Hispano-Suiza

["Gregory T. Fieldson" <krikor@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu>]

Berry,
  The ornament on the Hispano-Suiza's is a flying stork. The flying stork
("cigogne volante") was the emblem of Georges Guynemer's SPAD escadrille
(the SPADS were powered by H-S engines), and Marc Bikigt (the design
genius behind H-S) commissioned the stork from sculptor Bazin as a tribute
to his close friend, Guynemer (who had died - presumably shot down).

Greg Fieldson
Dept. of Chemical Engineering        krikor@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu
The Johns Hopkins University     or  fieldson@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu