Spad SA4 (1/72 A Model)

[stevehed]

This is my take on the Spad A4. The Windsock Datafile describes a version of the pulpit Spad known as the SG1. It had a single machine gun and 1000 rounds installed in the pulpit and was operated by the pilot. This machine is believed to have ended up in Russia. A Spad A4, S97, was fitted with three Colt machines in the pulpit. As a stop gap fighter, I thought this set up had potentional as the Spad was no slouch by 1916 standards. However, it has proved difficult to discover how prevalent the modification was.

The build is about 90% OOB. All the changes are at the nacelle. I filled in the cockpit opening with plastic card. Two holes were drilled in the nose to accept the barrels of the two Vickers machine guns installed in place of the observer. A couple of years ago I reckoned on the observer weighing about 12 stone( 12 x 14lbs), discovered that the Lewis and magazine came in at 35lbs, allowed another four mags at 30lbs. This comes about 240lbs plus any other equipment carried. Two Vickers plus a 1000 rounds and fixtures weigh about 200lbs and two Colts are about the same. There didn't seem to be any weight issues so I declared the programme feasible. So all that is needed is two machine gun barrels sticking out of the pulpit. The other modification saw the main single upright support removed and replaced with two thinner pieces of rod. These struts lock the nacelle in place and I considered that two pieces in an inverted V would give the pilot a better forward view now that he is firing the weapons.

So here we have a field converted Spad A4 single seat escort operating with an, as yet, unidentified KAO flying observation aircraft. Whether it is a whif or a probable I can't say for certain. With a 110hp Le Rhone it would have had a top speed in the region of 100mph. Russia was desperately short of fighter aircraft in late 1916 and into 1917 so as a local field modification it makes sense to me.

[Lone Modeller]

That is a very interesting and highly plausible conversion.

WW1 types are so interesting because there was so much experimentation and risk taking at the time and a wide variety of shapes emerged as a result.

[B4en]

That looks great Steve! I remember reading a bit somewhere about attempts to gun up the nacelle. I think it wasn't a very stable gun platform in flight, and if the gun/guns jammed there was no way for the pilot to reach them to clear the blockage. It still seems odd that more effort wasn't put into this, but I guess the plane got a bad rep pretty quickly.