Mystery Spad?

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hi Jean

I have to differ from your assessment of the "new" SPAD 34-2 photo.
It is not S.88 but S.88x, you cannot see the last digit.

As far as I am concerned it fits perfectly into the SFA range in the mid S.700 to S.1000 range.

With regard to companies that built SPAD fighters during WW 1 there are at least 15 known. There were over 7000 SPAD VII/XIII (and XII/XVII) built and no there is no list dealing with all of them.
Most likely the first S.VII was S.108 (S.110 is known) and the highest number so far in the early SPAD production was S.758. There is actually also a report of a SPAD XIII having No S.848, but I have never seen that verified.

Thus, next comes S.1001 and up leaving a gap of some 240 aircraft.

As can be seen at least some were used for the numbering of S.XX fighters and S.34-2 trainers. I have no idea why these numbers, seemingly on purpose, were left out by SFA in 1916-17 and re-allocated in the 1918-20 time span.

Cheers
Stig