Blériot-SPAD S.56

The Blériot- SPAD S.56 was a double -decker passenger plane by the French manufacturer Blériot Aéronautique for up to seven passengers.

General

The aircraft was a further development of the Blériot- SPAD S.33. A prototype, called S.56 / 1, was launched on February 3, 1923 for its first flight. Motorized she was a Gnome -Rhone Jupiter radial engine 9Aa with an output of 280 kW ( 380 hp).

The engine had compared to P.33 Changes to the seat arrangement for the passengers and a second hatch. But we have retained the unusual arrangement of the open cockpit for the pilot and a passenger behind the passenger cabin in the fuselage.

Another unique piece was in 1925 p.56 / 2, motorized with a Gnome -Rhone Jupiter radial engine 9Ab. This engine had an output of 294 kW (400 hp).

In 1926 (first flight June 14 ) followed by the S.56 / 3, again like the motorized p.56 / 1 with a Gnome -Rhone Jupiter radial engine 9Aa and an improved chassis. From this version Bleriot produced a total of 8 copies.

On October 25, 1926, p.56 / 4 had its maiden flight. The most serious change was the arrangement of the cockpit, which in this variant now conventionally in front of the passenger area was located, ie in the region of the front half of the upper wing. Therefore, it was necessary to slightly raise the upper wing and the passenger cabin to move to the rear. The S.56 / 4 had space for seven passengers, six places in the hull and a place in an open cockpit next to the pilot. In addition, p.56 / 4 now had four portholes on each side of the fuselage ( the predecessor models P.33 had three per side). In addition, the wing lower in this variant had a slight sweep to the rear.

Were built by the S.56 / 4 8 copies, and two machines of the type p.56 / 3 were rebuilt and redrawn on the standard of S.56 / 4. Five copies of S.56 / 4 were used by the airlines Air Union and CIDNA.

The six engines of the type p.56 / 5 from 1928 were converted p.56 / 3 The modification extended to the passenger compartment, which was now divided into two compartments for four passengers in the front area and two in the area behind. The rear area could easily be converted to a cargo compartment.

In 1929 (first flight September 6th ) yet emerged two copies of the variant p.56 / 6 In this embodiment, the pilot cockpit was back in the rear part of the fuselage, also could accommodate only four passengers in the hull the machine. This was because these machines have not been used as a transport aircraft, but was mainly used by the owner, the company Air - Publicité for banner towing.

Construction

The Blériot- SPAD S.56 is a einstieliger biplane. The lower wing was shorter run than the upper, the upper wing were distinctly arrow-shaped, the lower on the other hand stood at right angles to the fuselage ( in the variant p.56 / 4: slight tapering of the lower wing to the rear). The ailerons were located on the lower wing. The machine had a two-wheeled chassis, and tail skid.

Specifications ( P.56 / 4)

• Civilian aircraft type
• Single Engine aircraft