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 (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...

, who used them until 1936. The

Finnish Air Force The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; ; ) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions. The Finnish Air ...

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 Due to inadequate maintenance they did not last long and were withdrawn from service by 1925.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 The Clerget 9B is a nine-cylinder rotary aircraft engine of the World War I era designed by Pierre Clerget. Manufactured in both France and Great Britain (Gwynnes Limited), it was used on such aircraft as the Sopwith Camel. The Clerget 9Bf was ...

rotary piston engine. Three were built for the Aéronavale.

Operators

; *

Aéronautique Militaire The French Air and Space Force (, , ) is the air force, air and space force of the French Armed Forces. Formed in 1909 as the ("Aeronautical Service"), a service arm of the French Army, it became an independent military branch in 1934 as the Fr ...

- (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 E ...

- (16 aircraft) ; * (6 aircraft) ; *

- (2 aircraft) ; *

Bolivian Air Force The Bolivian Air Force (BAF; or 'FAB') is the air force of Bolivia and branch of the Bolivian Armed Forces. History By 1938 the Bolivian air force consisted of about 60 aircraft ( Curtiss Hawk fighters, Curtiss T-32 Condor II and Junkers ...

(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