Blériot-SPAD S.56


The Blériot-SPAD S.56 was a family of French airliners developed in the 1920s as various refinements of the S.33 design. All S.56 versions shared two new features: the first was a newly designed, all-metal wing, replacing the wooden wing of earlier related designs and the second was a redesigned passenger cabin, replacing the S.33's four single seats in a row with two rows of double seats. A second access door was also added.

Variants

;S.56/1:basic version with Salmson CM.9 radial engine and later a Gnome & Rhône 9Aa. 1 built.
;S.56/2:similar to the S.56/1, with a Gnome & Rhône 9Ab engine. 1 built.
;S.56/3:similar to S.56/2 with improved landing gear and Gnome & Rhône 9Aa engine. 8 built.
;S.56/4:major fuselage revision; cockpit relocated between engine and passenger cabin and an extra double seat added to the cabin, increasing internal passenger capacity to six. Powered by Gnome & Rhône 9Ady engines. 8 built, plus 2 modified from S.56/3s.
;S.56/5:revised passenger cabin with four seats located in one compartment, and two in a second compartment that could be quickly converted to a freight hold. 2 built, plus 6 modified from S.56/3s and 2 from S.56/4s.
;S.56/6:similar to S.56/3 but customised for banner towing for the Air Publicité company, powered by a Gnome & Rhône 9Ab engine. 2 built; one ended up as a transport in the Spanish Republican Air Force during the Spanish Civil War.

Operators