spadvii

A8794 was the first of 100 Spads 7 in the A 8794/8893 batch built by the Bleriot and Spad Aircraft Works of Addlestone and wears standard RFC camouflage colors of PC10 and "Battleship Gray." The complete absence of louvers in A8796's flank cooling panels is noteworthy. You can barely see the pitot tube on the port forward interplane strut. Also note the style of serial number, which is different on A8796 also shown on this same page. They apparently quickly recognized that black numbers on PC10 were much more difficult to distinguish than white. The RFC in France did not like these British-built Spads, and A8798 and A8799, for example, ended up being re-allotted to the Training Brigade on July 17, 1917. They particularly objected to the fairing over the gun, although photograph focus makes it hard to distinguish it here. See Wind-Sock Datafiles 8, Spad 7.C1, p. 3 (1988).

B1374 was British-built by Mann, Egerton & Co., arrived in the USA in late-1918, and was then fitted with an American 150 horsepower Wright-Martin Model-A motor. It was one of four assigned to Ellington Field and may likely be photographed here at Ellington Field prior to April 10, 1919. Assigned to the Victory Loan Flying Circus, Middle-West Flight, it left on that date for a tour that included air shows in 23 different Midwest cities. Its principal pilot was 1st Lieut. Franklin Otis Carroll. It returned to Ellington Field the night of May 12, 1919.

This photo is a "duplicate" from the correct photo but is obviously reversed, which you can tell from looking at the Spad's propeller. Therefore, it should be removed from the gallery.