Spartan Arrow
Spartan Aircraft · United Kingdom · first flew 1930 · light aircraft
The Spartan Arrow is a British two-seat biplane of the early 1930s, built by Spartan Aircraft Limited. It was a successor to the company's first design, the Simmonds Spartan.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Two-seat biplane with a spruce and plywood fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Two-seat biplane with a spruce and plywood fuselage
- Single tractor engine in the nose
- Small tourer about 7.6 m long with a 9.3 m wingspan
A small British two-seat tourer biplane of the early 1930s with an inline engine in the nose. G-ABWP survives in flying condition at Redhill.
Specifications
- The Spartan Arrow has a length of 7.62 m (25 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 9.34 m (31 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 171 km/h (106 mph).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The prototype G-AAWY first flew in May 1930 with a Cirrus Hermes II engine. The 13 production aircraft that followed used mainly the de Havilland Gipsy II, and production ended in 1933.
Variants
One aircraft, G-ABBE, was fitted with floats and evaluated as a seaplane in 1931. Another, G-ABST, was built to test a new air-cooled Napier engine, and the second prototype was used by Cirrus as an engine test bed.
Where you'll see it
The aircraft were operated by flying clubs and private individuals in Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Two prototypes and 13 production aircraft were built, and G-ABWP survives in flying condition at Redhill.
Related aircraft
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