In August 1916 units of the front in WWI began receiving the SPAD VII.C1 (C1 indicating that the plane was a single-seat chasseur. It replaced the Nieuport 17 as the primary scout for the French Air Service and was soon adopted by the British as well. Although disadvantaged by poor forward and downward views from the cockpit, the SPAD VII was fast, durable and difficult to shoot down. A good performer, it was flown by nearly all the French aces in WWI.

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The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugged aircraft with good climbing and diving characteristics. It was also a stable gun platform, although pilots used to the more manoeuvrable Nieuport fighters found it heavy on the controls. It was flown by a number of the famous aces, such as France's Georges Guynemer and Italy's Francesco Baracca.

Numerous experiments were made with new equipment or engines in the hope of improving the SPAD VII's already excellent performance. A Renault V8 150-hp powerplant was tested but required some major redesign and the resulting performance was not considered worthwhile. A supercharged Hispano-Suiza engine was also tested, and also failed to improve performance by any significant proportion. It also appears different wing profiles were tested; the results of these experiments is not very clear but they were not incorporated in production models. One interesting field modification was applied in Czechoslovakia after the war when the undercarriage struts of one S.VII were faired over in an attempt to reduce drag and increase maximum speed. Some aircraft were also fitted with a spinner, probably salvaged from a Nieuport fighter. Whether this improved performance or created engine cooling problems is unknown.

Very early in the development of the S.VII, the British RFC and RNAS had shown an interest in the new scout. An initial order for 30 aircraft was made but difficulties in early production were such that the delivery rate was very low, production being barely enough for French units alone. As the RFC was encountering an increasing opposition over the Front, measures were taken to set up production of the S.VII in the United Kingdom. Blériot & SPAD Aircraft Works and Mann, Egerton & Co. Ltd. were supplied with plans and sample aircraft and ordered to initiate production as soon as possible.

The first British-built S.VII was flown and tested in April 1917, and the first aircraft was reported to have performance equal to that of French models. There were however differences between the two types. The British were worried about the light armament of the S.VII: most German fighters were now carrying two guns and various experiments were made to fit an extra machine gun on the S.VII. One aircraft was fitted with an extra Lewis machine gun on the top wing and tested at Martlesham Heath in May 1917, while frontline units also made field modifications with Foster mounts as used on the S.E.5. The resulting drop in performance was considered too drastic for the installation to become standard, and only a few machines used it.

Other distinguishing features of the British-built S.VIIs included a gun fairing and a solid cowling access panel. The gun fairing partially covered the gun and extended rearwards, replacing the windshield. This, however, seriously limited pilot vision to the front and, though it was retained on training aircraft, standing orders were given to have it removed on aircraft destined to frontline units in France. The bulged engine access panel located under the exhaust pipe on British models was made of a solid sheet of metal, in place of the louvered panel fitted on French production models. Some British SPADs were also fitted with small spinners on the prop hub.

It quickly became apparent that the British production lines of the S.VII had lower quality standards than their French counterparts, resulting in aircraft with lower performances and handling. Poor fabric sewing, fragile tailskids and radiators of insufficient effectiveness plagued the British SPADs. Photographic evidence shows that a number of British SPADs had the cylinder banks fairings, or even the entire upper engine cowling, cut out to compensate for the ill-functioning radiators. Most British S.VIIs were used for training purposes, frontline units being equipped with French-built models. After some 220 aircraft had been produced, British production of the S.VII was halted in favour of better British types that were becoming available.

In a similar fashion, Russia produced approximately 100 S.VIIs under license in 1917 at the Duks factory in Moscow, with engines supplied by France. It would appear the engines were often used and/or of lower quality, and that the Duks factory used lower-grade material in building the airframes. This combination of extra weight and weaker powerplant resulted in aircraft with significantly lowered performance.

The total number of aircraft produced seems uncertain, sources varying from 3,825 to some 5,600 SPAD S.VIIs built in France, 220 in the United Kingdom and approximately 100 in Russia.

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