Spartan Arrow

Arrow
Spartan Arrow 1 G-ABWP built in 1932 at Kemble Airfield, Glos, in May 2009
General information
Type	Tourer
Manufacturer	Spartan Aircraft Limited
Number built	15
History
Manufactured	1931-1933
First flight	1930

The Spartan Arrow is a British two-seat biplane aircraft of the early 1930s, built by Spartan Aircraft Limited.

History

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 a 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.

Production

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

Survivors

G-ABWP a Cirrus Hermes II powered Arrow (constructor's number 78) survives in flying condition based at Redhill Aerodrome in England.

Operators

The aircraft was operated by flying clubs and private individuals:

  Australia

  Denmark

  New Zealand

  Norway

  Sweden

  United Kingdom

Specifications

Data from Saunders and Saro Aircraft since 1917 ^[1]

General characteristics

• Length: 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
• Wingspan: 30 ft 7 in (9.34 m)
• Height: 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m)
• Wing area: 251 sq ft (23.3 m²)
• Empty weight: 965 lb (439 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 1,750 lb (795 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy II inline piston, 120 hp (90 kW)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 92 kn (106 mph, 171 km/h)
• Range: 376 nmi (432 mi, 696 km)
• Rate of climb: 830 ft/min (4.2 m/s)

Notes

1. London 1988, p. 334.

References

• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). Orbis Publishing.
• Jackson, A.J. (1974). British Civil Aircraft since 1919 Volume 3. London: Putnam. ISBN   0-370-10014-X.
• London, Peter (1988). Saunders and Saro Aircraft since 1917. London: Putnam. ISBN   0-85177-814-3.

External links

• Simmonds/ Spartan Aircraft
• The Spartan "Arrow". A New Two-Seater with Good Climb. in Flight, 7 November 1930.