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Spad XIII Escadrille SPA 3 – Legends In Flight

Original price was: $69.95.Current price is: $48.97.

SKU: QHA1014 Categories: Hallmark Collectibles, Legends in Flight

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QHA1014 – Legends in Flight
MINT IN BOX

Numbered Edition 644/12,500
Retired 12/01
Special Features: Propellers Spin, Wheels Turn, diecast
Scale 1:48
5 1/4″ L x 6 1/4″ W x 2 1/8″ H

Georges Guynemer-France’s “Ace”

During World War 1, when powered flight was relatively newm, planes such as the SPAD XIII were a “work in progress’ and obviously weren’t as reliable as today’s machjines. For this reason , WW1 pilots were often considered daring and fearless. Regarded as knights of the skies, the pilots were honored for their exciting and spectacular feats in the defense of their country, Only the best survived, and so born the “Ace”.

One of the most beloved French aces was Georges Guynemer. Known as an excellent marksman and highly skilled pilotm, Guynemer was also famous for his chivalry in battle. Guynemer is said to have spared the life of German ace Ernst Udet by breaking away after seeing Udet struggling to clear his jammed guns. Guynemer flew a variety of planes and was one of the first to fly the SPAD VII and SPAD XII. Most of Buynemer’s planes carried several distinct markings-most notably,m an image of a stork, the insignia for his squadron. Many of his planes also carried the number 2, his assigned numberm, and the phrase “Vieux Charles” (Old Charles). the phrase appeared on a Nieuport X that he inherited from a pilot named Charles Bonnard, who was transferred to Serbia. It is believed that Guynemer kept the phrase on the Nieuport and had it added to several of his future planes for good luck. No records have been found that show the phrase appearing on this plane.

After scoring 53 victories (downed planes), Guynemer’s luck appeared to run out on September 11, 1917, when he failed to return from a mission. After disappearing in his SPAD XIII, a French paper reported, “He ascended and never came back, that is all. Perhaps our descendants will say he flew so high that he could not come down again.” Before long, however, German forces found his downed plane and verified it by producing Guynemer’s personal idenity card, which was later returned to France.