The Loehle SPAD XIII is an American single-seat

ultralight aircraft Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1- or 2-seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight-shift control and Aircraft flight control system, conventional three-a ...

scale replica of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

SPAD XIII The SPAD S.XIII is a French biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War, developed by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) from the earlier and highly successful SPAD S.VII. During early 1917, the French designer Louis Bé ...

fighter produced in kit form by

Loehle Aircraft Loehle Aircraft Corporation (pronounced "Low-lee") was an aircraft manufacturer located in Wartrace, Tennessee, that produced aircraft kits and a complete line of paints for all types of aircraft, including metal, composite and fabric covered.Dow ...

for amateur construction. The aircraft meets the requirements of the US

FAR 103 Ultralight Vehicles Ultralight aircraft exist outside of the United States. In most countries, ultralights are a class of aircraft. A completely different legal concept is valid within the USA. The FAA makes explicitly clear that ultralight vehicles are not air ...

regulations when equipped with a lightweight engine.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft Shopper's Guide'' 8th Edition, page B-44. Cybair Limited Publishing, 2001. Downey, Julia: ''1999 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 15, Number 12, December 1998, page 56. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2001 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 17, Number 12, December 2000, page 60. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2002 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 18, Number 12, December 2001, page 52. Kitplanes Acquisition Company. ISSN 0891-1851Newby-Gonzalez, Tori: ''2004 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 20, Number 12, December 2003, page 66. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2005 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 21, Number 12, December 2004, page 69. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Downey, Julia: ''2008 Kit Aircraft Directory'', Kitplanes, Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, page 61. Primedia Publications. ISSN 0891-1851Purdy, Don: ''AeroCrafter - Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook'', page 203. BAI Communications. Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 60. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851

Design and development

The SPAD XIII is built predominantly from riveted

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

tubing and

stainless steel Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES), or rustless steel, is an iron-based alloy that contains chromium, making it resistant to rust and corrosion. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion comes from its chromi ...

gussets and stamped aluminum

wing rib In an aircraft, ribs are forming elements of the airframe structure of a wing, especially in traditional construction. By analogy with the anatomical definition of "rib", the ribs attach to the main spar, and by being repeated at frequent inter ...

s, all covered in doped

aircraft fabric Aircraft fabric covering is a term used for both the material used and the process of covering aircraft open structures. It is also used for reinforcing closed plywood structures. The de Havilland Mosquito is an example of this technique, as are ...

. The landing gear is of conventional configuration, with a tail skid. For scale requirements the cockpit is only wide. The standard engine recommended for the design is the out-of-production

Rotax 277 The Rotax 277 is a , Single-cylinder engine, single-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, that was built by Rotax, BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catalog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge ...

, with the also out-of-production

Rotax 377 The Rotax 377 is a , twin-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, that was built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catalog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. Development Th ...

as an option. Other recommended engines include the

Rotax 447 The Rotax 447 is a , inline 2-cylinder, two-stroke aircraft engine, built by BRP-Rotax GmbH & Co. KG of Austria for use in ultralight aircraft.Raisner, William: ''LEAF catalog'', pages 6-105. Leading Edge Airfoils, 1995. Design and developme ...

and

2si 2si was an American engine manufacturer located in Beaufort, South Carolina. The company was a wholly owned subsidiary of the AMW Cuyuna Engine Company, formerly known as the ''Cuyuna Development Company''.Cliche, Andre: ''Ultralight Aircraft S ...

powerplants, both also out of production. Kit options include brakes and a long-range fuel tank. The initial aircraft in the line is a scale replica of the

. The same basic

airframe The mechanical structure of an aircraft is known as the airframe. This structure is typically considered to include the fuselage, undercarriage, empennage and wings, and excludes the propulsion system. Airframe design is a field of aeros ...

has been developed, though the use of different rudders,

wingtip A wing tip (or wingtip) is the part of the wing that is most distant from the fuselage of a fixed-wing aircraft. Because the wing tip shape influences the size and drag of the wingtip vortices, tip design has produced a diversity of sha ...

s, cowlings and other minor cosmetic differences, into replicas of other First World War

fighter aircraft Fighter aircraft (early on also ''pursuit aircraft'') are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air supremacy, air superiority of the battlespace. Domina ...

. Reviewer Andre Cliche says about the SPAD XIII, that it "looks like a museum piece. But imagine that you can fly this museum piece and feel what the WWI pilots felt when they flew their war machines." Reviewers Roy Beisswenger and Marino Boric wrote in a 2015 review, "the kit is very complete and builder-friendly, leaving you only the fabric covering, the paintwork and the fitting of the engine and instruments before you take off for your dawn patrol."Tacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 115. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

Variants

;SPAD XIII :Version as a replica of the

, with six flying by the end of 2011.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 108. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X ;SE5a :Version as a replica of the

SE5a The Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5 is a British biplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. It was developed at the Royal Aircraft Factory by a team consisting of Henry Folland, John Kenworthy and Major Frank Goodden. It was one of the fast ...

, with seven flying by the end of 2011. ;Fokker DVII :Version as a replica of the

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII is a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the '' Fokker-Flugzeugwerke''. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII ...

, with three flying by the end of 2011.

Specifications (SPAD XIII)

References

External links

Official website archived page
on

Archive.org The Internet Archive is an American non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including websites, software applic ...

{{Loehle Aircraft 1990s United States ultralight aircraft Spad Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft Homebuilt aircraft