SPAD S.VII Cabruna & Ruffo – Photos & Video

Photo gallery of a SPAD S.VII Cabruna & Ruffo, The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by Société Pour L’Aviation et ses Dérivés (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rugged aircraft with good climbing and diving characteristics. It was also a stable gun platform, although pilots used to the more manoeuvrable Nieuport fighters found it heavy on the controls. It was flown by a number of the famous aces, such as France’s Georges Guynemer, Italy’s Francesco Baracca and Australia’s Alexander Pentland.

Source: SPAD S.VII Cabruna & Ruffo on Wiki

The SPAD S.VII Cabruna & Ruffo was a variant of the French SPAD S.VII fighter aircraft that was used by the Italian Air Force during World War I. It was named after its pilots, Guido Cabruna and Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, who were both aces and decorated for their bravery. The Cabruna & Ruffo version had a more powerful Hispano-Suiza 8Ab engine that gave it a top speed of 220 km/h and a better climb rate than the standard SPAD S.VII.
It also had a distinctive red and white paint scheme with the Italian tricolor on the rudder and the pilots’ initials on the fuselage. The Cabruna & Ruffo aircraft were used for escorting bombers, reconnaissance missions, and dogfights with enemy fighters. They proved to be reliable and effective machines that earned the respect of both allies and adversaries.