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Additional Information from
Internet Encyclopedia
The SPAD S.VII was the first of
a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by Soci�t� Pour
L'Aviation et ses D�riv�s (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its
successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugged aircraft with good
climbing and diving characteristics. It was also a stable gun platform,
although pilots used to the more maneuverable Nieuport fighters found it heavy
on the controls. It was flown by a number of the famous aces, such as France's
Georges Guynemer, Italy's Francesco Baracca and Australia's Alexander Pentland.
Origins
Performance in early aircraft
designs was largely dependent on engines. In February 1915, Swiss designer Marc
Birkigt had created an overhead cam aviation powerplant based on his
Hispano-Suiza V8 automobile engine, resulting in a 330-pound (150 kg) engine
capable of producing 140 horsepower (100 kW) at 1,400 rpm. Further refinement
of the engine brought the power to 150 horsepower (110 kW) by July 1915. Given
the engine's potential, French officials ordered that production be set up as
soon as possible and called upon aircraft designers to create a new
high-performance fighter around the engine, called the Hispano-Suiza 8A.
Louis B�chereau, chief designer
of the SPAD company, quickly produced drawings for a prototype fighter equipped
with the new engine. The SPAD V was basically a smaller version of the SPAD S.A
two-seat "pulpit fighter", although as a single seater it dispensed
with the so-called "pulpit" which carried the observer in front of
the propeller.
Design
One of many common design
features between the new SPAD V and the S.A-2 was the use of a single-bay
biplane wing with additional light struts mounted mid-bay at the point of
junction of the flying and landing wires. This design simplified rigging and
reduced flying wire vibration, reducing drag. The fuselage was of the standard
construction for the time, consisting of a wooden frame covered with fabric,
while the forward part was covered with metal sheeting. A .303 Vickers machine
gun was installed above the engine, synchronized to fire through the propeller
arc. The prototype was also fitted with a large spinner, to be abandoned later.
Another common design feature of both the "pulpit fighters" and the
S.VII - also shared with the S.XIII - was an all-pushrod aileron control
linkage, which used a pair of exposed, 90� bellcranks protruding from the lower
wing panels to operate vertical pushrods, going up to forward-projecting
aileron control horns.
SPAD test pilot Bequet flew the
SPAD V for the first time in April 1916. Flight testing revealed excellent
maximum speed (192 km/h, 119 mph) and climb rate (4.5 min to 2,000 m or 6,500
ft). The airframe's sound construction also enabled remarkable diving
performance. In comparison, the Nieuport sesquiplane fighters that equipped a
large part of the fighter units could occasionally shed their lower wings in a
steep power-on dive, a result of the single-spar lower wing design. The
combination of high speed and good diving ability promised to give Allied
pilots the initiative to engage or leave combat. If the new fighter was a
rugged and stable shooting platform, some pilots regretted its lack of
maneuverability, especially when compared to lighter types such as the Nieuport
17.
In the face of such performance,
an initial production contract was made on 10 May 1916, calling for 268
machines, to be designated SPAD VII C.1 (C.1, from avion de chasse in French,
indicating the aircraft was a fighter, while the 1 indicated it was a single
seater).
Early production aircraft
suffered from a number of defects which took some time to solve and limited the
delivery rate to units. While a few SPADs arrived to frontline units as early
as August 1916, large numbers only began to appear in the first months of 1917.
In hot weather, the engine was prone to overheating. In cold weather, the
engine would not warm up. Various field modifications were used to counter the
problem, including cutting extra holes in the metal sheeting to provide more
air flow over the engine. On the production lines, the cowling opening was
first enlarged and eventually redesigned with vertical shutters to solve both
problems. The engine mount also proved too weak and reinforcements were
designed to counter that.[3] Early production aircraft also had two ammunition
drums: one for the loaded canvas cartridge belt, one to hold the empty belt
after the rounds were stripped from it and fired (dealing with the loose fabric
belt as it worked out of the gun was a significant problem on early fighter
aircraft, until the disintegrating belt link was invented). This system was
prone to jamming and was only solved when Prideaux disintegrating ammo links
were introduced.
With the initial teething
problems solved, several subcontractors began producing the SPAD VII under
license in order to supply frontline units with the fighter. The subcontractors
were the firms Gr�mont, Janoir, Kellner et Fils, de Mar�ay, Soci�t� d'Etudes
A�ronautiques, R�gy and Sommer. It was not, however, until February 1917 that
the initial batch of 268 aircraft was delivered. In early 1917, an improved
version of the engine developing 180 hp, the Hispano-Suiza 8Ab, was made
available. This new powerplant provided the SPAD VII with even better
performance, the top speed increasing from 192 km/h (119 mph) to 208 km/h (129
mph). The new engine gradually became the standard powerplant for the SPAD VII
and by April 1917, all newly produced aircraft were equipped with it.
Variants and experiments
Numerous experiments were made
with new equipment or engines in the hope of further improving the SPAD VII's
performance. A Renault V8 150 horsepower (110 kW) powerplant was tested but
required some major redesign and the resulting performance was not considered
worthwhile. A supercharged Hispano-Suiza engine was also tested, and also
failed to improve performance by any significant degree. Different wing
profiles appear to have been tested but were not incorporated in production
models. One field modification was applied in Czechoslovakia after the war when
the undercarriage struts of one S.VII were faired over in an attempt to reduce
drag to increase maximum speed.
Very early in the development of
the S.VII, the British RFC and RNAS had shown an interest in the new fighter.
An initial order for 30 aircraft was made but difficulties in early production
were such that the delivery rate was very low, production being barely enough
for French units alone. As the RFC was encountering an increasing opposition
over the Front, measures were taken to set up production of the S.VII in the
United Kingdom. Bl�riot & SPAD Aircraft Works and Mann, Egerton & Co.
Ltd. were supplied with plans and sample aircraft and ordered to initiate
production as soon as possible.
The first British-built S.VII
was flown and tested in April 1917, and the first aircraft was reported to have
performance equal to that of French models. There were however differences
between the two types. The British were worried about the light armament of the
S.VII: most German fighters were now carrying two guns and experiments were
made to fit an extra machine gun on the S.VII. One aircraft was fitted with a
Lewis machine gun on the top wing and tested at Martlesham Heath in May 1917,
while front line units also made field modifications with Foster mounts as used
on the S.E.5. The resulting drop in performance was considered too drastic for
the installation to become standard, and most SPAD S.VIIs continued to fly with
a single Vickers.
Other distinguishing features of
the British-built S.VIIs included a gun fairing and a solid cowling access
panel. The gun fairing partially covered the gun and extended rearwards,
replacing the windshield. This, however, seriously limited pilot vision to the
front and, although retained on training aircraft, it was ordered removed on
aircraft destined for front line units in France. The bulged engine access
panel located under the exhaust pipe on British models was made of a solid
sheet of metal, in place of the louvered panel fitted on French production
models. Some British SPADs were also fitted with small spinners on the prop
hub.
It quickly became apparent that
the British production lines of the S.VII had lower quality standards than
their French counterparts, resulting in aircraft with degraded performances and
handling. Poor fabric sewing, fragile tailskids and radiators of insufficient
effectiveness plagued the British SPADs. Photographic evidence shows that a
number of British SPADs had the cylinder banks fairings, or even the entire
upper engine cowling, cut out to compensate for the ill-functioning radiators.
Most British S.VIIs were used for training purposes, front line units being
equipped with French-built models. After some 220 aircraft had been produced,
British production of the S.VII was halted in favour of better British types
that were becoming available.
In a similar fashion, Russia
produced approximately 100 S.VIIs under license in 1917 at the Dux factory in
Moscow, with engines supplied by France. It would appear the engines were often
used and/or of lower quality, and that Dux used lower-grade material in
building the airframes. This combination of extra weight and weaker powerplant
resulted in aircraft with significantly reduced performance.
The total number of aircraft
produced seems uncertain, sources varying from 3,825 to some 5,600 SPAD S.VIIs
built in France, 220 in the United Kingdom and approximately 100 in Russia.
The SPAD XII began as a
development of the S.VII, equipped with a 37 mm cannon. However, it underwent a
major redesign and was a distinct type rather than a variant of the S.VII. the
S.VII can be distinguished from both the S.XII and the later and larger S.XIII
by having unraked cabane struts, connecting the top wing to the fuselage, as
well as differences in armament.
Late models were equipped with
175 horsepower (130 kW) or 205 horsepower (153 kW) Hispano-Suiza engines. The
upgrade produced a top speed of 132 miles per hour (212 km/h).
Operational history
France
The French Aviation Militaire
had been sufficiently impressed by the performance of the SPAD V prototype to
order a batch of 268 aircraft on 10 May 1916. However, teething problems soon
appeared and it would be several months before the SPAD VII would serve in
significant numbers on the front, the last aircraft of the initial batch only
being delivered in February 1917.
In spite of these delays, some
aircraft were delivered to frontline units as early as August 1916,
complementing the Nieuport fighters. By this date, the Nieuport 11 that had
ended the infamous "Fokker scourge" episode had been largely replaced
by later types such as the Nieuport 17 but these were now being bested by a new
generation of German fighters by the second half of 1916 that threatened to
give Germany mastery of the skies again. At the same time, the rotary engines
that had powered most Allied fighters until then were proving difficult to
scale further, while the heavier inline engines were steadily getting more
powerful. In this context, it was hoped the new Hispano-Suiza 8-powered SPAD
VII would be able to fight the latest German fighters on better terms. The
first aircraft delivered to a frontline unit was S.112 flown by Lt Sauvage of
N.65, followed by S.113, assigned to Georges Guynemer of N.3. Guynemer was
already credited with 15 victories at the time, but it was Armand Pinsard of
N.26 who was the first to score an aerial victory on 26 August.
The introduction of the SPAD VII
was not enough to change the balance of the air war, but it allowed both pilots
and mechanics to familiarize themselves with the new fighter. Many pilots found
the SPAD lacked maneuverability, and some even returned to the nimbler
Nieuports. New tactics based on speed were developed to take advantage of the
SPAD's power, and to compensate for its lack of maneuverability. The aircraft's
capacity to dive safely up to 400 km/h (249 mph) permitted the pilot to break
from combat when the situation demanded it.
With early problems solved and
production shared between several manufacturers, the SPAD VII was finally
available in large numbers at the front in early 1917. By mid-1917, some 500
were in front-line service, having largely replaced the Nieuport. It gained a
reputation for being stronger than its predecessors. Its principal shortcoming
was its one machine gun armament at a time when the opposing Albatros D.III
fighters were equipped with two. The SPAD VII was gradually replaced by the
improved SPAD XIII in front-line units but remained in use as a trainer
aircraft with Aviation Militaire throughout the war, and it remained as the
standard pilot certification test aircraft until 1928.
Foreign service
Allied air services were also
equipped with the new fighter. The Royal Flying Corps was the first foreign
service to receive the SPAD VII, although only 19 Squadron and 23 Squadron)
used it on the Western Front. Fighter schools in the United Kingdom and 30
Squadron in Mesopotamia also received SPADs. British-built SPADs were generally
used in the training units and in the Middle East, while fighting units in
France used superior French-built models. The SPAD VII was replaced by the
Sopwith Dolphin in 19 Squadron in January 1918 � with No. 23 Squadron in April
(becoming perhaps the last squadron to use S.VIIs in France).
Russia received a batch of 43 in
spring 1917 which were supplemented by approximately 100 SPAD VII manufactured
by the Dux factory under license.
Another early user of the SPAD
VII was Germany. Several were captured intact and were reportedly used both in
combat and for training. Rudolph Windisch of Jasta 66 flew a SPAD VII in combat
with German markings although it is not known if any aerial victories were
achieved.
Belgium equipped the 5e
Escadrille (later renamed 10e Escadrille) with the S.VII. Edmond Thieffry was
probably the most famous Belgian pilot to fly the type, most other aces
preferring the Hanriot HD.1.
Italy began using the SPAD VII
in March 1917 where nine Squadriglia were equipped with it. As was the case in
other air services, pilots accustomed to more maneuverable mounts disliked the
new fighter, and again some reverted to the Nieuport 27 or the Hanriot HD.1,
which eventually became the standard Italian fighter. Francesco Baracca,
Italy's leading ace, was delighted with the new model, and his personal
aircraft is preserved in Italy.
When the United States entered
the war in 1917, an order for 189 SPAD VIIs was placed for the United States
Army Air Service of the American Expeditionary Force. The first aircraft were
delivered in December 1917. Most were used as advanced trainers to prepare the
American pilots for the SPAD XIII.
After the war, surplus SPAD VIIs
were used into the late 1920s by numerous countries, including Brazil,
Czechoslovakia, Finland, Greece, Japan, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland,
Portugal, Romania, Siam, the United States and Yugoslavia.
Operators
US Army SPAD.VII
Czechoslovakian SPAD S.VII
Ernesto Cabruna SPAD SVII
Argentina
Argentine Air Force - Postwar -
two aircraft.
Belgium
Aviation Militaire Belge
5me Escadrille de Chasse
Groupe de Chasse
10me Escadrille de Chasse
Brazil
Brazilian Air Force - Postwar -
15 aircraft.
Chile
Chilean Air Force (One aircraft)
Czechoslovakia
Czech Air Force - Postwar -
70�80 aircraft
Estonia
Estonian Air Force - Postwar,
(Two aircraft)
Finland
Finnish Air Force - Postwar,
(One aircraft)
France
A�ronautique Militaire
Lafayette Escadrille
A�ronautique Navale
Greece
Hellenic Air Force
Kingdom of Italy
Corpo Aeronautico Militare (214
aircraft)
Regia Aeronautica - Postwar
Japan
Dutch SPAD S.VII; French
registration still present.
Netherlands
(One aircraft)
Peru
(Two aircraft)
Poland
Polish Air Force - (Post-war)
Portugal
Portuguese Air Force
Romania
Romanian Air Corps
Russian Empire
Imperial Russian Air Service -
(43 aircraft)
Serbia
Soviet Union
Soviet Air Force - Postwar
Siam (Thailand)
Royal Thai Air Force
Ukrainian People's Republic
Ukrainian People's Republic Air
Fleet (two aircraft)
United Kingdom
(185 aircraft)
Royal Air Force
Royal Flying Corps
No. 17 Squadron RFC
No. 19 Squadron RFC
No. 23 Squadron RFC
No. 30 Squadron RFC
No. 63 Squadron RFC
No. 72 Squadron RFC
No. 92 Squadron RFC
Uruguay
United States
Aviation Section, U.S. Signal
Corps
United States Army Air Service
(189 aircraft)
93rd Aero Squadron
103rd Aero Squadron
Yugoslavia
Yugoslav
Royal Air Force - Postwar