Simmonds Spartan

infobox Aircraft
name = Spartan
type =
manufacturer = Simmonds Aircraft Limited


caption =
designer = Oliver E. Simmonds
first flight = 1928
introduced = 1928
retired =
produced =
number built = 49
status =
unit cost =
primary user = National Flying Services Ltd
more users =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =

The Simmonds Spartan is a 1920s British two-seat biplane trainer/tourer aircraft built by Simmonds Aircraft Limited.

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 [AVIATION IN HAMPSHIRE UK website- Simmonds Spartan] 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.

Operators

The aircraft was operated by flying clubs and private individuals:

;flag|Australia;flag|Fiji
* Fiji Airways;flag|India;flag|New Zealand
* New Zealand Airways;flag|Norway;flagcountry|South Africa|1928
* South African Air Force;flag|United Kingdom
* National Flying Services

pecifications

aircraft specification