SPAD S.XXIV

Single-Seat Carrierbased Biplane Fighter Prototype

France | 1918

"One flyable SPAD S.XXIV biplane fighter was completed as a prototype before the end of World War 1 in November of 1918."

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.

The SPAD line of biplane fighters witnessed during World War 1 (1914-1918) were some of the best fighters of the period. French aviation pioneer Louis Bechereau was instrumental in evolving the series and the last biplane to bear his signature design lines was the SPAD S.XXIV (he left the company in the spring of 1917). The S.XXIV was to become the wheeled undercarriage, carrier-based version of the dedicated S.XIV seaplane fighter which appeared in 1918 to the tune of forty examples. These served with the French Navy for their part in the war. The S.XXIV, however, would not encounter the same level of success for, after a first-flight on November 5th, 1918, the series saw an abrupt end coinciding with the end of the war on November 11th.

The major departure for the S.XXIV was in its new "tail-dragger" undercarriage which replaced the S.XIV's floatplane undercarriage arrangement. The single pilot sat in an open-air cockpit and, like other SPADS of the period, a Hispano-Suiza 8Bc series engine of 220 horsepower was used to drive a two-bladed propeller at the nose. The wing mainplanes, an upper and lower section, were joined by parallel struts and cabling, producing a double-bay arrangement for the wings. The tail unit was traditional with its single fin and low-mounted horizontal planes. The fuselage maintained the typical SPAD slab-sided approach and tapering towards the tail. Dimensions included a wingspan of 32.1 feet, a length of 21.3 feet and a height of 8.4 feet. Empty weight was 1,433lb.

Development of the S.XXIV was slow and this hampered its ability to come online any sooner. It was officially done in by the fact that the war was now officially over and a new breed of fighting biplane was no longer in demand. While there are no official performance figures for the S.XXIV, it can be assumed that they would have followed the numbers of the floatplane equipped S.XIV with some increases.

Also, it can be assumed that the S.XXIV would have carried similar armament in service: 1 x 7.7mm Vickers machine gun, set to fire through the spinning propeller blades by way of synchronizing gear, and 1 x 37mm Puteaux cannon firing through the propeller shaft.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the SPAD S.XXIV Single-Seat Carrierbased Biplane Fighter Prototype.

1 x Hispano-Suiza 8Bc engine developing 220 horsepower and driving a two-bladed propeller at the nose.
Propulsion

134 mph
215 kph | 116 kts
Max Speed

16,404 ft
5,000 m | 3 miles
Service Ceiling

155 miles
250 km | 135 nm
Operational Range

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the SPAD S.XXIV Single-Seat Carrierbased Biplane Fighter Prototype.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

21.3 ft
6.50 m
O/A Length

32.2 ft
(9.80 m)
O/A Width

8.4 ft
(2.55 m)
O/A Height

1,653 lb
(750 kg)
Empty Weight

2,315 lb
(1,050 kg)
MTOW

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the SPAD S.XXIV Single-Seat Carrierbased Biplane Fighter Prototype .

POSSIBLE:
1 x 7.7mm Vickers machine gun synchronized to fire through the spinning propeller blades.
1 x 37mm Puteau atuocannon in the propeller hub.

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the SPAD S.XXIV family line.

S.XXIV - Base Series Designation; one flyable prototype completed before project's end.

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

Total Production: 1 Units
Contractor(s): Societe Pour l'Aviation et ses Derives (SPAD) - France

[ France (cancelled) ]

1 / 1

Image from the Public Domain.

Going Further...
The SPAD S.XXIV Single-Seat Carrierbased Biplane Fighter Prototype appears in the following collections:

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