Spartan Arrow
# Spartan Arrow

The Spartan Arrow is a British two-seat biplane aircraft of the early 1930s, built by Spartan Aircraft Limited.

## History

Built as a successor to the company's 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, G-ABBE, was fitted with floats and evaluated as a seaplane in 1931, it was converted back to a landplane and later sold in New Zealand, where it was renumbered as ZK-ACQ. A second aircraft, G-ABHD, was sold to Australia where it was renumbered as VH-UQD. A third aircraft, G-ACHG, was sold to Denmark where it was renumbered as OY-DUK.

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.

## Production

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

## Survivors

G-ABWP a Cirrus Hermes II powered Arrow (constructor's number 78) survives in flying condition based at Redhill Aerodrome in England.

## Operators

The aircraft was operated by flying clubs and private individuals:

## Specifications

Data from Saunders and Saro Aircraft since 1917

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 sq ft (23.3 $m^2)$
* Empty weight: 965 lb (439 kg)
* Max takeoff weight: 1,750 lb (795 kg)
* Powerplant: 1 × de Havilland Gipsy II inline piston, 120 hp (90 kW)

Performance

* Maximum speed: 92 kn (106 mph, 171 km/h)
* Range: 376 nmi (432 mi, 696 km)
* Rate of climb: 830 ft/min (4.2 m/s)
