Painted as WW1 American flying ace Lt Rickenbacker's Spad Xlll S4523 of the 94th Aero Sqn, United States Air Service. Exhibited at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford

Airworthy replica of the 1917 SPAD VII.

This Spad was built in October 1918 but too late to see any combat, rather it was shipped to the US after the Armistice along with 434 other SPAD XIIIs. It is now on display at the National Museum of the USAF in the markings of America's highest scoring ace of WWI with 26 victories, Capt. Edward V. Rickenbacker of the 94th Pursuit Squadron.

The Spad VII first flew in the Spring of 1916 and started to enter service in the autumn of that year. About 3,200 were built and this is the only survivor. This aircraft, named "Vieux Charles" (Old Charles) was the mount of the fighter Ace, Georges Guynemer.

This SPAD has been a museum exhibit for over a century. It was issued to Capt Charles Guynemer in December 1916. When the famous ace was killed in an S.XIII the next autumn, his old aircraft was put on display in the army museum in Paris.