Artifact Spotlight: The SPAD VII.c.1

At the height of the First World War in 1916, Swiss engineer Marc Birkigt introduced a powerful version of his vaunted Hispano-Suiza automobile engine modified for use in aircraft. The water-cooled 15- horsepower V-8 engine caught the attention of the French military. Desperate to counter the deadly German Albatros fighters then dominating the European skies, the French enlisted manufacturer Societe Anonyme pour l’Aviation et ses Derives (SPAD) to develop an advanced fighter around the engine. Louis Bechereau, chief engineer of SPAD, designed a sturdy, compact biplane – the SPAD V – armed with a single machine gun synchronized to fire through the propeller.

Flight test began in April 1916. The design was quickly improved on and in May, the aircraft so impressed the French with its ability to dive at high speeds without disintegrating due to its structural sturdiness that 268 of the improved SPAD VII were ordered immediately. Further development of the Hispano-Suize engine garnered additional power, resulting in even better performance for production SPAD VIIs. In spite of nagging cooling problems and light armament, the SPAD VII was well-received by pilots for its diving speed and ability to sustain damage and survive.

To increase production levels, SPAD licensed nine firms to produce the SPAD VII. By August 1917, nearly 500 of the fighters were in service with over fifty French squadrons, including the famed Escadrille Spa.3 les Cigognes (“Storks”) and the Lafayette Escadrille – the legendary squadron of American pilots. The SPAD VII was flown by many of France’s great aces, most notably Georges Guynemer, who achieved most of his eventual 54 confirmed victories in the fighter. In addition to the French, SPAD VIIs few with the air forces of Belgium, England, Italy, and Russia during the war. Approximately 3,500 SPAD VIIs were produced.

Specifications
Manufacturer:                  Societe Anonyme pour l’Aviation et ses Derives (SPAD)
Type:                                     Single-seat fighter
Engine:                                 Hispano-Suiza 8-Aa 180-hp water-cooled V-8
Wingspan:                           25 feet 8 inches (7.82 m)
Length:                                 19 feet 11 inches (6.08 m)
Height:                                 7 feet 2 inches (2.2 m)
Gross Weight:                    1,554 pounds (705 kg)
Maximum Speed:            129 mph (207 kph)
Range:                                  217 miles (349 km)
Ceiling:                                 21,500 feet (6, 553 m)
Armament:                         Vickers .303 machine gun (synchronized through)
Crew:                                    One

The SPAD VII.c.1 Restoration Project

About the Museum’s Aircraft
The Museum’s aircraft, serial number B9916, was one of ten manufactured by Mann, Edgerton and Co. of Norwich, England in 1917. Later that year, it was sold to the United States and was one of the many sent to Rockwell Field (now North Island) in San Diego. While there, the SPAD VIIs, retaining their British markings, were used for advanced fighter training and took part in the huge Armistice celebration flyover of downtown San Diego in 1919.

Little is known of B9916’s history during the 1920s except that it was acquire by the Adcox School of Aviation in the Pacific Northwest. In 1930, the aircraft was purchased by Bensen Polytechnic High School in Oregon. The SPAD went through several subsequent owners until 1971 when it was loaned to the Smithsonian Institution. It went on public display hanging upside down over the Smithsonian’s equally rate German Fokker D.VII. In 1981, it was purchased by the San Diego Air & space Museum at an auction.

The Museum began restoration of the SPAD in 1990 with a team of volunteer craftsmen and expert consultants, including noted antique aircraft authorities Jim and Zona Appleby who were enlisted to restore and Fuselage, empennage, instruments and engine in their home in Yucca Valley, California. The restoration of the wings and painting and assembly was done by volunteers working the Museum’s Gillespie Field Annex in El Cajon, California.

During restoration, it was determined that the aircraft was 95% original, making B9916 extremely rare and one of the most authentic World War I aircraft in existence! Almost all missing parts were replaced by original substitutes, including at Hispano-Suiza engine made fully-operational by Appleby. All systems are functional on this aircraft. It is finished in 1917 British colors and markings.

Did You Know?
The Museum’s SPAD VII.c.1 as it appeared on exhibit for years at the Smithsonian Institution National Air and Space Museum.