/2
The most successful French fighter aircraft of World War I was the series produced by the Société anonyme Pour l’Aviation et ses Dérivés, better known by the acronym SPAD. The single-gun SPAD VII (S7) was introduced in mid-1916 and experienced immediate success over the Western Front. The SPAD XIII (S13), introduced in mid-1917, boasted several upgrades, including a more powerful Hispano-Suiza engine and twin .303-caliber Vickers machine guns.
By early 1918, SPAD XIIIs had superseded Nieuport scouts as the standard single-seat fighter for France. SPAD XIII production reached 8,472 units; the United States purchased 893 of these aircraft, with deliveries beginning in March 1918. After the end of World War I, many SPAD XIIIs were exported to other nations, including Japan and Poland, or else sold as surplus to civil operators.
The Museum's reproduction depicts the Blériot-built SPAD XIII that was assigned to 1st Lieutenant Norman S. Archibald, U.S. Air Service, First Pursuit Group, 95th Aero Squadron. A native of Seattle, Archibald flew his first SPAD XIII from June 19, 1918, when it was brand new, until August 10, 1918, when it was destroyed in a takeoff crash at Coulommiers, France.
The reproduction was built by Richard Day of Colonia, New Jersey. Because the original SPAD XIII drawings were destroyed during World War II, Day resorted to measurements taken from original SPADs owned by the National Air and Space Museum and the Cole Palen Collection. Master builder Herb Tischler eventually helped finish the aircraft by completing the metal work and other miscellaneous requirements. Final assembly was undertaken at the Champlin Museum in Mesa, Arizona. An authentic Hispano-Suiza, 200- to 235-horsepower in-line engine is installed.
The most successful French fighter aircraft of World War I was the series produced by the Société anonyme Pour l’Aviation et ses Dérivés, better known by the acronym SPAD. The single-gun SPAD VII (S7) was introduced in mid-1916 and experienced immediate success over the Western Front. The SPAD XIII (S13), introduced in mid-1917, boasted several upgrades, including a more powerful Hispano-Suiza engine and twin .303-caliber Vickers machine guns.
By early 1918, SPAD XIIIs had superseded Nieuport scouts as the standard single-seat fighter for France. SPAD XIII production reached 8,472 units; the United States purchased 893 of these aircraft, with deliveries beginning in March 1918. After the end of World War I, many SPAD XIIIs were exported to other nations, including Japan and Poland, or else sold as surplus to civil operators.
The Museum's reproduction depicts the Blériot-built SPAD XIII that was assigned to 1st Lieutenant Norman S. Archibald, U.S. Air Service, First Pursuit Group, 95th Aero Squadron. A native of Seattle, Archibald flew his first SPAD XIII from June 19, 1918, when it was brand new, until August 10, 1918, when it was destroyed in a takeoff crash at Coulommiers, France.
The reproduction was built by Richard Day of Colonia, New Jersey. Because the original SPAD XIII drawings were destroyed during World War II, Day resorted to measurements taken from original SPADs owned by the National Air and Space Museum and the Cole Palen Collection. Master builder Herb Tischler eventually helped finish the aircraft by completing the metal work and other miscellaneous requirements. Final assembly was undertaken at the Champlin Museum in Mesa, Arizona. An authentic Hispano-Suiza, 200- to 235-horsepower in-line engine is installed.
