Word: spad
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...Hispano-Suiza motcur canon (TIME, Jan. 11 and March 8) which taxed the credulity of one of your correspondents, is no novelty in air warfare. Precisely such a weapon, of 37 mm. calibre, was mounted in the shaft of the 300 h.p. Spad supplied to leading French pursuit pilots, back in September, 1918. De Turenne, my escadrille commander, had one. So did foremost French ace Fonck, who on one occasion had fired the canon, was easing away in a power dive to shake off some Fokkers behind him when one of the empty 37 mm. shell cases jammed his stick...
...motcur canon had other drawbacks. Being a single-loader, it was hard to handle a Spad, keep a weather eye around and keep the canon fed. The fuses were supersensitive, for balloon work, likely to explode if poked hastily into the gun in the excitement of a brawl. If the pilot was not to miss with his single shell, he had to climb practically aboard the enemy plane before firing. If the Spanish Loyalists insist on World War ordnance, they might be better pleased with the 11 mm. Vickers-AIaxim machine gun, which heaved incendiary slugs of impressive size...