SPAD XIII

Dennis Ray Beall

SPAD XIII refers to the French military biplane flown by World War I American fighter ace Frank Luke, Jr. With 18 aerial victories in 8 days and a series of other victories throughout 1918, he was ranked second only to Eddie Rickenbacker during the war. He died at age 21 on the battlefield after "balloon hunting" - searching for and destroying German observation balloons.

Dennis Ray Beall has added text in the screen in the lower left: "In seventeen days at the front, flying a S.P.A.D XIII, Frank Luke Jr. destroyed German aircraft and was dead." accompanied by an image of the pilot and his plane. To the right is an image of Mata Hari and a stove. The accompanying quote reads: "While Luke busted balloons, Mata Hari was something of a ball-buster. French Ace Charles Nungesser succumbed to her talents, but had more public relations value than she did. He was a national hero and a firing squad was her only prize. However, she died with her fur coat on."