From 1928-1946, Spartan Aircraft produced a grand total of approximately 400 aircraft (half of which were NP-1 trainers for the Navy during the war.) 34 or so were production models of the Spartan 7W, known as the "Executive." The others were a variety of typical biplanes and monoplanes of the period, all steel-tube fuselage with fabric covering. Many of the biplanes were used at the Spartan School of Aeronautics, a sister company, while others were sold to oil companies and oil executives. Some of the biplanes were exported to Mexico and were used there by the Army.
Of all of the early Spartan aircraft produced between 1928 and 1931, very few have survived. Even less are flyable. Until the last couple of months, the only known flyable early Spartans were Ed Wegner's C3-165 in Wisconsin and the C2-60 in Oregon at the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum. Happily, this year another early Spartan was restored to flight!
The C3-225 was the last version of Spartan's venerable biplane design. Rugged in construction, it was designed to be able to fly businessmen to their oil leases in rugged areas of the south and southwest, landing in rough fields to allow inspection of their investments. s/n A-14 was the last or next-to last C3-225 produced by Spartan in June 1930, depending on what records you believe.
It cycled through a series of private owners, and was ultimately purchased by the Spartan School about 15 years ago. In roughly flyable condition at the time, the aircraft was put on display at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum. It was first on the ground in a hangar, and then was hung from the ceiling at the museum.
A few of the folks at Spartan decided that the airplane should be restored to flight and used as a marketing tool for the school, to fly to airshows as a reminder of the school's history and to encourage students to come train at Spartan for A&P and Flight training. So the airplane was brought down from the ceiling, gassed up, fired up, and flown across town from the Tulsa International Airport to the Jones-Riverside Airport where Spartan does most of its flight training.
Over the last 4 years or so, the airplane was stripped down to the skeleton and built back up. New instruments, new fabric, all new wood on the fuselage, new control wires etc. were installed. The chosen paint scheme is similar to what was on the aircraft when it was new from the factory. Dennis Henson, the Director of Maintenance at the school, was the lead for the restoration. He and a few of the students at the school, along with a couple of volunteers, restored the aircraft in their spare time on the school's time and on the school's dime.
The engine has 87 hours on it, and has run well in its first flights since restoration. This last weekend, the aircraft made its public debut at an airshow in Wichita. The aircraft flew one hour and 22 minutes each way, with a flawless performance. Congratulations to Dennis and his team, and to Spartan for their hard work! We so often moan about companies that don't care about their history. Spartan does care, and has taken at least one significant concrete step to put back into the air one of its pieces of history. Enjoy!
kevin
Some photos taken with my point and shoot:
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