weapons.

About 300 aircraft were ordered, but it is unclear how many were actually delivered, as no full French battle group consisted of S. XII aircraft.

The S. XIV seaplane branch retains the same engine (with integrated artillery armament) and airframe as the previous S. XII. A 220 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Bc engine powered the aircraft. The wing layout of the biplane relies on an equal-span design with a two-cabin configuration.

The engine is usually mounted forward of the fuselage, with the pilot mounted directly behind the engine and under/behind the upper wing assembly. The tail is of a traditional design with a vertical tail and a low-mounted horizontal plane.

The most obvious difference between the S. XII and S. XIV is the use of seaplanes, which replaced the landing gear shown in the original. These buoys were supplied by Levasseur and provided the S. XIV with the water landing/launch capability required by the seaplane fighter.

The first flight of the S. XIV prototype took place on November 15, 1917, followed by 39 high-quality aircraft, all in service with the French Navy (Aeronavale), where they spent the rest of their lives. The series was retired at the end of the war in 1918 - marking the short active life of S. XIV. At the time, the aircraft was one of the fastest seaplane-equipped systems in the world and set a speed record in the air.

Performance specs include a top speed of 127 mph, a range of up to 155 miles, and a service ceiling of 16,400 feet.