Société Provençale de Constructions Aéronautiques
SPCA 80
The SPCA 80 was a French light transport and training aircraft built by the Société Provençale de Constructions Aéronautiques (SPCA) in the early 1930s. Designed in response to a Ministry of Air requirement for a reliable, low‑cost platform that could serve both civil routes and military pilot instruction, the prototype first flew in March 1932 from the Marseille‑Marignane aerodrome. The monoplane featured a high‑wing, all‑metal structure with a single 220 hp Renault 4Pei radial engine driving a two‑bladed propeller. Its enclosed cabin accommodated up to four passengers or a full crew of two plus trainees, while the fixed, split‑type undercarriage offered rugged ground handling on unprepared fields. Notable innovations included interchangeable seats that could be removed for cargo, and a dual‑control stick that allowed simultaneous instructor and student operation. Only twelve SPCA 80s were produced before the company merged with SNCAN, but the type proved influential in shaping later French utility aircraft such as the Bloch MB.120 series. Its modest payload, straightforward maintenance, and adaptability made it a valuable bridge between the biplane trainers of the 1920s and the more advanced all‑metal monoplanes that dominated the pre‑World‑War era.
Classification
Production & History
- First Flight
- 1932