SPAD VII

SPAD is the acronym of the manufacturer -"Société Anonyme Pour l’Aviation et ses Dérivés". The SPAD VII was a single seat fighter. It was fast and difficult to shoot down, but its configuration obstructed forward and downward views from the cockpit. Nevertheless, it quickly became the primary fighter of the French Air Service.

The SPAD VII was armed with a synchronized Vickers machine gun mounted on the fuselage. The half struts in the wings reduced vibration of the wing wires and thus reduced drag.

This plane carries the markings of the Royal Flying Corps No. 30 Squadron which was stationed in Mesopotamia. Note the second gun mounted on the top wing.

This aircraft was also flown by:
  Belgium
  France
  Serbia
Specifications
Country of Manufacture France
First Year of Service 1916
Wing Span 25.7 ft | 7.8 m
Length 20.2 ft | 6.2 m
Height 7.5 ft | 2.3 m
Weight 1632 lbs | 740 kg
Engine Hispano-Suiza 8A, 8 cylinder liquid cooled engine, 150hp
Top Speed 120 mph | 193 km/h
Range 127 miles | 204 km
Armament 1 Vickers .303 machine gun
Crew 1

 


Notes:
Technical Notes:
Made with Autodesk 3D Studio Max - Airplane not including background, 34394 vertices, 41295 faces - All aircraft insignia are modeled as part of the mesh.
Historical Notes:
The instruments in the cockpit are conjecture. The end of the exhaust pipe is flattened in the real plane.
References:
http://www.theaerodrome.com/aircraft/france/spad_vii.php
http://www.cbrnp.com/profiles/quarter1/spad7.htm