Spartan Three Seater

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Three Seater

ZK-ARH, the surviving Three Seater II, in New Zealand
Type	Tourer/Pleasure Flying
Manufacturer	Spartan Aircraft Limited
Maiden flight	1930
Number built	25
Developed from	Simmonds Spartan

The Spartan Three Seater was a British three-seat biplane touring and pleasure flying aircraft built by Spartan Aircraft Limited.

1 History
2 Production
3 Operators
4 Specifications (Three Seater II)
5 Reference
6 External links
7 Related content

[edit] History

Built as a three-seat version of the Simmonds Spartan, the Three Seater was a three-seat biplane with a spruce and plywood fuselage. Although not many aircraft were built the Three Seater was a mainstay of the pleasure flying business in the 1930s. The wings were designed to fold back easily, in order to be stored in a shed rather than requiring a dedicated hangar.

Following the first batch of aircraft, designated the Three Seater I, an improved version was built and designated as the Three Seater II. The six Three Seater IIs had improved visibility for the pilot and easier access for the passengers, and were powered by a 130 horsepower Cirrus Hermes IV engine.

One Three Seater II (registered as ZK-ARH) currently survives, owned by a private individual in New Zealand, having passed through British and Irish owners (as G-ABYN and E-ABU) since its manufacture in June 1932.

[edit] Production

Three Seater I - 19 aircraft
Three Seater II - 6 aircraft

[edit] Operators

The aircraft was mainly operated by flying clubs and private individuals:

[edit] Specifications (Three Seater II)

General characteristics

Length: 26 ft 3 in ()
Wingspan: 28 ft 10 in ()
Height: 9 ft 8 in ()
Wing area: 240 ft² ()
Empty weight: 1,030 lb (kg)
Max takeoff weight: 1,680 lb ()

Performance

Maximum speed: 107 mph
Range: 260 miles ()
Rate of climb: 750 ft/min ()

[edit] Reference

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.