61
Blériot Spad 510 were made during the short career of this aircraft
finally without great qualities
To
date, out of the 61 Bleriot-Spad
manufactured, 20 are listed in the list below :
The Blériot-Spad
is the result of a program of 1930 to renovate the Fighter Aviation.
It is the only one of all the competing aircraft, (Loire 43, Mureaux
170, Morane Saulnier MS325, ...) to adopt the formula biplane.
Designed by André Herbemont of the Blériot Sté, it is entirely
metallic with a monocoque fuselage in Duralumin while the wings
and tail fins are covered. It is equipped with a Hispano-Suiza
engine 12Xbrs of 690 hp.
The Blériot company
having financial difficulties, it was not until January 6, 1933
that the prototype made its first flight. Despite satisfactory
performances, the Blériot Spad 510 undergoes modifications : the
fuselage extends by 40 cm to improve the longitudinal stability
and the vertical tail is enlarged to improve the yaw behavior.
It also receives equipment for the night flight, as well as a
radio.
The career of this
aircraft could have stopped there: after a test, the plane is
declared "Dangerous" due to an untimely spinning. It was only
after a series of 78 spins carried out without incident that the
doubts were lifted and the plane ordered in series, for 60 specimens.
The first Spad 510 was delivered in early 1936, and the GC II
/ 7 (7 Wing) received its first aircraft on April 15, 1937, much
to late for an aircraft whose program dates back to 1930 ...
An acrobatic patrol
of 21 aircraft, led by Commander René Weiser of GC II / 7, then
traveled to France for acrobatics demonstrations under the name
"Patrouille WEISER". The aircraft is gradually removed from the
first-line units, replaced by Morane 406 in particular. In September
1939, there were still 49 in service: 13 in the fighter Schools,
5 still in 7 Wing, and 31 in the Regional Fighter Squadrons. They
equip during the funny war the ERC 4/561 of Le Havre and ERC 3/561
of Villacoublay.
In May 1940, there
are still 42 Blériot Spad 510, 21 of them in a fighter school.
This plane, old-fashioned, fortunately never knew the fighting,
and the 14 aircraft still present at the armistice will be quickly
scrapped.
