Blériot-SPAD S.61
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| S.61 | |
|---|---|
| Type | Fighter |
| Manufacturer | Blériot, and CWL/PZL under licence |
| Designed by | André Herbémont |
| Maiden flight | 6 November 1923 |
| Primary users | Polish Air Force Romanian Air Force |
| Number built | ca. 350, plus 30 built under licence in Poland |
The Blériot-SPAD S.61 was a French fighter aircraft developed in 1923. Designed by André Herbémont, the S.61 was a conventional biplane, abandoning the swept upper wing used by Herbémont in several previous designs. The prototype S.61 was evaluated by the French Air Force alongside the S.51 as a potential new fighter, but like its stablemate, was rejected. The Polish Air Force (which had also purchased the S.51) was impressed enough to order 250, as well as purchase licences for local production. The Romanian Air Force also ordered 100 aircraft.
Apart from their military service, S.61s were used in France for racing and record-setting attempts. On 25 June 1925, Pelletier d'Oisy won the cross-country Coupe Michelin in an S.61, and another of the type won the 1927 race and was placed second in the 1929 race. An S.61 was also used by Jean Callizo in his fraudulent attempt on the world altitude record that saw him stripped of his Légion d'Honneur. A Polish S.61 placed second in the Capitaine Echard race at the Zürich aerial meeting in 1927.
About 30 were built in Poland, by the CWL (Centralne Warszaty Lotnicze - Central Aviation Workshops, a predecessor of PZL). All S.61 (known in Poland simply as Spad S.61) had very bad opinion in Poland - there were numerous crashes, mostly due to weak wing mounting. In 1926-1931 26 pilots were killed on S.61[1].
[edit] Variants
- S.61/1 - prototype for French evaluation
- S.61/2 - production version for Poland and Romania
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- S.61-bis - converted S.61/2
- S.61/3 - single machine with reduced wingspan
- S.61/4 - single machine with Lorraine-Dietrich 12Ee engine
- S.61/5 - three machines with Hispano-Suiza 12Gb engine
- S.61/6 - racer prototype converted from S.61-bis
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- S.61/6a - single racer with Lorraine W-engine
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- S.61/6b - S.61/6a converted with extra fuel tankage for 1924 Coupe Michelin race
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- S.61/6c - single machine built to contest world airspeed record; destroyed in the attempt
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- S.61/6d - single machine built for unsuccessful attempt on world airspeed record
- S.61/7 - machine with Rateau supercharger for world altitude record attempt
- S.61/8 - single S.61/5 refitted with Hispano-Suiza 12Hb engine
- S.61/9 - single S.61/6d modified for 1929 Coupe Michelin race
[edit] Operators
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- 2nd Fighter Regiment
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- 3rd Fighter Regiment
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- 4th Fighter Regiment
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- 11th Fighter Regiment
[edit] Specifications (S.61/2)
General characteristics
- Crew: one pilot
- Length: 6.98 m (22 ft 11 in)
- Wingspan: 9.57 m (31 ft 5 in)
- Height: 2.90 m (9 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 29.3 m² (315 ft²)
- Empty weight: 1,055 kg (2,326 lb)
- Gross weight: 1,565 kg (3,450 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Lorraine-Dietrich 12Ew, 336 kW (450 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 227 km/h (141 mph)
- Service ceiling: 7,500 m (24,605 ft)
- Rate of climb: 6.9 m/s (1,360 ft/min)
Armament
- 2 × fixed, forward-firing .303 Vickers machine guns
[edit] References
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions, 164.
- World Aircraft Information Files. London: Bright Star Publishing, File 890 Sheet 42.
- aviafrance.com
- ^ Wojciech Sankowski, Intrygujące Spady in: Lotnictwo z szachownicą nr 6
[edit] See also
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