Hey, mates!

Let me introduce to you one of our WW1 heroes: capt. Georges Guynemer. He disappeared in action aged 22 the 11th September 1917. He scored 53 confirmed and 35 probable victories.

Not the biggest ace of French Air Service (René FONCK was that guy with 75 confirmed victories and at least as much probable), the legend made of him the most romantic hero of the war, archetype of the eternal knight, for the whole French people.

The pupils at school were said that he flew so high that day that he could not land on Earth any more.

And here he is :

He flew a lot of planes but his better mounts were SPAD planes: SPAD VII, SPAD XII "Cannon" and SPAD XIII.

His most famous plane was the SPAD VII coded S234 / 2, named le "Vieux Charles"* (the "Old Charles"*), after the pilot Clement Bonnard's (whom he flew the Morane-Saulnier Type L 'Parasol" (Umbrella) at his beginnings) engineer Charles Guerder.

Georges Guynemer and Charles Guerder (aka "Le Vieux Charles")

in front of the Morane-Saulnier MS Type L "Parasol" (Umbrella).

Guynemer and Guerder, flying this MS Type L the 11th July 1915, shot down an Aviatik. This was Guynemer 1st victory. Here is a photo from the Le Bourget museum showing this SPAD VII:

Some photographs of Georges Guynemer pausing near one of his SPADs VII (he actually flew some). 

The SPAD XIII C-1; N° S-504, "2" was the plane Guynemer disappeared with in an air fight over Belgium, in the Poelkapelle area. He was at this time the CO of the SPA 3 - SPA 26 - SPA 103 "Storks" Squadron, whose coat of arms is a Flying Stork, wings down (still used today by Escadrille de chasse (Fighter Squadron) EC 1/2 "Cigognes" (Storks)). His personal belongings such as identity cards aso were transmitted to French authorities. Some German POW and Belgium people testimonies seem to show that he was buried by German troops with military honours and, as it was usual at the time, with flowers brought by German pilots in sign of respect and fighter brotherhood. But shortly after his burial there was a large allied artillery assault all around. Consequently his grave location is still unknown nowadays.

Guynemer's SPAD XIII on departure. 

SPAD stood at first for "Société de Production des Aéroplanes Deperdussin", then for "Société (anonyme) Pour l'Aviation et ses Dérivés". The SPA-xxx  was the way of naming the French squadrons using the SPAD planes, as N-xxx for those using Nieuport planes, C-xxx for those using Caudron, Br-xxx for Breguet, aso.

These are some pics of my CORGI ARCHIVE 1/48 model of this plane:

SPAD XIII characteristics:

Engine:    Hispano-Suiza 8B-V8

Type V 8 cylinders water cooled

Power rating : 220 hp (164 kW)

Dimensions:
Wingspan 8,25 m

Length: 6,25 m

Height:  2,60 m

Wing surface: 21,1 m2

Weights:
Empty: 566 kg

Max: 845 kg

Performances:
Max speed 234 km/h (Mach 0,19 !!! LOL ! for those who prefer the jets !!)

Max service ceiling: 6 650 m

Climb rate: 120 m/min

Range:  350 km

Internal weapons:
2 synchronized Vickers 7,7 mm machine guns /500 rounds p/g.

Nowadays...

Here is a photo of a Mirage 2000-5 of the GC I/2 "Storks" at Luxeuil-les-Bains for the Centenary 1912-2012 (© P. Stepienik / Armée de l'Air).

That's all, folks !

Take care and have a look on the web for SPAD XIII, Guynemer and SPA 3 "Storks" Squadron !

Jeff