5-559: The Spartan Three Seater was a British three-seat biplane touring and pleasure-flying aircraft built by Spartan Aircraft Limited . Built as a three-seat version of the Simmonds Spartan , the Three Seater was a biplane with a spruce and plywood fuselage. Although not many aircraft were built, the Three Seater was a mainstay of the pleasure flying business in the 1930s. The wings were designed to fold back easily, in order to be stored in
10-677: A private individual in New Zealand, having passed through British and Irish owners (as G-ABYN and EI-ABU) since its manufacture in June 1932. The aircraft was mainly operated by flying clubs and private individuals: General characteristics Performance Spartan Aircraft Ltd Spartan Aircraft Limited was a British aircraft manufacturer from 1930 to 1935. It was formed by reinvestment in Simmonds Aircraft which had suffered financially. In 1928 Oliver Simmonds designed and built
15-494: A prototype aircraft, the Simmonds Spartan , in a factory at Woolston, Hampshire . The design was a success with over 50 aircraft built. Following financial difficulties and investment from Whitehall Securities Corporation Ltd Simmonds Aircraft Limited changed name in 1930 to Spartan Aircraft Limited. The first aircraft from the renamed company was the Spartan Arrow a two-seat biplane of which 15 were built. The next design
20-554: A shed rather than requiring a dedicated hangar. Following the first batch of aircraft, designated the Three Seater I , an improved version was built and designated as the Three Seater II . The six Three Seater IIs had improved visibility for the pilot and easier access for the passengers, and were powered by a 130 horsepower (97 kW) Cirrus Hermes IV engine. One Three Seater II (registered as ZK-ARH) currently survives, owned by
25-609: Was a three-seat open-cockpit biplane the Spartan Three Seater . The company ceased to build aircraft in 1935. In January 1931 Flight magazine revealed that Whitehall Securities had acquired a substantial holding in Saunders Roe Ltd. and arising out of this investment Spartan was effectively merged into Saunders Roe. Spartan Aircraft's final product was the Spartan Cruiser a three-engined light airliner developed from
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