Spartan NP-1 Returns to Tulsa
Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:26 am
Hello folks!
It is with great excitement that I share here with the WIX community that the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium has acquired the last remaining Spartan NP-1! This aircraft, one of 201 built by the Spartan Aircraft during World War II, was the 47th NP-1 produced. Delivered on November 17, 1941, the aircraft served with the Navy as a training aircraft before ultimately ending up at a trade school as a rigging instructional airframe. It was then used as an engine test bed by the school and then as a test bed by a crop duster, before being rescued by an Oregon family in 1969. The aircraft underwent a 15 year restoration, before being flown again in July 1984. Other than a small pile of parts that exists in name only, this is the last remaining NP-1. The most significant contribution to World War II made by the NP-1 occurred on November 21, 1942, when former President George H.W. Bush completed his first solo flight in an NP-1.
For WIX members, the exciting aspect of this transaction is that it was facilitated by WIX members, with contact being made initially through WIX. WIX hall of famer Jack Cook was immensely helpful. I will let the seller reveal himself if he wishes, but suffice it to say he's a regular here. Cool things do happen here! Thank you to everyone who helped out.
The aircraft was unloaded here in Tulsa this afternoon, coming off of the trailer about 3:00PM. This was the first time this aircraft had been in Tulsa in 66 1/2 years. It will be reassembled and test flown this summer, before being dedicated at an event this fall. Due to its extreme rarity and the fragile nature of the aircraft, it will be well preserved on static display, but will be maintained in as close to flyable condition as possible.
Below is a link to a local news station's coverage of the unloading. The guy in the white shirt is me! Click the video link to see it coming out of the trailer. (hope I don't look like too much of a goober)
http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=8212127
Also below are some photos of the unloading. It was a little difficult, but the great folks at Flight Concepts here in Tulsa made it possible!
Thanks again to all. When it is reassembled, I'll be sure to post additional photos and information here.
kevin
Loading it in Oregon...
A tight fit in the trailer...
By the way, Mr. Owner, that's Doug talking to you on my cell about how to get it out of there!
Getting the wings off first...
Coming out of the trailer- WOW!
And out!!! Yaaaaay!!!
And finally, the data plate- see, it really was built in Tulsa!
It is with great excitement that I share here with the WIX community that the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium has acquired the last remaining Spartan NP-1! This aircraft, one of 201 built by the Spartan Aircraft during World War II, was the 47th NP-1 produced. Delivered on November 17, 1941, the aircraft served with the Navy as a training aircraft before ultimately ending up at a trade school as a rigging instructional airframe. It was then used as an engine test bed by the school and then as a test bed by a crop duster, before being rescued by an Oregon family in 1969. The aircraft underwent a 15 year restoration, before being flown again in July 1984. Other than a small pile of parts that exists in name only, this is the last remaining NP-1. The most significant contribution to World War II made by the NP-1 occurred on November 21, 1942, when former President George H.W. Bush completed his first solo flight in an NP-1.
For WIX members, the exciting aspect of this transaction is that it was facilitated by WIX members, with contact being made initially through WIX. WIX hall of famer Jack Cook was immensely helpful. I will let the seller reveal himself if he wishes, but suffice it to say he's a regular here. Cool things do happen here! Thank you to everyone who helped out.
The aircraft was unloaded here in Tulsa this afternoon, coming off of the trailer about 3:00PM. This was the first time this aircraft had been in Tulsa in 66 1/2 years. It will be reassembled and test flown this summer, before being dedicated at an event this fall. Due to its extreme rarity and the fragile nature of the aircraft, it will be well preserved on static display, but will be maintained in as close to flyable condition as possible.
Below is a link to a local news station's coverage of the unloading. The guy in the white shirt is me! Click the video link to see it coming out of the trailer. (hope I don't look like too much of a goober)
http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=8212127
Also below are some photos of the unloading. It was a little difficult, but the great folks at Flight Concepts here in Tulsa made it possible!
Thanks again to all. When it is reassembled, I'll be sure to post additional photos and information here.
kevin
Loading it in Oregon...
A tight fit in the trailer...
By the way, Mr. Owner, that's Doug talking to you on my cell about how to get it out of there!
Getting the wings off first...
Coming out of the trailer- WOW!
And out!!! Yaaaaay!!!
And finally, the data plate- see, it really was built in Tulsa!
Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:13 am
Congratulations!
First the FST project and now the Spartan. It's good to see an NP-1 back at it's birthplace. Now if someone would just donate an Executive (that I could use from time to time
) the museum would be set.
Scott
First the FST project and now the Spartan. It's good to see an NP-1 back at it's birthplace. Now if someone would just donate an Executive (that I could use from time to time
) the museum would be set.
Scott
Wed Apr 23, 2008 1:59 am
Great stuff Tulsaboy.
So it's like, basically a copy of an N2N crossed with a Stearman, then?
Hey, Check you PMs, too.
So it's like, basically a copy of an N2N crossed with a Stearman, then?
Hey, Check you PMs, too.
Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:02 am
Just GOOGLED the image of it. Danged large beast wasn't it? Must have climbed like a monkey with all that graceful wing out there and what appears to be pretty low loading, any one ever flown one?
Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:15 am
The Inspector wrote:Just GOOGLED the image of it. Danged large beast wasn't it? Must have climbed like a monkey with all that graceful wing out there and what appears to be pretty low loading, any one ever flown one?
Great pilot's manual film as a slideshow here:
http://www.tailwheel.nl/s/spartannp1/index.html
Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:07 am
The Inspector wrote:Just GOOGLED the image of it. Danged large beast wasn't it? Must have climbed like a monkey with all that graceful wing out there and what appears to be pretty low loading, any one ever flown one?
Why not ask fellow WIXer JCW? He can give a first hand pilot report!
Congrats, Tulsaboy!
????
Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:13 am
I miss her already!
She was sure a lot of fun 
She was sure a lot of fun
Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:22 am
Thanks for all the encouragement, folks! We sure are excited to have it here. It's a good looking aircraft, and is extra-special to us here in Tulsa as a homegrown product.
Below is the newspaper story on the aircraft. Kudos to Don Stewart of the Tulsa World for getting an aviation story right!
kevin
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/arti ... ancl646653
Below is the newspaper story on the aircraft. Kudos to Don Stewart of the Tulsa World for getting an aviation story right!
kevin
http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/arti ... ancl646653
Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:25 am
Scott, we're working on the executive. Stay tuned... Our goal is to ultimately have all of the Tulsa-built aircraft on hand. That would include:
Spartan
C-2 (got it)
C-3 (had it, might get it back)
NP-1 (got it!)
Executive
Model 12 (maybe)
C-4
C-5
Built at Douglas- Tulsa
A-24
A-26
B-47 (unlikely)
B-66 (almost impossible)
B-24 (none known to exist, would be a miracle)
So we're making good progress working down our list.
kevin
Spartan
C-2 (got it)
C-3 (had it, might get it back)
NP-1 (got it!)
Executive
Model 12 (maybe)
C-4
C-5
Built at Douglas- Tulsa
A-24
A-26
B-47 (unlikely)
B-66 (almost impossible)
B-24 (none known to exist, would be a miracle)
So we're making good progress working down our list.
kevin
Last edited by tulsaboy on Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:44 am
no it does not climb very well. wing loading a little more than a stearman. acft is 250 - 300 lbs more than a stearman. 2 , 23 gal wing tanks with 42 usable. (couple less than stearman). didn't fly it to tulsa as it will only get to about 7500' before it hangs up and takes to much fuel to get higher. so no alt or range. hard to get over the rockies. not to mention the risk wasn't worth it. i built it once and didn't want to build it again. it does bore a real nice, stable hole thru the sky..
???
Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:57 am
and a whole bunch of fun hand cranking the inertia starter 
Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:28 am
Why no mention of the C-4 or C-5???????????
tulsaboy wrote:Scott, we're working on the executive. Stay tuned... Our goal is to ultimately have all of the Tulsa-built aircraft on hand. That would include:
Spartan
C-2 (got it)
C-3 (had it, might get it back)
NP-1 (got it!)
Executive
Model 12 (maybe)
Built at Douglas- Tulsa
A-24
A-26
B-47 (unlikely)
B-66 (almost impossible)
B-24 (none known to exist, would be a miracle)
So we're making good progress working down our list.
kevin
Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:38 am
Granted, the C-4 and the C-5 would be nice. None are known to exist, and only a small handful were constructed in the first place. They were a marketing and financial disaster for the company, and really didn't make it to any decent level of production, outside of the couple of hand-built examples. Do you know of an example(s) out there? If you do, PLEASE let me know. It would be really exciting to see!
I will edit my list accordingly!
kevin
I will edit my list accordingly!
kevin
Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:35 pm
Kevin,
Don't forget the connection to the other military aircraft that Spartan built components for--wing panels for Grumman, the flight controls for the B-32 etc. I'm sure someone has some B-32 elevators sitting around!
Seeing the Model 12 back in town would be going full circle.
Scott
Don't forget the connection to the other military aircraft that Spartan built components for--wing panels for Grumman, the flight controls for the B-32 etc.
I'm sure someone has some B-32 elevators sitting around!
Seeing the Model 12 back in town would be going full circle.
Scott
Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:42 pm
Scott-
We've got a guy who flew B-32s here. Does that count?
Spartan did make a bunch of stuff for Grumman, some stuff for the P-38 (I think), some control surfaces for the B-24... I'd love to find some of those with a Spartan stamp/plate. Does anyone know of any of those out there?
kevin
We've got a guy who flew B-32s here. Does that count?
Spartan did make a bunch of stuff for Grumman, some stuff for the P-38 (I think), some control surfaces for the B-24... I'd love to find some of those with a Spartan stamp/plate. Does anyone know of any of those out there?
kevin