SPAD S.510
Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés · France · first flew 1933 · fighter
The SPAD S.510 was the last biplane fighter to serve with the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air), representing the final flowering of the SPAD biplane fighting tradition that stretched back to WWI. It entered service in 1936 and served alongside early monoplane fighters.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.47 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Final SPAD biplane fighter, last biplane in French Air Force service
- Hispano-Suiza 12Xbrs liquid-cooled V-12 engine with cannon firing through prop hub
- Gull lower wing and tapered upper wing
Distinguishable as an interwar French biplane fighter with a gull lower wing, smooth monocoque fuselage with a large liquid-cooled V-12, and the characteristic engine-mounted cannon arrangement; more refined in appearance than its WWI predecessors.
Specifications
- The SPAD S.510 has a length of 7.47 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.84 m (29 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 372 km/h (231 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1933, the S.510 was designed with a Hispano-Suiza 12X engine with a 20mm cannon firing through the propeller shaft. Despite entering service, it was quickly rendered obsolete by monoplane fighters and was phased out as the Dewoitine D.501 and Morane-Saulnier MS.406 entered service.
Variants
The S.510 was produced in a single main series; a prototype S.510C.1 was evaluated with engine modifications but no major variants entered service.
Where you'll see it
Served with Groupe de Chasse escadrilles of the Armée de l'Air from 1936, being retired by 1940 as more modern monoplane fighters replaced it; saw no significant combat operations.
Related aircraft
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