SPAD S.XII
Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés · France · first flew 1917 · fighter
The SPAD S.XII was a French single-seat biplane fighter of 1917, a hybrid cannon-fighter combining a 37 mm Puteaux gun firing through the propeller hub with a synchronized machine gun.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 6.4 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Biplane fighter with a 37 mm Puteaux cannon firing through the propeller shaft
- Hispano-Suiza 8C engine with large car-type radiator in the nose
- Single-bay equal-span wings with rounded tips
Externally almost identical to the SPAD VII and XIII, but distinguished by the large cannon barrel emerging below the propeller shaft and the slightly wider nose cowling accommodating the Hispano-Suiza 8C engine.
Specifications
- The SPAD S.XII has a length of 6.4 m (21 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8 m (26 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 203 km/h (126 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Designed for ace Georges Guynemer, the S.XII was conceived as a destroyer of observation balloons and two-seaters. The cannon proved difficult to reload in flight, and only a handful of aces including Guynemer and René Fonck used it effectively; production numbers were small.
Variants
A limited production run was completed alongside the more practical SPAD S.XIII; the S.XII remained a specialist weapon.
Where you'll see it
Operated by a small number of elite French aces on the Western Front in 1917–18; not exported in significant numbers.
Related aircraft
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