Developed in the mold of a "fighting scout", the French-originated SPAD S.A served in the armed reconnaissance role for a short time during World War 1 (1914-1918). The series was introduced during 1915 at a time when viable synchronization/interrupter gear (allowing a machine gun to fire through spinning propeller blades) was still a way off for the Allies. Societe Pour L'Aviation et ses Derives (S.P.A.D.) delivered the A-series scout as a hasty solution with adequate frontal firepower previous attempts lacked. It sat its observer/gunner in an open-air nacelle ahead of the nose and propeller blade/engine - the pilot maintained control of the airplane from a traditional placement aft and under the upper wing assembly.
The SPAD S.A marked the first military aircraft entry for the company which would go on to make some of the more classic biplane fighters of the entire conflict.
Initial production models were the A.1s and eleven examples followed to this standard, outfitted with the Le Rhone 9C of 80 horsepower driving a two-bladed wooden propeller unit. The propeller turned behind the gunner's position and his nacelle was made detachable/foldable (down) to allow clearance for starting or maintaining the engine. A wire mesh mounted aft of the gunner was used to screen him from the dangerous blades directly behind him and to also protect the blades from foreign debris incoming. To aspirate the engine, intakes were built into and around the nacelle. The base crew numbered two and armament was a sole 0.303 inch Lewis machine gun fitted to a trainable mounting at the nose. This weapon was fed from the conventional Lewis Machine Gun ammunition drum.
Next came the A.2 variant which introduced the Le Rhone 9J air-cooled 9-cylinder rotary engine developing 110 horsepower. Performance indicated a maximum speed of 112 kilometers per hour with a service ceiling up to 3,000 meters.
The A.3 was a dual-control trainer carrying the 9J engine as well and armament was increased to 2 x 0.303 Lewis guns - one per crewman. Two were built in this form. The A.4, based on the A.2 standard, carried the 9C engine of the A.1 and production totaled 59 examples. The S.D was a "one-off" entry that was dimensionally larger than previous iterations and a second machine gunner added to a new open-air tub behind the pilot. The engine was a Renault 98Fg series of 220 horsepower output.
As a biplane design, the S.A series maintained several traditional qualities. Its biplane wing arrangement utilized an upper and lower wing section joined by parallel strutwork and applicable cabling. The wheeled undercarriage was fixed, also by strong struts and cabling while the tail was support by a simple skid. The body of the aircraft was well-rounded at front, slab-sided along its length and capped by a small, long vertical tail fin at rear. The horizontal tailplanes were affixed to the frontal area of the rudder and mounting along its midway point. Dimensions included a length of 7.29 meters and a wingspan of 9.55 meters.
In practice there proved many limitations in the A.2 design. Communication for the two-man crew - both in open-air cockpits - was hampered by engine and wind noise not to mention confusion encountered during an aerial firefight. The pilot's vision was limited by the upper and lower wing mainplanes as well as the extended nose section which did not help in landing, take-off and fighting endeavors. Additionally, the placement of the gunner at the nose - and within a flimsy nacelle structure to boot - made landing actions quite perilous for this crewman. With that said, the A.2 saw little combat action - if any - during the early phases of the air war for France.
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(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)
✓Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
✓Intelligence-Surveillance-Reconnaissance (ISR), Scout
Surveil ground targets / target areas to assess environmental threat levels, enemy strength, or enemy movement.
Length
24.0 ft (7.30 m)
Width/Span
31.3 ft (9.55 m)
Height
8.7 ft (2.65 m)
Empty Wgt
959 lb (435 kg)
(Showcased structural values pertain to the SPAD A.2 production variant)
Installed:
1 x Le Rhone 9C rotary engine developing 80 horsepower.
(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the SPAD A.2 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)
STANDARD:
1 x 0.303 Lewis Gun air-cooled machine gun fitted to flexible/trainable mounting at front cockpit.
Supported Types
(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)
Hardpoint Mountings: 0
S.A. - Base Series Designation
A.1 - Initial production model; fitted with Le Rhone 9C engine of 80 horsepower; tapered tail fin; 11 examples completed.
A.2 - Fitted with Le Rhone 9J engine of 110 horsepower; revised tail fin; 35 examples completed.
A.3 - Dual-control trainer; 2 x 0.303 Lewis guns, one per crewman for training purposes; powered by Le Rhone 9J engine.
A.4 - Based on A.2 with Le Rhone 9C engine; 59 examples produced.
S.D. - Dimensionally larger variant; additional gunner's tub fitted aft of the pilot; powered by Renault 8Fg engine of 220 horsepower.
S.G. - Sans gunner's position; nacelle-mounted machine guns; 2 examples completed.
S.H. - Proposed variant
Ribbon graphics not necessarily indicative of actual historical campaign ribbons. Ribbons are clickable to their respective aerial campaigns / operations / aviation periods.
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France; Imperial Russia; Soviet Union
