Deperdussin

Armand Deperdussin, a wealthy French silk merchant, founded his aircraft company, the ‘Société Pour les Appareils Deperdussin’ (SPAD), at Bétheny near Reims in France in 1910.

He employed the designer, Louis Béchereau, and a graduate engineer, Andre Herbemont, to develop a series of wire braced, shoulder wing monoplanes of lightweight construction, which soon began to include partial – then fully – monocoque fuselages. A pair of king posts was used to carry bracing wires to support the slender wings which could be warped to provide lateral control.

In a matter of months Béchereau and Herbemont had created the world’s fastest pre WWI aeroplane. But, at the height of these successes, the Deperdussin company collapsed due to a financial scandal involving Armand Deperdussin and was taken over by Louis Blériot who preserved its initials and re-named it ‘Société Pour l’Aviation et ses Derives’. This was the company responsible for the famous WWI SPAD series of fighter aircraft.

About this aircraft

An early example, believed to be the 43rd Deperdussin built in 1910. It was used at Hendon until sold in damaged condition in 1914 to A E Grimmer, who repaired and then flew it from the polo ground near Bedford.

When acquired by Richard Shuttleworth in 1936 it was in poor condition and was renovated at Old Warden to fly again in 1937. It was stored throughout WWII but has since often flown on display days, in calm weather, and is normally restricted to straight hops.

Specification