SPAD S.VIIs immediately went on to replace the once-excellent Nieuport 11 and 17 "fighting scouts". The type made for an excellent gunnery platform on par with German offerings of the time. Airframes proved highly robust in-the-field, able to withstand a great deal of damage and keep flying thanks to their largely wood construction. Dive qualities were exceptional due to the strong internal structure and this could be a tactic used both offensively and defensively (Nieuport 11s and 17s encountered noticeable structural failings with their weaker "V-strut" wing designs). The S.VII's selection of engine coupled with sound engineering promoted good cruise speeds as well as a useful rate-of-climb. SPAD pilots could therefore engage enemies with a certain advantage or turn tail to "live to fight another day" if the situation required it. If the SPAD S.VII lacked anything it was in her overall maneuverability when compared to her contemporaries. Additionally, handling at low speeds required some reasonable flight experience to help avoid lethal mistakes at the stick - particularly when landing.
Power for the SPAD VII was provided for by a single Hispano-Suiza brand 8-series, V-type, water-cooled piston engine generating between 150 and 180 horsepower depending on the selected fit. Performance included a top speed of nearly 120 miles per hour with a service ceiling of 17,500 feet. Original production models sported the Hispano-Suiza 8Aa series engine but a later, more improved form, appeared as the Hispano-Suiza 8Ac. First flight of the S.VII prototype was in July of 1916 and production ensued quickly thereafter resulting in an initial batch of 500 aircraft. Production models featuring the improved Hispano-Suiza HS 8Ac engine of 180 horsepower appeared later and also managed a slightly wider wingspan. It was this second production model that proved the definitive mark in the series for it was manufactured to the tune of some 5,000 examples. Total SPAD S.VII production peaked at approximately 6,000 units.
In the end, the SPAD S.VII design proved very successful during its operational tenure and was the mount of choice for several notable wartime aces including France's Georges Guynemer and America's Eddie Rickenbacker. The S.VII paved the way for the similar S.XIII (S.13) among other developmental forms issued by S.P.A.D. and also served as the first fighter aircraft for many newly-minted American volunteer pilots serving in France with the Lafayette Escadrille - approximately 189 SPAD S.VIIs made it into American hands. Most American pilots then ended their foreign tour behind the stick of the SPAD S.XIII. The original S.VII's reach was such that the type went on to serve with air elements across the globe - from Europe to Russia, from the Far East to the Americas.
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