Memorial Flight's Spad 13: bomb compartment???

[Lufbery]

All,

For those who haven't done so, check out the Memorial Flight's restoration of a Spad 13:
http://memorial.flight.free.fr/indexuk.html

It looks beautiful, and I'd dearly love to visit France and see it fly. Anyway, this month's update has some pictures of a bomb compartment. (look here: http://memorial.flight.free.fr/respadphotouk.html).

The bomb compartment is under and behind the pilot's seat. There is a trap door that apparently makes the bottom of the fuselage and covers the bomb compartment. The pictures also show a luggage compartment which is behind the pilots seat. I have a few questions:

1) How did pilots get to the luggage compartment? There doesn't seem to be an outside access door, and the seat seems to be in the way of inside access.

2) How were bombs stored in the bomb compartment? How were they released? How did the trap door open and close?

3) Are there any accounts of pilots using either feature of the plane?

Regards,

Hi Luftbery

1) The access to the luggage compartment is from inside the cockpit. There is a canvas cover above the oil tank (not very handy I must say!)

2) Starting from about mid production, all XIII's were modified to accept either a camera or a bomb holder. Despite the word PHOTO displayed on aircraft, very few were effectively used for fast photo recce
missions, generally without armament (to save weight). The rest
was equipped with a bomb holder type 2-120P taken from Sop 1B1 and 1B2 production aircraft, with 2 120 mm. 11 kgs bombs of Gros type. They were installed vertically from the bottom fuselage "head up". The trap door has a cut out to allow free fall Release was done by pushing forward either two levers situated under the board above the throttle. More pictures on our site this month
The SPADs displayed at the NASM, Paris or Bruxelles Museum are so equipped, the one in NASM beeing the most complete.
Some American Squadrons latter added a bomb carrier under the fuselage (field modification).

If you (or anybody else) comes around, don't hesitate, the coffee is free

Regards

[StephenLawson]

Some American Squadrons latter added a bomb carrier under the fuselage (field modification).If you (or anybody else) comes around, don't hesitate, the coffee is free *Regards

To expound on messer Slot, In the AEF the 2nd Pursuit Group used internal bomb cases as described. The 3rd Pursuit Group used external bomb racks for the 20lbs Cooper bombs The 1st Pursuit Group did not have any bomb racks of any kind. STL

[Lufbery]

Hi Luftbery

Thanks for answering my questions. :--)

1) The access to the luggage compartment is from inside the cockpit. There is a canvas cover above the oil tank (not very handy I must say!)

It does look hard to get to. :--)

2) Starting from about mid production, all XIII's were modified to accept either a camera or a bomb holder. Despite the word PHOTO displayed on aircraft, very few were effectively used for fast photo recce missions, generally without armament (to save weight). The rest was equipped with a bomb holder type 2-120P taken from Sop 1B1 and 1B2 production aircraft, with 2 120 mm. 11 kgs bombs of Gros type.

Where can I find some good pilot accounts of either photo missions or bombing missions in Spad 13s? Does anyone know?

They were installed vertically from the bottom fuselage "head up". The trap door has a cut out to allow free fall.

Does that mean that the whole trap door fell, or that it had holes in it for the bombs to fall through?

Release was done by pushing forward either two levers situated under the board above the throttle. More pictures on our site this month

I can't wait to see them. I'm still having a little trouble picturing all of this in my mind.

If you (or anybody else) comes around, don't hesitate, the coffee is free

Regards

It's a bit of a long drive from here to there, but I'm trying to convince my soon to be wife that a trip to France is a good thing. I don't think it will take much convincing -- especially when I tell her about the free coffee. :--)

Warm regards,

[Lufbery]

To expound on messer Slot, In the AEF the 2nd Pursuit Group used internal bomb cases as described. The 3rd Pursuit Group used external bomb racks for the 20lbs Cooper bombs The 1st Pursuit Group did not have any bomb racks of any kind. STL

Stephen,

Do you know how often the Spads were used for bombing missions by the U.S.?

Regards,

[StephenLawson]

Lufbery: From what we have of the Gorrell histories and personal documents of the pilots and men housed within the Lafayette Fouindation , Denver CO. the use of bombs on fighter aircraft employed by the AEF (and other air services) was to harass, demoralize, scatter and assault troop concentrations and put out of action military hardware.

Often a unit was sent out to a map reference where a large troop concentration was identified. Very often this was immediately behind the lines near reserve sectors. This was so that the enemy would feel relative safety. Once in action against ground targets with their machine guns, targets for bombs were selected on the pilots discretion. Their orders were 'put them where they'll count.'

With the AEF machine guns weren't removed for bombing operations. The support of your unit was secondary to the mission and each man was to inflict as much damage as possible. What is not clear is since these sorties were usually a very short in duration just how much ammunition was carried within the Spad aircraft itself. ??? :-/ STL

[Lufbery]

Stephen,

Thanks for the additional information. Rickenbacker talks about going on strafing missions toward the end of the war in his Spad. There was a general trend as the war progressed to use airplanes for ground attack, so I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that Spads were fitted with a bomb compartment.

Regards,

[StephenLawson]

You may also be interested to know that in our display of uniformed manequins at the Lafayette Foundation- Lt. Louis Carruthers diplay includes a Cooper bomb casing with the 93rd Aero Sqdn insignia painted on the side. Cross & Cockade Int. Vol. 32 #1 Pp46 - 53 spring 2001 especially the rear cover. See the casing laying on the floor with the insignia just visible.

[Lufbery]

You may also be interested to know that in our display of uniformed manequins at the Lafayette Foundation- Lt. Louis Carruthers diplay includes a Cooper bomb casing with the 93rd Aero Sqdn insignia painted on the side. Cross & Cockade Int. Vol. 32 #1 Pp46 - 53 spring 2001 especially the rear cover. *See the casing laying on the floor with the insignia just visible.

Stephen, what is the Lafayette Foundation, and where is it? What kind of work do you do there?

Second question: What is Cross & Cockade and how do I get it?

(Boy do I feel ignorant )

Thanks,

[StephenLawson]

Stephen, what is the Lafayette Foundation, and where is it? What kind of work do you do there?

'The Lafayette Foundation is a non profit organization that preserves, protects and proliferates the study of original source material from the original participants of the aviation spectrum of the 1914-1918 war in Europe and there extended colonies.' We have 44 fully uniformed manequins wearing either actual or reconstructed original iniforms of the people that have made a contribution of their effects to the Foundation. We have 37 filing cabinets full of research materials including squadron and personal histories. We have over 1300 books, some first editions from authors of material concerning WWI aviation. We have 5 replica aircraft 2 full scale (Fok. D.VII and Fok. Dr.I and 3 3/4 scale 2 SE5a and one Sopwith Pup. See the Replica Aircraft title here for the Lafayette Foundation Walkaround. Several of the great researchers on this website have personally visited us at our home of operation at the Colorado Aviation and Space Museum on the old Lowry AirForce Base in Denver Colorado USA.

Second question: What is Cross & Cockade and how do I get it?

Cross & Cockade International Journal is the quarterly publication of the First World War Aviation Historical Society based in England at Lbs Sterling 22 a year (roughly $44 USD.)
They are in their 32nd year and one of the finest research materials available. Membership Sec. Roger M. Tisdale rmmt@zetnet.co.uk or www.crossandcockade.com 8)