Simmonds Spartan
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| Spartan | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Manufacturer | Simmonds Aircraft Limited |
| Designed by | Oliver E. Simmonds |
| Maiden flight | 1928 |
| Introduced | 1928 |
| Primary user | National Flying Services Ltd |
| Number built | 49 |
The Simmonds Spartan is a 1920s British two-seat biplane trainer/tourer aircraft built by Simmonds Aircraft Limited.
Contents |
[edit] History
Not happy with the high cost of manufacturing light aircraft O.E.Simmonds designed and built a wooden two-seat biplane in 1928. To reduce maintenance costs all four wings and ailerons were the same, this allowed on spare wing to be used in any position. Powered by a Cirrus Major III the prototype G-EBUY first flew in time to enter the King's Cup Air Race of 1928. The aircraft was flown to the Berlin Aero Show on the 24 October 1928, a non-stop flight of 7 hours and 10 minutes.
Production began at Woolston, Hampshire[1] with the final assembly and test flying at Hamble Aerodrome. 49 aircraft were built, many for export with New Zealand customers buying the most. At home 12 were delivered to the National Flying Services for use as trainers. Three aircraft were operated on floats in Fiji and New Zealand. Although not as famous as other aircraft of the period, one aircraft was ski equipped and was notable for covering more than 45,000 miles over Norwegian mountain ranges. Three aircraft were built as three-seaters with two-passengers in tandem in fron of the pilot these were mainly used for pleasure flying.
Due to the success of the Spartan the company renamed itself Spartan Aircraft Limited and developed the design into the two-seater Spartan Arrow and the three-seater Spartan Three Seater.
[edit] Operators
The aircraft was operated by flying clubs and private individuals:
- New Zealand Airways
- National Flying Services
[edit] Specifications
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Length: 23 ft 11 in ()
- Wingspan: 28 ft 7 in ()
- Height: 9 ft 3 in ()
- Wing area: 240 ft² ()
- Empty weight: 940 lb ()
- Max takeoff weight: 1,680 lb ()
Performance
- Maximum speed: 100 mph
- Range: 320 miles ()
- Rate of climb: 600 ft/min ()
Related development
Comparable aircraft
- de Havilland Gipsy Moth - Avro Avian - PZL.5 - CANT 26 - Caudron C.230
[edit] References
- ^ AVIATION IN HAMPSHIRE UK website- Simmonds Spartan
- 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.
[edit] External links
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