The Societe Anonyme pour l'Aviation et ses Derives XIII (SPAD XIII):
Historical Notes:
When one thinks of United States' involvement in the aerial contest of World War One, naturally the Spad XIII comes to mind. Flown by the greatest of American aces, this machine was also the plane of choice for many French pilots. Powerful, fast, and structurally sound, the Spad XIII could compete and overwhelm many of the German machines in every category except maneuverability. Therefore, the "dive and zoom" tactic was where it excelled, and such American pilots as Eddie Rickenbacker and Frank Luke made the plane legendary. The Spad XIII was an extension of the successful Spad VII. Although the Spad VII was a fine aircraft, its main deficiency had been in its single gun armament. The Spad XIII solved that problem with class. Attempts had been made to develop a heavily armed fighter in the Spad XII, but this model proved difficult to fly, partly because of the weight of the 37mm cannon! It was found that the cannon was impractical, partly because it was a single shot weapon, requiring the pilot to manually reload it in the middle of a dogfight, and also because its weight degraded flight performance. The Spad XIII was the solution. Armed with twin Vickers machineguns, and the power of the 200hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ba engine, this French fighter was able to match anything fielded by the enemy. Like its predecessor, the Spad XIII had aluminum sheeting on the front cowling, and a reinforced fabric-covered wood frame for the later half of the fuselage. Furthermore, later versions were upgraded with the addition of the 220hp Hispano-Suiza 8Bc.
The plan was to equip French escadrilles with the new plane by the summer of 1917, but problems developed, principally in the engine. As a result, its quantity introduction was not until 1918, and only a few hundred reached French units by the end of 1917. Another difficulty involved the fuel tank. Inadequate design caused the engine to sputter and even die when the plane went into a steep climb or dive. This was fixed by dividing the fuel tank into several compartments, essentially creating one into a "gravity tank." One other problem was in the wing tip design. The initial layout called for rounded tips (much like the late Nieuport series machines), but it was found that such an arrangement degraded maneuverability. One field expedient was to add, at the aerodrome, a triangular piece of 3-ply at the front and back of the tip, with it stitched to the wing fabric. British officials noted that their own pilots might copy this French practice and circulated a report warning against such a measure. The squaring off of the wing tips soon became factory standard, and the field modification was discontinued.
The Spad XIII proved itself adequate in combat against the German Fokker D.VIIs, although it could never out turn that machine. American pilots like Frank Luke found the strength of the aircraft ideal for balloon busting missions, where it could be peppered by anti-aircraft fire, not to mention handle the steep dives used to attack balloons from above. In fact, Luke's death has little to do with damage to his plane. Instead, he was severely wounded by ground fire, and apparently could no longer fly his machine, landing just inside German lines. Although legend has it that he fired at German troops looking for him, it is more likely that he simply fired his pistol to be found. But by the time German troops found him, he was dead. The Spad XIII was also flown by such famous French aces as Rene Fonck (top French ace with 75 kills), Georges Guynemer, and Charles Nungesser.
Because of production delays and maintenance attrition, only 764 Spad XIIIs were actually in the field by Oct. 1918, although over 8,000 were produced. The United States planned to license- build the Spad XIII, but an order for 2,000 machines from Curtiss was canceled with the end of the war.
Basic performance statistics: SPAD XIII
Engine: 220hp Hispano-Suiza 8Bc
Weight: empty 1,326 lbs; loaded: 1,888 lbs
Maximum speed: 135 mph at 6,562 feet
Climb rate: to 6,562 feet.... 4 min, 40 sec.
Service ceiling: 22,300 feet
Flight endurance: 1.67 hours
Basic Specifications (varied with model):
Manufacturer: Societe Anonyme pour l'Aviation et ses Derives (SPAD)
Dimensions: Span 27 ft 1 in; Length 20 ft, 6 in; Height: 8 ft, 6 in
Areas: Wings 227.2 sq ft
Fuel: na from sources
Armament: twin Vickers machinegun mounted on cowling; 400 rounds per gun typical load.
Primary sources: "French Aircraft of the First World War," Davilla and Soltan; "Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I, 1919 (1990 reprint); "British Aeroplanes, 1914-1918," J.M. Bruce; "German Aircraft of the First World War," Gray and Thetford; "German Air Power in World War I," Morrow; "Aircraft vs Aircraft," Franks; "Who Downed the Aces in WWI?" Franks; "Aircraft Camouflage and Markings 1907-1954," Robertson et al; "Military Small Arms of the 20th Century," Hogg and Weeks.
Fighting and winning in the SPAD XIII:
Much of what has been written about another famous WW I plane, the Se-5a, applies to the Spad XIII. Essentially, the Spad XIII did for the French what the Se-5a did for the British, and tactical considerations are similar. Stable and easy to fly, the Spad XIII has power and structural strength to lend confidence in combat. It cannot out turn such fine machines as the Fokker D.VII (in the steady turn, although its snap turn was better) and Triplane, but it outclasses the Albatros and Pfalz D.III machines. It's climb rate is excellent, rivaling that of the Se-5a. It's primary tactic is the "dive and zoom," and its twin Vickers machineguns give it the firepower to destroy any enemy plane. In this category, it has the edge over the Se-5a.The key with the Spad XIII is to climb above the enemy. Once positioned, pick your target and full throttle dive upon it. The machine can go into a full power dive with little vibration. This provides a solid gun platform. Use short bursts until on target, then one solid burst. Remember, closure time on your target will be very fast! Once the target starts turning away, minor adjustments are fine (use the rudder in particular, but not too much as this will bleed your speed), but avoid following the target....... absolutely do not attempt a twist and turn dogfight with nimble scouts. The only exception is if you have the numerical advantage and you try to set the enemy up (this sounds so simple, but the temptation can be very strong, usually with such logic which says, "I almost have him.... just one more burst." When you succumb to such, you will find yourself out fought.... and shot down). Once you pass the target, pull up into a climb of about 15 degrees and "zoom" away. In a few minutes you will have soared back to 5,000 feet and can then turn back to re-engage.
Flying the Spad XIII is easy, and it is hard to spin (although it can be done..... and when it happens, it can be vicious). Typically, a spin occurs when the pilot attempts to tightly turn the machine. A combination of rudder and aileron, which bleeds off speed, can find the plane going into a fast flat spin. The spin can actually be used to help escape in a desperate situation, but if you are low to the ground, you just may spin in before recovery. Recovery is relatively easy with a stable machine...... simply straighten the stick. A good pilot can actually use the spin to quickly increase speed and then zoom out of a bad position. No doubt, the Spad XIII requires patience to fly in combat. If you give in to the temptation to dogfight agile machines, your days as a fighter pilot will be short indeed.
