Arrow | |
---|---|
Spartan Arrow 1 G-ABWP built in 1932 at Kemble Airfield, Glos, in May 2009 | |
Role | Tourer |
Manufacturer | Spartan Aircraft Limited |
First flight | 1930 |
Produced | 1931-1933 |
Number built | 15 |
The Spartan Arrow is a British two-seat biplane aircraft of the early 1930s, built by Spartan Aircraft Limited.
Built as a successor to the company's first design the Simmonds Spartan, the Arrow was a two-seat biplane with a spruce and plywood fuselage. The prototype G-AAWY first flew in May 1930 with Cirrus Hermes II engine. The 13 production aircraft that followed used mainly the de Havilland Gipsy II engine.
One aircraft, G-ABBE, was fitted with floats and evaluated as a seaplane in 1931, it was converted back to a landplane and later sold in New Zealand, where it was renumbered as ZK-ACQ. A second aircraft, G-ABHD, was sold to Australia where it was renumbered as VH-UQD. A third aircraft, G-ACHG, was sold to Denmark where it was renumbered as OY-DUK.
One aircraft G-ABST was built to test a new air-cooled Napier engine (later knowns as the Javelin). The second prototype G-AAWY was also used by Cirrus Aero Engines as an engine test bed. Production of the Arrow ended in 1933.
Two prototypes and 13 production aircraft were built at Weston, Southampton, and after 20 February 1931 at East Cowes, Isle of Wight.
Tail Number Model Serial Location G-AAWY Spartan Arrow 51 United Kingdom G-AAWZ Spartan Arrow 52 United Kingdom G-ABBE Spartan Arrow 75 United Kingdom K-ACQ Spartan Arrow 75 New Zealand G-ABKL Spartan Arrow 76 United Kingdom G-ABGW Spartan Arrow 77 United Kingdom G-ABWP Spartan Arrow 78 United Kingdom G-ABWR Spartan Arrow 79 United Kingdom G-ABHD Spartan Arrow 80 United Kingdom VH-UQD Spartan Arrow 80 Australia G-ABHR Spartan Arrow 81 United Kingdom G-ABMK Spartan Arrow 82 United Kingdom G-ABOB Spartan Arrow 83 United Kingdom G-ACHE Spartan Arrow 84 United Kingdom G-ACHF Spartan Arrow 85 United Kingdom G-ACHG Spartan Arrow 86 United Kingdom OY-DUK Spartan Arrow 86 Denmark G-ABST Spartan Arrow 87 United Kingdom
G-ABWP a Cirrus Hermes II powered Arrow (constructor's number 78) survives in flying condition based at Redhill Aerodrome in England.
The aircraft was operated by flying clubs and private individuals:
Data from Saunders and Saro Aircraft since 1917 [1]
General characteristics
Performance
The Cirrus and Hermes or Cirrus-Hermes are a series of British aero engines manufactured, under various changes of ownership, from the 1920s until the 1950s. The engines were all air-cooled, four-cylinder inline types, with earlier ones upright and later designs inverted.
The Saro A17 Cutty Sark was a British amphibious aircraft from the period between World War I and World War II, built by the British firm Saunders-Roe. The aircraft was named after the ship Cutty Sark, rather than the garment.
The de Havilland DH.60 Moth is a 1920s British two-seat touring and training aircraft that was developed into a series of aircraft by the de Havilland Aircraft Company.
Desoutter is a British monoplane liaison aircraft manufactured by Desoutter Aircraft Company at Croydon Aerodrome, Surrey.
The Spartan Cruiser was a 1930s British three-engined transport monoplane for 6 to 10 passengers built by Spartan Aircraft Limited at East Cowes, Isle of Wight. It was a development of the Saro-Percival Mailplane for passenger use.
The Spartan Three Seater was a British three-seat biplane touring and pleasure-flying aircraft built by Spartan Aircraft Limited.
The Simmonds Spartan is a 1920s British two-seat biplane trainer/tourer aircraft built by Simmonds Aircraft Limited.
The Stampe et Vertongen SV.4 is a Belgian two-seat trainer/tourer biplane designed and built by Stampe et Vertongen. The aircraft was also built under licence in France and French Algeria.
The Auster J/5 Autocar was a late 1940s British single-engined four-seat high-wing touring monoplane built by Auster Aircraft Limited at Rearsby, Leicestershire.
The de Havilland Gipsy is a British air-cooled four-cylinder in-line aircraft engine designed by Frank Halford in 1927 to replace the ADC Cirrus in the de Havilland DH.60 Moth light biplane. Initially developed as an upright 5 litre capacity engine, later versions were designed to run inverted with increased capacity and power.
The Arrow Active is a British aerobatic aircraft built in the 1930s.
The PZL-5 was a Polish two-seat touring and sports aircraft of 1930 constructed and produced by the PZL.
The Avro Club Cadet was a 1930s single-engined British biplane trainer aircraft, designed and built by Avro as a development of the earlier Cadet. It was planned for private and club use and, unlike the Cadet, was fitted with folding wings.
The Miles M.2 Hawk was a twin-seat light monoplane designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Miles Aircraft Limited during the 1930s. It is the first of the company's aircraft to attain quantity production.
The Miles Hawk Major was a 1930s British two-seat light monoplane, developed by Miles Aircraft from the Miles Hawk in order to take advantage of the new inverted de Havilland Gipsy Major engine. When fitted with the longer Gipsy Six in place of the forward crew member, it was known as the Miles Hawk Speed Six.
The de Havilland DH.71 Tiger Moth was a British single-seat monoplane, designed to research high-speed flight and to test replacement engines for the Cirrus. Only two were built.
The de Havilland Moths were a series of light aircraft, sports planes, and military trainers designed by Geoffrey de Havilland. In the late 1920s and 1930s, they were the most common civilian aircraft flying in Britain, and during that time every light aircraft flying in the UK was commonly referred to as a Moth, regardless if it was de Havilland-built or not.
The ADC Cirrus is a series of British aero engines manufactured using surplus Renault parts by the Aircraft Disposal Company (ADC) in the 1920s.
The Koolhoven F.K.46 was a 1930s Dutch training biplane designed and built by Koolhoven.
The Auster J series was a family of British light civil utility aircraft developed in the 1940s and 50s by Auster at Rearsby, Leicestershire.