The Blériot-SPAD S.34 was a French twin-seat, single-engine
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
flight training aircraft designed in 1920. The side-by-side seating arrangement was unique for its time. 150 aircraft were built, 125 for the
French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...
, who used them until 1936.
The
Finnish Air Force purchased two S.34s in 1921. Due to inadequate maintenance they did not last long and were withdrawn from service by 1925.
Variants
; Bleriot-SPAD S.34-1
: First Bleriot-SPAD S.34 prototype.
; Bleriot-SPAD S.34-2
: Second Bleriot-SPAD S.34 prototype.
; Bleriot-SPAD S.34-3
: Third Bleriot-SPAD S.34 prototype.
; Bleriot-SPAD S.34
: Two-seat primary trainer biplane.
; Bleriot-SPAD S.34 bis
: Improved variant, powered by a 130-hp (97-kW)
Clêrget 9B rotary piston engine. Three were built for the Aéronavale.
Operators
;
*
Aéronautique Militaire - (119 aircraft)
*
Aéronavale - (6 S.34-''bis'' aircraft)
*
Blériot flying school Blériot may refer to:
* Louis Blériot, a French aviation pioneer
* Blériot Aéronautique, an aircraft manufacturer founded by Louis Blériot
* Blériot-Whippet, a car
* Bleriot (moonlet), a propeller moonlet in Saturn's A Ring
* 11248 Blériot ...
- (16 aircraft)
;
* (6 aircraft)
;
*
Finnish Air Force - (2 aircraft)
;
*
Bolivian Air Force (1 aircraft)
Specification (S.34)
References
*
* Keskinen, Kalevi; Partonen, Kyösti and Stenman, Kari: ''Suomen Ilmavoimat I 1918-27'', 2005. .
* Keskinen, Kalevi; Stenman, Kari and Niska, Klaus: ''Suomen ilmavoimien lentokoneet 1918-1939'', Tietoteos, 1976.
*
External links
"1921 Paris Air Salon: SPAD 34"''FLIGHT'', November 24, 1921, page 778 for photo and page 779 for description
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bleriot-Spad S.34
Blériot aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Biplanes
1920s French military trainer aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1920
Rotary-engined aircraft