The French SPAD XIII was a development of the SPAD VII. The SPAD VII was flown by Georges Guynemer, who was not particularly pleased with the type, especially when compared to the aircraft flown by his German adversaries. He took his concerns directly to the manufacturer. Because by this time, Guynemer was already well known in French life in general, his concerns were taken seriously. With that, the groundwork for the development of two more models were laid, the SPAD XII and SPAD XIII. While the SPAD XII was armed with a 37mm cannon, and as such saw limited production and use by very experienced pilots, the SPAD XIII saw much more widespread use.
Thanks to the use of a more powerful Hispano-Suiza HS 8Be engine rated at 220hp, and later the HS 8BEe (235hp), the main drawback of the previous model in the form of inadequate armament could be addressed, and the SPAD XIII received two Vickers machine guns with 400rpg. The head designer of the type, Louis Bechereau also enlarged the airframe slightly, and strengthened it. The first prototype of the S.XIII was flown by Second Lieutenant Rene Dorme on April 4th, 1917.
Due to a heavier weight, the new type didn’t achieve the maneuverability of its predecessor, but it did display a better rate of climb, and a faster speed of 215 km/h.
The performance of the new type was such that contracts were immediately awarded for large production numbers. This was ultimately participated in by nine manufacturers (SPAD, A.C.M., Bernard, Bleriot, Borel, Kellner, Levasseur, Nieuport, and SAFCA). The new type began reaching units during the summer of 1917. The type was flown by a list of well-known and successful pilots - Frenchman Rene Fonck (75 kills), Italian Francesco Baracca (34 kills), Americans Eddie Rickenbacker (26 victories), Frank Luke (18 kills) and the aforementioned Georges Guynemer. Besides the French air force, the SPAD XIII was also flown by Great Britain, USA, Italy, Belgium, and, after the First World War, with Poland and the former Czechoslovakia.
Originally, the aircraft had rounded wingtips, but these soon reverted back to the squared off tips of the S.VII. This kit is dedicated to aircraft of the initial production phase.