Spartan 7W Executive

Spartan Aircraft Company · United States · first flew 1936 · light aircraft

The Spartan 7W Executive was an American cabin monoplane built by the Spartan Aircraft Company in the late 1930s and early 1940s. It had an all-metal fuselage and a retractable undercarriage.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.18 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Sleek all-metal cabin monoplane with a low wing
Retractable undercarriage
Single Pratt & Whitney R-985 radial engine in the nose

Look for a sleek low-wing cabin monoplane with a radial engine in the nose and a retractable undercarriage.

Specifications

The Spartan 7W Executive has a length of 8.18 m (27 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.89 m (39 ft).
Its maximum speed is 414 km/h (257 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

It was designed for the executive market and was the brainchild of company founder William G. Skelly of Skelly Oil, who wanted a fast, comfortable aircraft for himself and his oil-executive colleagues. J. Paul Getty took over the company through a series of acquisitions in 1935.

Variants

The Spartan 12W was a variant, and a 7W-F military concept with two forward-firing machine guns was shown in a 1938 brochure but did not progress. The 7X initially had a very small tail.

Where you'll see it

Thirty-six aircraft are generally referred to as Spartan Executives, the last 7W being completed in September 1940. It was popular with affluent buyers worldwide, and the interior could be configured for four or five passengers, with slide-back seats, large windows and soundproofing.

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