SPAD XI

The SPAD S.XI (another designation: SPAD 11) was a French fighter and reconnaissance biplane from the First World War. The prototype flight took place in 1916. The machine went into production a year later. The drive was provided by a single engine Hispano-Suiza 8Be with a power of 220 hp. The length of the aircraft was 7.75 meters with a wingspan of 11.24 meters. The deck armament consisted of two or three 7.7 mm Lewis or Vickers machine guns. The machine could also carry a load of bombs weighing up to 70 kilograms. The S.XI model was developed by the SPAD aviation company as an evolutionary development of the S.VII model. Compared to its predecessor, it differed primarily in size, bearing surface, a different shape of the rudder and the power unit used. The new machine also had a two-seater cabin. Initially, it was assumed that the S.XI would be a fighter plane, but tests conducted by the French aviation proved the unsuitability of the SPAD S.XI machine in this role. For this reason, it was redesigned and adapted to the role of a reconnaissance aircraft (military designation: SPAD S.XICN2), but it also turned out to be not very successful. Machines of this type were characterized by the difficulty of piloting, little maneuverability, poor climbing speed and a tendency to fall into a spin. They were definitely inferior to such planes as the Salmson 2A2 or Breguet XIV. They were withdrawn from service in the French aviation in July 1918. A small number of them served in the Russian, American and Belgian aviation.