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SPAD S.XX


Two-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft


France | 1920



"The SPAD S.XX arrived too late to see combat action in World War 1."

Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the SPAD S.XX Two-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft.
1 x Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline piston engine developing 300 horsepower.
Propulsion
135 mph
217 kph | 117 kts
Max Speed
26,247 ft
8,000 m | 5 miles
Service Ceiling
249 miles
400 km | 216 nm
Operational Range
1,100 ft/min
335 m/min
Rate-of-Climb
Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the SPAD S.XX Two-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft.
2
(MANNED)
Crew
24.0 ft
7.30 m
O/A Length
31.9 ft
(9.72 m)
O/A Width
9.2 ft
(2.80 m)
O/A Height
1,918 lb
(870 kg)
Empty Weight
2,866 lb
(1,300 kg)
MTOW
Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the SPAD S.XX Two-Seat Biplane Fighter Aircraft .
STANDARD:
2 x 7.7mm Vickers fixed, forward-firing machine guns synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.
1 x 7.7mm Lewis machine gun on trainable mount in rear cockpit.
Variants
Notable series variants as part of the SPAD S.XX family line.
S.XX - Base Series Models; 95 completed.
S.XX bis - Improved S.XX with larger wing surfaces; improved control; 2 examples.
S.20 bis-1 - Standard racer model
S.20 bis-2 - Racer with shortened wing appendages.
S.20 bis-3 - Racer with revised, shortened wings
S.20 bis-4 - Racer with revised, shortened wings
S.20 bis-5 - Gordon Bennett racer; revised wings; two examples completed.
S.20 bis-6 - Racer model with special Hispano-Suiza engine installation.
Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 06/04/2018 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

During World War 1 (1914-1918), the advantage in the air war over Europe had changed hands several times, driven by a combination of evolving tactics, experienced pilots and advancing technologies of the period. Aircraft could now fly farther, higher and faster than ever before and carried increasingly potent armament. Towards the end of the war, French engineer Andre Herbemont headed another entry in the storied S.P.A.D. ("Societe Pour L'Aviation et ses Derives") fighter line with the introduction of the S.P.A.D. S.XX (S.20) fighter.

First flying on August 7th, 1918, the aircraft was still in development by the time of cessation of hostilities in November. The S.XX was not officially introduced, therefore, until 1920 and this limited production to approximately 100 units due to the world-wide military draw-down. Manufacture of S.P.A.D. S.XX aircraft was handled by Bleriot while the primary operator of the series became the French Air Force. The aircraft series also saw limited, post-war numbers and service under the flags of Bolivia and Paraguay.

The S.XX was born from the preceding single-seat SPAD S.XVII, itself derived from the single-seat S.XIII fighter. The S.XX differed primarily in its two-seat configuration with the pilot and gunner/observer seated inline across two individual, open-air cockpits. The stout fuselage was of a conventional shape, well-contoured and rounded, with the engine compartment at the front and a single rudder fin at the rear (with applicable horizontal tailplanes). The wings were of equal span with parallel and v-shaped struts joining an upper and lower wing assembly. The upper wing assembly was given considerable sweep while the lower wing was of a conventional straight design. The undercarriage was fixed with two landing wheels while a simple skid aided the tail when the aircraft was at rest. The pilot was afforded 2 x fixed, forward-firing .303 Vickers machine guns over the engine cowl as primary armament while the rear gunner managed a single .303 Lewis gun atop a trainable mount.

Dimensionally, the S.XX sported a wingspan of 32 feet with a fuselage length of 24 feet and height of 9 feet. Empty listed weight was 1,900lbs with a gross weight of 2,880lbs. Power was served through a Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline piston engine developing 300 horsepower and driving a two-bladed wooden propeller. Performance included a maximum speed of 135 miles per hour, a range out to 250 miles, a service ceiling of 26,240 feet and a rate-of-climb of 1,100 feet per minute.

While the French government originally envisioned a staggering production total during peak war months, its order was severely cut short with the Armistice of November 1918. The Armistice interrupted all manner of programs to date and this included the S.XX which had not yet entered quantitative production by war's end. A bulk of the completed aircraft (95) were of the standard S.XX model while only two of the "improved" S.XX bis were seen - these with larger wing surface areas for better control. One of these was then sold off to Japan's Mitsubishi. From there emerged a line of "one-off" racer platforms that began with the S.20 bis-1 and ended with the S.20 bis-6. Several of these airframes claimed speed records during their time aloft. S.XX/S.20 aircraft served during the 1920s before being given up for more modern types heading into the 1930s.

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Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the SPAD S.XX. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 100 Units

Contractor(s): Societe Pour l'Avions et ses Derives (SPAD) - France
National flag of Bolivia National flag of France

[ Bolivia; France; Paraguay ]
1 / 1
Image of the SPAD S.XX

Going Further...
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