SPAD VII Aces of World War 1

The first of two volumes on SPAD aces, the story of the first successful fighting scout from the perspective of the aces that flew her.

The SPAD VII was the first effective French heavy fighter scout of World War I. It was also the preferred mount of many leading allied aces including the British, Americans, Belgians, Italians and Russians. This title includes 40 profiles of the SPAD VII and accounts of the aircraft.Built by the 'Societe Anonyme Pour I' Aviation et ses Derives', (SPAD), the SPAD VII was the first successful fighting scout design to emerge from the company that had traded as Duperdussin pre-war. Flown 'from the off' by aces Paul Sauvage and Georges Guynemer, the scouts made an immediate impression, Indeed, the latter pilot was so impressed that he dubbed the Type VII the 'flying machine gun'. The first of two volumes on SPAD aces, this book tells the whole story from the ace perspective. By the time production of the SPAD VII ended in the final months of 1918, around 6000 examples had been built, and Allied aces on every front had enjoyed success with the type.