Blériot-SPAD S.81

__NOTOC__ Infobox Aircraft
name=S.81


caption=
type=Fighter
manufacturer=Blériot
designer=André Herbémont
first flight=13 March 1923
introduced=
retired=
status=
primary user=French Air Force
more users=
produced=
number built= ca. 85
variants with their own articles=The Blériot-SPAD S.81 was a French fighter aircraft developed in 1923 to a requirement by the French Air Force. It was flown competitively against the Dewoitine D.1 and was selected over that aircraft due to the Dewoitine's more radical design, leading to an order for 80 aircraft. The S.81 was a single-bay biplane of conventional configuration with I-shaped interplane struts and lacking Herbémont's usual swept upper wing. It featured a wooden fuselage of monocoque construction and metal wings skinned in fabric. Production versions differed from the prototypes in having a lengthened fuselage and larger tail fin.

Variants

* S.81.01 - two prototypes, second used for static tests only

* S.81/1 - production version designated S.81 C.1 in air force service

** S.81-"bis" - single example of racer version developed for the Coupe Michelin race. Performance poor.

* S.81/2 - single machine to evaluate alternative radiator design

* S.81/3 - single machine to evaluate alternative radiator design

* S.81/4 - single machine to evaluate wooden wing design

* S.81/6 - racer converted from the S.81-"bis"

Operators

;FRA
* French Air Force
** 2ème Fighter Regiment

pecifications (S.81/1)

aerospecs
met or eng?= met

crew=one pilot
capacity=
length m=6.40
length ft=21
length in=0
span m=9.61
span ft=31
span in=6
dia m=
dia ft=
dia in=
height m=2.90
height ft=9
height in=6
wing area sqm=30.0
wing area sqft=323
rot area sqm=
rot area sqft=
aspect ratio=
empty weight kg=846
empty weight lb=1,865
gross weight kg=1,266
gross weight lb=2,791

eng1 number=1
eng1 type=Hispano-Suiza 8Fb inline engine
eng1 kw= 224
eng1 hp= 300
eng1 kn=
eng1 lbf=
eng1 kn-ab=
eng1 lbf-ab=
eng2 number=
eng2 type=
eng2 kw=
eng2 hp=
eng2 kn=
eng2 lbf=
eng2 kn-ab=
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max speed kmh=240
max speed mph=149
max speed mach=
cruise speed kmh=
cruise speed mph=
range km=500
range miles=311
endurance h=
endurance min=
ceiling m=
ceiling ft=
glide ratio=
climb rate ms=6.0
climb rate ftmin=1,180
sink rate ms=
sink rate ftmin=

armament1=2 × fixed, forward-firing .303 Vickers machine guns
armament2=
armament3=
armament4=
armament5=
armament6=

References

*
*
* [http://www.aviafrance.com/128.htm aviafrance.com]

ee also

aircontent

related=

similar aircraft=

sequence=
* ← S.70 - S.71 - S.72 - S.81 - S.82 - S.86 - S.91 →

lists=

see also=