The Blériot-SPAD S.56 was a family of

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

airliner An airliner is a type of airplane for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. The modern and most common variant of the airliner is a long, tube shaped, and jet powered aircraft. The largest ...

s developed in the 1920s as various refinements of the S.33 design. All S.56 versions shared two new features: the first was a newly designed, all-metal wing, replacing the wooden wing of earlier related designs and the second was a redesigned passenger cabin, replacing the S.33's four single seats in a row with two rows of double seats. A second access door was also added.

Variants

;S.56/1:basic version with Salmson CM.9

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...

and later a Gnome & Rhône 9Aa. 1 built. (author obtained from https://www.ab-ix.co.uk/firstfiles.html) ;S.56/2:similar to the S.56/1, with a Gnome & Rhône 9Ab engine. 1 built. ;S.56/3:similar to S.56/2 with improved landing gear and Gnome & Rhône 9Aa engine. 8 built. ;S.56/4:major

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

revision;

cockpit A cockpit or flight deck is the area, on the front part of an aircraft, spacecraft, or submersible, from which a pilot controls the vehicle. The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the controls th ...

relocated between engine and passenger cabin (in all previous S.33 derivatives, it had been aft of the cabin) and an extra double seat added to the cabin, increasing internal passenger capacity to six. Powered by Gnome & Rhône 9Ady engines. 8 built, plus 2 modified from S.56/3s. ;S.56/5:revised passenger cabin with four seats located in one compartment, and two in a second compartment that could be quickly converted to a freight hold. 2 built, plus 6 modified from S.56/3s and 2 from S.56/4s. ;S.56/6:similar to S.56/3 but customised for

banner towing Aerial advertising is a form of advertising that incorporates the use of flogos, manned aircraft, or drones to create, transport, or display, advertising media. The media can be ''static'', such as a banner, logo, lighted sign or sponsorship ...

for the Air Publicité company, powered by a Gnome & Rhône 9Ab engine. 2 built; one ended up as a transport in the

Spanish Republican Air Force The Spanish Republican Air Force was the air arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939. Initially divided into two branches: Military Aeronautics () and Naval Aeron ...

during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

Operators

; *

Air Union Air Union was a French airline established on 1 January 1923, as the result of a merger between the airlines '' Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes'' and '' Compagnie des Grands Express Aériens''. Air Union was merged with four other French ai ...

(S.56/3, S.56/4) * CIDNA (S.56/1, S.56/3, S.56/4, S.56/5) ; *

(S.56/6)

Specifications (S.56/4)

References

External links

Aviastar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bleriot-Spad S.56 1920s French airliners Single-engined tractor aircraft Biplanes Blériot aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1923

Variants

Operators

Specifications (S.56/4)

See also

References

Further reading

External links