Spartan Arrow

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Arrow
Type Tourer
Manufacturer Spartan Aircraft Limited
Maiden flight 1930
Produced 1931-1933
Number built 15

The Spartan Arrow is a British two-seat biplane aircraft built by Spartan Aircraft Limited.

Contents

[edit] History

Built as a successor to the companies 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 was fitted with floats and evaluated as a seaplane in 1931, it was converted back to a landplane and later sold in New Zealand.

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.

[edit] Production

Two prototypes and 13 production aircraft were built at Weston, Southampton, and after 20 February 1931 at East Cowes, Isle of Wight.

[edit] Survivors

G-ABWP a Cirrus Hermes II powered Arrow survives in flying condition based in England.

[edit] Operators

The aircraft was operated by flying clubs and private individuals:

Flag of Australia Australia
Flag of Denmark Denmark
Flag of New Zealand New Zealand
Flag of Norway Norway
Flag of Sweden Sweden
Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom

[edit] Specifications

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 ft² (23.3 m)
  • Empty weight: 965 lb (439 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 1,700 lb (773 kg)
  • Powerplant:de Havilland Gipsy inline piston, 120 hp (90 kW)

Performance


[edit] 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. 

[edit] External links