The SPAD S.XIII, a highly capable French biplane fighter developed by the Société Pour L’Aviation et ses Dérivées (SPAD), was derived from the earlier model SPAD S.VII. The S.XIII had larger wings and rudder than the S.VII, a more powerful clockwise-rotation engine and an additional machine gun. The sturdy fighter was renowned for its diving speed. Due to thin wings, it glided poorly, and it had a very sharp stall, which made it difficult to land. Before WWI ended, 8,472 planes were manufactured.

 

Crew: 1

Length: 20 ft 6 in

Wingspan: 27 ft 1 in

Height: 8 ft 6.5 in

Empty weight: 1,245 lb

Max takeoff weight: 1,888 lb

Engine: Hispano-Suiza 8Be V-8, 220 hp

Max speed: 135 mph

Service ceiling: 21,815 ft

Guns: 2 x .303-cal Vickers machine guns