SPAD XIIIc.I (replica)

On the same day the US Senate voted to declare war on Germany, one of the finest Allied fighter planes took flight for the first time. From its first flight on April 4, 1917 until the end of fighting on November 11, 1918, the SPAD XIII became one of the most desirable and widely used planes of the war. In 18 months, over 8000 planes were built and flown by French, American, British, Italian, Belgian, and Russian pilots.

The SPAD XIII benefitted from innovations allowing water cooled engines able to produce more power without being so heavy as to limit maneuverability. While the Nieuport 28 was powered with a 160hp rotary engine, the SPAD flew with a 200-220hp Hispano-Suiza V-8 engine. This difference meant the SPAD had a top speed 15 mph faster than the Nieuport. The SPAD designer, Louis Bechereau, then increased the strength of the SPADs airframe to tolerate the higher speeds. The result was a plane able to survive high speed dives, a major asset in a dogfight.

When Maine Governor Sumner Sewall (1941-5) was a pilot during World War I, he became an ace while flying a SPAD XIII. Between June 3 and November 5, 1918, Sewall shot down five airplanes and two balloons while serving with the 95th Aero Squadron.