The first fighter in the SPAD line to receive the Bleriot SPAD designation was the Bleriot SPAD 41, designed by Andre Herbemont and essentially a single-seat derivative of the SPAD S.XX two-seater of 1918. Powered by a 300hp Hispano-Suiza HS 8Fb eight-cylinder water-cooled engine with two individual Lamblin radiators in place of the familiar circular frontal radiator, the Bleriot SPAD 41 was a staggered single-bay biplane with a sweptback upper wing and unswept lower wing. It featured a wooden monocoque fuselage.
The prototype first flew at Buc on 17 July 1922, but official evaluation revealed an inadequate service ceiling and no production was ordered, the aircraft subsequently being modified for racing.
S.41
CREW 1
Engine: 1 x 300hp Hispano-Suiza 8Fb
Take-off weight: 1307 kg / 2881 lb
Empty weight: 887 kg / 1956 lb
Wingspan: 8.68 m / 29 ft 6 in
Length: 6.65 m / 22 ft 10 in
Height: 2.76 m / 9 ft 1 in
Wing area: 26.40 sq.m / 284.17 sq ft
Max. speed: 238 km/h / 148 mph
Cruise speed: 205 km/h / 127 mph
Ceiling: 6850 m / 22450 ft
Armament: 2 x 7.7mm
All Aero 