The French SPAD XIII introduced in 1917 was one of the most important fighter planes of World War I. Well-known fighter pilots such as Eddie Rickenbacker, Georges Guynemer, Ren�Fonck and Frank Luke achieved great successes in it. Louis Blériot (owner of the firm S.P.A.D.), together with his designer, created the Spad XIII as an advance on the Spad VII. It was powered by the new Hispano-Suiza engine, a 235 hp water-cooled in-line engine capable of climbing to 2,000 metres in five and a half minutes. The armament consisted of 2 Vickers MGs. It saw service with 92 French squadrons, 2 Royal Flying Corps and 5 US Air Groups. From 1918 almost all the Allied air forces were equipped with the Spad XIII.