The Spad A Series
By Matt Bittner
Authors: Jack Herris & David Méchin
Publisher: Aeronaut Books
ISBN: 978-1-964637-49-5
Binding: Softcover
Pages: 124
This is truly the year for the Spad at Aeronaut books. First, the Spad 12 book was published (which I hope to pick up soon), followed by this book on the A series. Here's hoping they continue with more; it's been quite a few years since they published their book on the two-seaters, 11 and 16, so maybe that will be reissued as well. Again, here's hoping. In any event, this book on the A series (also known as the "pulpit fighters") is broken out into the following chapters:
- Introduction
- Synchronized Machine Guns and Alternatives
- Spad S.A. Prototype
- Spad S.A.1
- Spad S.A.2
- Spad S.A.3 & Other Spad A Derivatives
- Spad S.A.4
- Spad S.A.4 (and S.A.2) in Russia
- Notes on Spad S.A. Types
- Summary
- Color Profiles
- Spad S.A.2 Drawing
- Spad S.A.4 Drawing
Many, many moons ago Albatros Productions released a Mini-Datafile on the Spad A series aircraft. This book by far surpasses it and is a must if these unusual aircraft interest you in any way. The book starts off by discussing the early-war problem of trying to fire a gun in front of the aircraft and not shoot the propeller. One way that issue was dealt with was putting the gun - and gunner - in front of the engine, which is how the A Series Spad was produced. Personally, I wouldn't get into the gondola the gun was housed because if the machine, while landing, did a nose-over, you were sunk. But it was still a unique approach to a problem that no longer existed in 1915, once the synchronizer was finalized.
While my book has quite the number of spelling and grammatical errors, I was assured by the publisher these were fixed in subsequent printings. So overall this is a worthy book to those that are either into all Spads (it was the A series that lent its design to the Spad 7 and Spad 13) or specifically the Spad A series. There are plenty of photographs outlining the entire series of aircraft, and David Méchin provides plenty of color profiles to satiate most modeler's tastes.
Modeling wise the aircraft hasn't been well served in other than 1/72. In 1/48th there were the Sierra Scale kit as a vacuum-formed kit, and Spin did a kit in resin, but that's it. In 1/72 the Spad A series was catered for by Rosemont Hobby shop and Omega Models in resin; and probably still available, in injection-plastic by Amodel. I have built that kit and it requires quite a bit of modeling and your best bet is to pick up the Part photoetch set meant for the kit.
This book is highly recommended for those interested in SPAD, or the Spad A series specifically.
You can order the book in paperback and digital on Amazon.