Simmonds Spartan
Simmonds Aircraft Limited · United Kingdom · first flew 1928 · light aircraft
The Simmonds Spartan is a 1920s British two-seat biplane trainer and tourer built by Simmonds Aircraft Limited.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7.29 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-seat biplane with four identical wings and ailerons
- Symmetrical wing aerofoil
- Interchangeable tail control surfaces, wheels and bracing wires
A wooden two-seat biplane powered by a Cirrus Hermes I inline engine, with identical wings in all four positions.
Specifications
- The Simmonds Spartan has a length of 7.29 m (24 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.71 m (29 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 161 km/h (100 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
O.E. Simmonds designed and built a wooden two-seat biplane in 1928 to reduce the cost of light aircraft. The prototype, G-EBYU, first flew in time to enter the 1928 King's Cup Air Race and was flown non-stop to the Berlin Aero Show in 7 hours 10 minutes.
Variants
Three aircraft were built as three-seaters, with two passengers in tandem in front of the pilot. The design was developed into the two-seat Spartan Arrow and the three-seat Spartan Three Seater.
Where you'll see it
Forty-nine were built, many for export, with New Zealand customers buying the most, and 12 went to the National Flying Services as trainers. Three operated on floats in Fiji, and one ski-equipped aircraft covered more than 45,000 miles over Norwegian mountains.
Related aircraft
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