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Info Eduard - September 2011
SEPTEMBER KITS
Spad XIII early ProPACK Edition
1/48 Cat.No. 8197
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The French SPAD XIII was a development of the
SPAD VII. The SPAD VII was own by Georges
Guynemer, who was not particularly pleased
with the type, especially when compared to the
aircraft own by his German adversaries. He
took his concerns directly to the manufacturer. Be-
cause by this time, Guynemer was already well
known in French life in general, his concerns were
taken seriously. With that, the groundwork for the
development of two more models were laid, the
SPAD XII and SPAD XIII. While the SPAD XII was
armed with a 37mm cannon, and as such saw
limited production and use by very experienced
pilots, the SPAD XIII saw much more widespread
use.
Thanks to the use of a more powerful Hispano-
-Suiza HS 8Be engine rated at 220hp, and later
the HS 8BEe (235hp), the main drawback of the
previous model in the form of inadequate ar-
mament could be addressed, and the SPAD XIII
received two Vickers machine guns with 400rpg.
The head designer of the type, Louis Bechereau
also enlarged the airframe slightly, and stren-
gthened it. The rst prototype of the S.XIII was
own by Second Lieutenant Rene Dorme on Ap-
ril 4th, 1917. Due to a heavier weight, the new
type didn’t achieve the maneuverability of its
predecessor, but it did display a better rate of
climb, and a faster speed of 215 km/h.
The performance of the new type was such that
contracts were immediately awarded for large
production numbers. This was ultimately partici-
pated in by nine manufacturers (SPAD, A.C.M.,
Bernard, Bleriot, Borel, Kellner, Levasseur, Nie-
uport, and SAFCA). The new type began rea-
ching units during the summer of 1917. The type
was own by a list of well-known and successful
pilots - Frenchman Rene Fonck (75 kills), Italian
Francesco Baracca (34 kills), Americans Eddie
Rickenbacker (26 victories), Frank Luke (18 kills)
and the aforementioned Georges Guynemer.
Besides the French air force, the SPAD XIII was
also own by Great Britain, USA, Italy, Belgium,
and, after the First World War, with Poland and
the former Czechoslovakia.
Originally, the aircraft had rounded wingtips,
but these soon reverted back to the squared off
tips of the S.VII. This kit is dedicated to aircraft
of the initial production phase.
Info Eduard - September 2011
BUY Spad XIII early 1/48
Jacques Roques, Escadrille No.48,
France, Fall, 1917
Georges Guynemer, Escadrille
No.3, France, September, 1917
J.D. Hewett, No. 23 Squadron,
Royal Flying Corps, France,
February, 1918
Francesco Baracca, 91a Squadriglia,
Italy, May, 1918