SPAD S.XII

The SPAD S.XII, or SPAD 12, was a French single-seat biplane fighter of the First World War developed from the SPAD S.VII by Louis Béchereau. It was inspired by the ace Georges Guynemer, who proposed a manoeuvrable single-seater able to carry a 37 mm cannon. A geared 220 horsepower Hispano-Suiza 8Cb engine allowed a Puteaux semi-automatic cannon to fire through the propeller hub, and a Vickers machine gun was also fitted. Guynemer test flew it and early aircraft were successful, but the cannon was difficult to aim and reload and filled the cockpit with fumes. Deliveries were slow because the S.VII and S.XIII had priority, and of 300 ordered only about 20 were produced, issued one or two to a squadron for the most skilled pilots.