| Developed in parallel with the Type 51, the Bleriot
SPAD 61 was actually flown before the earlier-numbered
model, the prototype being tested first on 6
November 1923. A single-bay staggered biplane with
fabric-covered metal wings and a wooden monocoque
fuselage, it was powered by a 12-cylinder W-type Lorraine-
Dietrich LO 12Ew engine of 450hp. Production
orders were placed on behalf of both Poland (250) and
Romania (100), for the Type 61-2, which appeared in
1925 carrying an armament of two synchronised
7.7mm MAC (Vickers) machine guns. A further 30 Bleriot
SPAD 61-2s were built under licence in Poland from
1927 by CWL (Centralne Warsztaty Lotnicze) and its
successor PZL (Panstwowe Zaklady Lotnicze). Variants
that progressed no further than the prototype stage included
the Type 61-3 which reverted to the metal wing structure of the original Type 61-1 (the production Type
61-2 having a wooden wing), and had four 7.7mm
Darne machine guns and increased fuel tankage. First
flown on 9 May 1925, it was intended to participate in
the 1925 fighter trials. Re-engined with a 480hp Lorraine-
Dietrich LO 12Ee, it flew on 6 June 1925 as the
Type 61-4. Three examples of the Type 61-5 were built,
powered by the 450hp Hispano-Suiza HS 12Gb engine. The first of these was flown on 13 May 1925, and one
was supplied to Turkey. The second Type 61-5 flew on 9
September 1927 as the Type 61-8 after being re-engined
with a 500hp HS 12Hb engine, and the final fighter
derivative was the Type 61SES built for Polish evaluation.
This differed from earlier models in being a sesquiplane
with a swept upper wing. The Type 61SES was
flown on 1 May 1926, but proved to have inferior
characteristics to those of the standard Type 61-2.
 | A three-view drawing (1665 x 1225) |
MODEL | S.61-2 |
CREW | 1 |
ENGINE | 1 x 450hp Lorraine 12 Eb |
WEIGHTS |
Take-off weight | 1565 kg | 3450 lb |
Empty weight | 1055 kg | 2326 lb |
DIMENSIONS |
Wingspan | 9.61 m | 32 ft 6 in |
Length | 6.78 m | 22 ft 3 in |
Height | 2.80 m | 9 ft 2 in |
Wing area | 29.30 m2 | 315.38 sq ft |
PERFORMANCE |
Max. speed | 238 km/h | 148 mph |
Cruise speed | 220 km/h | 137 mph |
Ceiling | 7500 m | 24600 ft |
Range | 400 km | 249 miles |
ARMAMENT | 2 x 7.7mm |
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