Notes: Built in France by Societe Anonyme Pour L'Aviation et sees Derives, it was a dominant type in both performance and numbers during the last year and a half of the war. a total of 8,472 were built, with contracts for an additional 10,000 (including 6,000 for the A.E.F.) being cancelled after the Armistice. An improved version of the SPAD VII, the prototype SPAD XIII first flew on 4 Apr 1917, and was already being issued to French squadrons by the end of May. Eventually it equipped 81 French squadrons, 16 pursuit squadrons of the A.E.F. (893 aircraft), 11 Italian squadrons and 1 Belgian squadron.
The example shown here was flown by the highest-scoring American ace, Eddie Rickenbacker of the 94th Aero Squadron, who was credited with 26 victories.
Up