SPAD S.XIV
Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés · France · first flew 1917 · fighter
The SPAD S.XIV was a French single-seat biplane fighter of the First World War, developed from the SPAD S.XII to carry a cannon. It featured a 37mm cannon firing through the engine propeller shaft alongside machine guns.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | French WWI biplane fighter with cannon-armed forward fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- French WWI biplane fighter with cannon-armed forward fuselage
- Water-cooled Hispano-Suiza V-8 engine
- Cannon firing through propeller shaft
Closely resembles the SPAD S.XIII but distinguishable by the large-calibre cannon barrel visible beneath the engine cowl; otherwise typical of the sesquiplane SPAD biplane family with rounded wingtips.
Specifications
- The SPAD S.XIV has a length of 7.4 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.8 m (32 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 205 km/h (127 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed during 1917, the SPAD XIV was an attempt to improve on the cannon-armed SPAD XII. The combination of engine-mounted cannon and machine guns made it a potent design, though the cannon was difficult to reload in flight.
Variants
The S.XIV was a cannon-armed development of the S.XII line; the more successful S.XIII became the primary French fighter of the war's final year.
Where you'll see it
The SPAD S.XIV saw limited operational service with French fighter units in 1917–1918; the type was not widely adopted compared to the simpler S.XIII.
Related aircraft
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