The French SPAD XIII was a development of the SPAD VII. The SPAD VII was flown by Georges Guynemer, who was not particularly pleased withthe type, especially when compared to the aircraft flown by his German adversaries. He took his concerns directly to the manufacturer. Because by thistime, Guynemer was already well known in French life in general, his concerns were taken seriously. With that, the groundwork for the developmentof two more models were laid, the SPAD XII and SPAD XIII. While the SPAD XII was armed with a 37mm cannon, and as such saw limited productionand use by very experienced pilots, the SPAD XIII saw much more widespread use.
Thanks to the use of a more powerful Hispano-Suiza HS 8Be engine rated at 220hp, and later the HS 8BEe (235hp), the main drawback of theprevious model in the form of inadequate armament could be addressed, and the SPAD XIII received two Vickers machine guns with 400rpg. The headdesigner of the type, Louis Bechereau also enlarged the airframe slightly, and strengthened it. The first prototype of the S.XIII was flown by SecondLieutenant Rene Dorme on April 4th, 1917.
Due to a heavier weight, the new type didnt achieve the maneuverability of its predecessor, but it did display a better rate of climb, and a faster speedof 215 km/h.
The performance of the new type was such that contracts were immediately awarded for large production numbers. This was ultimately participatedin by nine manufacturers (SPAD, A.C.M., Bernard, Bleriot, Borel, Kellner, Levasseur, Nieuport, and SAFCA). The new type began reaching unitsduring the summer of 1917. The type was flown by a list of well-known and successful pilots - Frenchman Rene Fonck (75 kills), Italian FrancescoBaracca (34 kills), Americans Eddie Rickenbacker (26 victories), Frank Luke (18 kills) and the aforementioned Georges Guynemer. Besides theFrench air force, the SPAD XIII was also flown by Great Britain, USA, Italy, Belgium, and, after the First World War, with Poland and the formerCzechoslovakia.
Originally, the aircraft had rounded wingtips, but these soon reverted back to the squared off tips of the S.VII. This kit is dedicated to aircraft of theinitial production phase.
| Carrier | Informations | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Regular mail | 2 weeks - 2 months | zł83.64 |
| Priority mail | 1-2 weeks | zł154.98 |
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