One pilot who flew Spads in the Great War was Australia's greatest pioneering aviator, Charles Kinsford Smith, who, with fellow Australian Charles Ulm and their American crew, navigator Harry W. Lyon and radio operator James Warner, were first to fly the Pacific ocean, from Oakland, California, to Brisbane, Queensland, from May 31 - June 9, 1928. Flying his Spad, Smithy strafed columns of German troops on two occasions, and observed many of them falling to the roadway. He told some of his comrades who accompanied him on his pioneering flights that he had 'undoubtedly killed dozens of men'. He must have felt a great deal of regret about this, and it must have weighed on his mind the rest of his life.
Believe it or not. It has about 80% of original wooden structure in the fuselage. However the wings were mostly rebuilt. Metallic fittings are original as well.
The Camel might be more famous, but the SPAD was a war winner. Gorgeous plane. Hats off to the French for inventing it and selling it to us Americans to fly it in WWI!
How glorious that an original SPAD should still be flying today. I freely admit that thing was the greatest fighter of World War 1 if statistical capabilities are to judge.
Bluenose....I built an 80% scale Spad XIII powered with a geared Rover 4.2 V8...just notified FAA that I am ready for Tech Inspection and approval to Test Fly...!!! I’m at Prescott Az,USA...!!!
Great aircraft. What a blast it would be to fly one of these. My view-the best looking fighter of WWI and I'm sure the performance backs up the appearance. Thanks guys on a superb example and a great video.
MsLilyhorse Fast above all. The top allied ace Rene Fonck used that advantage to great effect. Most of the German pilots never knew what hit them. Some of the other fighters were more maneuverable but a good pilot in a Spad never got into those to begin with.
Actually, no. Fast and sturdy, yes. Maneuverable, no. That was one of the biggest complaints about it. They had to develop tactics to utilize its superior speed, since it lacked in maneuverability compared to earlier fighters and contemporaries like the Camel.
I was amazed to discover how small these things really are. I knew WWI fighters were small compared to later aircraft, but I'd always thought of the SPAD as being a large, fast fighter like the P-47. But I saw a scale SPAD next to an Albatros D.III, and it's significantly smaller than the other fighter. Even the Camel is larger wing wingspan (but quite a bit lighter).
@flubug1 This Spad is the world's unique airworthy original Spad XIII. It was built in 1918 by the Kellner company near Paris. For more information, please visit our website
The wing span is only about 27 ft and with that thin, heavily braced airfoil it can dive at 250 mph and not disintegrate...!!! I war time you fly the plane almost to extinction but in a 100 yr old restoration gentle flight is the order of the day...!!!
So, if you were to build a tube frame replica, could you put an aluminum block LS engine in it for power and make a modern slightly better version of this classic?
i can't beleive that this has an original airframe. it would be almost 100 years old. due to fatigue, i don't think the authorities would authorise the flight of an aircraft of this age. not even the french would let this go....! just kidding.
One pilot who flew Spads in the Great War was Australia's greatest pioneering aviator, Charles Kinsford Smith, who, with fellow Australian Charles Ulm and their American crew, navigator Harry W. Lyon and radio operator James Warner, were first to fly the Pacific ocean, from Oakland, California, to Brisbane, Queensland, from May 31 - June 9, 1928.
Flying his Spad, Smithy strafed columns of German troops on two occasions, and observed
many of them falling to the roadway. He told some of his comrades who accompanied him on his pioneering flights that he had 'undoubtedly killed dozens of men'. He must have felt a great deal of regret about this, and it must have weighed on his mind the rest of his life.
Beautiful plane, a favorite of mine since I was a little kid, I had a model of it hanging in my bedroom , Hats off to the Spad ! ! !
Believe it or not.
It has about 80% of original wooden structure in the fuselage. However the wings were mostly rebuilt. Metallic fittings are original as well.
The Camel might be more famous, but the SPAD was a war winner. Gorgeous plane. Hats off to the French for inventing it and selling it to us Americans to fly it in WWI!
How glorious that an original SPAD should still be flying today. I freely admit that thing was the greatest fighter of World War 1 if statistical capabilities are to judge.
Bluenose....I built an 80% scale Spad XIII powered with a geared Rover 4.2 V8...just notified FAA that I am ready for Tech Inspection and approval to Test Fly...!!! I’m at Prescott Az,USA...!!!
The aircraft is equipped with an original Hispano-Suiza V8 220hp !
Who flies it? Would love to ask about its handling characteristics. Thanks for the video!
Great aircraft. What a blast it would be to fly one of these. My view-the best looking fighter of WWI and I'm sure the performance backs up the appearance. Thanks guys on a superb example and a great video.
Très bel avion, très bel atterrissage. Merci.
le SPAD... avion légendaire des " AS" français de la ww1....René Fonck et Georges Guynemer ...merci pour la vidéo
My favourite WWI plainer lovely
Nice aircraft one of my favourite ww1 aircraft
Listen to the wind noise through the wire bracing...unique to Spads ... SE5s sound different...!!!
Meilleur avion de la première guerre mondiale utiliser par les meilleurs as de la guerre Guynemer Fonck
July 2 FAA TEAM Inspected my SPAD and gave me my Experimental Certificate...!!! We are now cleared for Phase 1 of the Flight Test Program...!!!
Where at??
Lovely. First plane that would use 'Boom and Zoom', rather than getting into time-consuming dogfights.
I have heard of the Spad referred to as the Thunderbolt of the great war.
Gorgeous!!
My choice if I was a WWI pilot. Fast, maneuverable and very sturdy.
MsLilyhorse Fast above all. The top allied ace Rene Fonck used that advantage to great effect. Most of the German pilots never knew what hit them. Some of the other fighters were more maneuverable but a good pilot in a Spad never got into those to begin with.
Actually, no. Fast and sturdy, yes. Maneuverable, no. That was one of the biggest complaints about it. They had to develop tactics to utilize its superior speed, since it lacked in maneuverability compared to earlier fighters and contemporaries like the Camel.
Excellent video !
I was amazed to discover how small these things really are. I knew WWI fighters were small compared to later aircraft, but I'd always thought of the SPAD as being a large, fast fighter like the P-47. But I saw a scale SPAD next to an Albatros D.III, and it's significantly smaller than the other fighter. Even the Camel is larger wing wingspan (but quite a bit lighter).
It is fast though; compared to many comparable WW1 scouts.
The beautiful HS V8, used on the SPAD XIII, Dolphin, and SE5
nice engine sound!
Outstanding! Sounds so smooth! Does anyone make replicas of the SPAD?
Having seen other WWI videos--it seems very fast.
@flubug1 This Spad is the world's unique airworthy original Spad XIII. It was built in 1918 by the Kellner company near Paris.
For more information, please visit our website
Amazing! What type of engine?
The wing span is only about 27 ft and with that thin, heavily braced airfoil it can dive at 250 mph and not disintegrate...!!! I war time you fly the plane almost to extinction but in a 100 yr old restoration gentle flight is the order of the day...!!!
I
So, if you were to build a tube frame replica, could you put an aluminum block LS engine in it for power and make a modern slightly better version of this classic?
I built an 80% Spad13 powered by a Rover 4.2 V8... should be ready to fly by 2018 fall...!!!
Good luck Alexander !
I would to see that! Do you have any videos?
i can't beleive that this has an original airframe. it would be almost 100 years old. due to fatigue, i don't think the authorities would authorise the flight of an aircraft of this age. not even the french would let this go....! just kidding.
I always wanted to know, what kind of wood is the Spad XIII made of ?
A number of types, but I'm guessing ash was the primary structure. Probably birch one the plywood areas.
Thanks!
Google Micah Reimer Films for a trailer on the video he is making...!!!
Is that a real SPAD or a replica?
Original spad with metal added to keep it together