The SPAD 13 was one of the best Entente fighters produced during World War One, and was flown by some of the top French and American aces, including Rene Fonck, Raoul Lufbery, and Eddie Rickenbacker.
“Icons of Aviation History” is a diary series that explores significant and historic aircraft.
In 1915, the French company SPAD (Société Pour l'Aviation et ses Dérives) introduced an important innovation. Until then, most aircraft were powered by air-cooled rotary engines. SPAD was one of the first to take advantage of a new liquid-cooled V-8 engine: the Hispano-Suiza V-8 with 150 horsepower. In 1916, the SPAD 7 fighter was introduced into French service, and did very well against German Albatros D models. In all, some 5500 SPAD 7s flew in the war.
By early 1917, SPAD was working on an improved version. A larger and more powerful Hispano-Suiza V-8 of 200 horsepower had just become available, and the new fighter was designed around it. The new design was bigger, faster, and carried two cowl-mounted machine guns. It was christened the SPAD 13. The first prototype entered flight testing in April 1917.
It turned out to be a superior fighter, particularly the later versions with more powerful Hispano-Suiza engines. The rounded fuselage reduced drag, so at 135mph it was faster than the Germans, while its twin Vickers machine guns gave it equal firepower. The wings had no dihedral, however, which made it less maneuverable, and it had a tendency to stall at low speeds. The early V-8 engines also had reliability issues (and unlike the SE5a, which could be landed with the power turned off, the SPAD fell like a rock if the engine went out). Though the heavier SPAD was less nimble than the German Albatros, it had a higher rate of climb and could also outdive them to get away from trouble. SPAD pilots learned that the best strategy was to avoid a turning dogfight, and to use their superior vertical performance to dive down on the Germans, make an attack, then dive away to climb for another attack.
The first SPADs began reaching the front in June, and once production difficulties with the Hispano-Suiza engine were solved, the French began churning it out in large numbers. Before the end of 1917, eight different companies were manufacturing the new fighters under license, most French fighter squadrons had been equipped with SPAD 13s, and the aircraft had also been adopted by Belgium, Italy and Russia—even the British flew several squadrons of SPADs. When the US began deploying substantial forces in France, they were at first given Nieuport fighters, but by 1918 these were replaced with SPADs. The Americans also preferred to substitute their French-made 30-caliber Vickers machine guns with American-made Martin 30-06 versions. In total, 893 SPAD 13s were flown by the Americans, equipping all but one of the 16 aero squadrons. By the end of the war, a new version with a 300-horsepower engine, known as the SPAD 20, was in the works.
The SPAD 13 became the preferred plane of some of the war’s best fighter pilots. Georges Guynemer, Rene Fonck and Eddie Rickenbacker all scored most of their victories in SPADs. Guynemer had become an ace flying SPAD 7s and continued with SPAD 13s, ending with a score of 54. Rickenbacker became the highest-scoring ace on the American side, with 26 victories. French pilot Rene Fonck, with 75 victories, finished the war as the highest-scoring surviving ace: only the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen, killed in 1917, scored higher.
In all, some 8500 SPAD 13s were produced during the war. Today, only six examples remain. One of these is in the collection of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and is displayed in the World War One gallery. This aircraft was made in August 1918 at the Kellner Brothers Piano Company (woodworkers and cabinet-makers were often pressed into service as airplane manufacturers) and was assigned to the American 22nd Aero Squadron. It is painted in the markings of six-victory air ace Ray Brooks, who scored one of his victories while flying this particular plane. At the end of the war the SPAD went on tour as part of a war bond drive, and was given to the Smithsonian in December 1919. It was completely restored in 1985.
The SPAD 13 on exhibit at the Air Force Museum in Dayton was also built by the Kellner Brothers, in October 1918, but it entered service too late to see combat. Instead it went to San Diego, had its engine replaced with an American 150-horsepower Wright version of the Hispano-Suiza, and served as a patrol craft and trainer. It is displayed in the markings of Eddie Rickenbacker’s “Hat-in-the-Ring” squadron. The Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix AZ has a SPAD 13 that was pieced together from at least three different aircraft.
The Musee de l’Air in Paris has a SPAD on display, as does the Royal Museum of the Armed Forces in Brussels. The Memorial Flight Association in Paris also has a wartime SPAD 13, the oldest one still in existence. Serial number 4377 was produced in February 1918 by Kellner Brothers: it was found in pieces in an attic in France in 1970. Restored, it is today the only airworthy SPAD 13.
NOTE: As some of you already know, all of my diaries here are draft chapters for a number of books I am working on. So I welcome any corrections you may have, whether it's typos or places that are unclear or factual errors. I think of y'all as my pre-publication editors and proofreaders. ;)