Amodel 1:72 SPAD SA4 (Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet)

[clive_t]

The evolution in the design of aircraft during WW1, particularly in the early years, yielded some fairly weird results in the quest to overcome the barriers to delivering the ultimate airborne war machine. Prominent among these was how to allow a pilot to direct gunfire forwards whilst at the same time avoiding catastrophic damage to his own propeller.

The French Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés (an organisation that had risen from the ashes of the failed Société Provisoire des Aéroplanes Deperdussin, and so named as to be able to retain the 'SPAD' acronym) acquired a number of Louis Béchereau designs for monoplane and biplane aircraft. One of these sought to combine the tractive efficiencies of the tractor propeller (where the pilot's position is to the rear of the propeller) and the uninterrupted field of fire afforded by the 'pusher' design, by adding a aerodynamically shaped nacelle in front of the propeller, which housed the observer/gunner. The result, early in 1915, was the SA-1. The SA-2 was an improvement which first flew on 21st May of that same year. The SA-2's 110 h.p. engine often suffered with overheating, so the design reverted to the SA-1's 80 h.p. Le Rhone in the SA-4, with the same engine being retrofitted to some SA-2s. Other changes in the SA-4 included dispensing with the lower ailerons on the narrower chord lower wings and a larger tailplane to eliminate the need for a bungee to help with trimming.

This front nacelle approach was not without its setbacks. Communication between the pilot and the observer/gunner was nigh-on impossible. The pulpit (as it was known in English) or basket (as it was referred to in Russian) was prone to vibration; in several cases it parted company from the rest of the aircraft whilst in flight, with the inevitable tragic consequences. Like many pushers, it also put the occupant at risk of being crushed in even a relatively mild crash or "nose-over" on take-off or landing. A British evaluation of the type suggested "it would be expensive in observers if flown by indifferent pilots".

The SA had a short and inauspicious career in the French Aviation Militaire, and it was quickly replaced in service by less dangerous aircraft with more effective firing mechanisms. Those that the French took on were seldom used, and it was never highly regarded enough to supply the entire equipment of an escadrille. Indeed, their value to the French increased only at the point the Imperial Russian Air Service stepped in to purchase them! The IRAS operated some 57 SPAD SA-2s and SA-4s for a significantly longer period of time, mainly due to a shortage of better aircraft. Russian models had minor structural differences to the top wing, incorporating a separate centre section rather than each wing panel being joined along the centre-line. During winter operations, they were fitted with skis instead of wheels.

Although the Russian crews similarly thought very little of the SA (an attitude not helped by the acronym SPAD also meaning "slump" or "plummet" in Russian), at least two crews achieved successes with it. On November 25 1916, Russian pilot Karpov and his gunner, Bratolyubov Jurij Aleksandrovich, claimed a German aircraft near the village of Vulka. At least one example survived to be used briefly by the Workers' and Peasants' Red Air Fleet before all obsolete types were withdrawn from service.

For all its quirks and many failings, the SA did allow Béchereau to learn some valuable lessons; many of the SA's features were incorporated into later, more effective aircraft - most notably the S-VII and S-XIII.

I really enjoyed this build (WIP thread here for the sufficiently curious), despite the trials offered by Amodel's somewhat relaxed attitude to mould quality and PART's even more relaxed attitude to the instructions accompanying its otherwise very good PE fret. A few slips and trips along the way, but that's part of why we all do this hobby is it not! My choice of marking for this model were, I accept, a little on the fanciful side - I've been unable to locate any actual photos of this particular aircraft type bearing these markings, however it is at least feasible that it could have happened!

 

Here then, finally, are some photos I managed to take today, I hope you enjoy them:

 

 

 

 

Comments and criticisms as ever, most welcome!

 

 

Edited January 4, 2019 by clive_t
Included link to WIP thread

[Baldy]

An exquisite model from an iffy looking kit. Love it! It looks as delicate as the original would seem! What an extraordinary concept - no way on earth you would get me up in one of those!

 

Cheers

 

Malcolm

[Uncle Pete]

Nice work, very nice.  👍  The inclusion of the detachable "basket" on so small a model took some guts, I'm sure.  Moving parts in general are a bit tricky to pull off and that one looks a bit trickier than most.  I'm totally unfamiliar with the plane itself... Looks like the designer had a hangover when he sat down at the drawing board!

[Courageous]

I still wouldn't like to be the gunner with that engine behind me.

 

Stuart.

[Uncle Pete]

8 minutes ago, Courageous said:

I still wouldn't like to be the gunner with that engine behind me.

I have a mental image of shell casings bouncing off the prop and peppering the poor devil on the back of his neck!

[Courageous]

...and those top supports preventing the front end look a little suspect too.

 

Stuart 

[russ c]

Great job on a very unusual `plane, really nice work

[Buzby061]

A fantastic result, especially in 1/72nd.

 

I seem to remember another designer tried a similar approach but can't remember who it was.

 

Pete

[clive_t]

Thanks all for your kind comments, much appreciated.

2 hours ago, Uncle Pete said:

I have a mental image of shell casings bouncing off the prop and peppering the poor devil on the back of his neck!

It appears that the Hochkiss machine gun had a small leather satchel on the side of the gun where the spent cartridges were expelled, presumably to catch them and thereby prevent such unpleasantness - ironically, the Amodel kit provides this!

[Spitfire31]

Fantastic model of the grubbiest obscene contraption I can remember seeing! And likewise a fantastic and highly entertaining story about the ill-conceived machine.

 

Understatement of the day: "it would be expensive in observers if flown by indifferent pilots" 😄

 

However "The IRAS operated some 57 SPAD SA-2s and SA-4s for a significantly longer period of time, mainly due to a shortage of better aircraft." Also a cheap and plentiful supply of observers?

 

Wonderful work!

 

Kind regards,

 

Joachim

[John Masters]

Nicely done Clive.  I have watched this from the start and am happy to see it finished!  When I built this kit (twice, I think) I found it as fascinating as you have.  What a bizarre and terrifying aircraft!  Bravo!

[clive_t]

Thanks Joachim and John for your most kind comments