1937 Spartan 7W ExecutiveStarting out as a small company that built
nondescript trainers in the early 1930s, Spartan Aircraft changed course in 1937
with the introduction of the Spartan 7W Executive. The company’s owner, Oklahoma
oilman W.G. Skelly, envisioned fast, luxurious transport for the superrich, and
that is exactly what he got in that era’s equivalent of the Learjet. Flown
almost exclusively by tycoons and heads of state (one was custom fitted and
delivered to the king of Iraq), the Spartan was the fastest production aircraft
available. Seating five and sporting a top speed of 212 mph, the Executive was
faster than any commercial airliner and a match for many of the military pursuit
aircraft of the era. But in spite of standing out as perhaps the most advanced
and beautiful aircraft of its time, the Depression helped hold production to
fewer than 40 examples, and only 10 are known to be flying today.
The Learjet of its day, the Spartan Executive was the preferred transport of
business executives and despots alike in the late 1930s.
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Built of
stressed aluminum over lightweight aluminum ribs (rather than the steel tubing
and fabric of most ’30s aircraft), the Spartan carried a powerful and reliable
450 hp supercharged Pratt & Whitney 9-cylinder radial engine. The Spartan
Executive was all about power, speed, luxury, and presence. The large interior
was finished in the manner of a contemporary Packard or Duesenberg, featuring cloth seats and
headliner trimmed in leather. The deep rear seat had plenty of legroom and could
hold three across, and the cabin was fully insulated to reduce in-flight sound
levels.
A flight in a Spartan gives a taste of the high life, circa 1937.
Interiors were outfitted like luxury cars.
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The 10th aircraft constructed, this particular Spartan
Executive—NC17605—was originally delivered to Bodine Drilling Co. in Kansas
in 1937. Air racer Arlene Davis acquired the aircraft in 1939 and entered it in
the Los Angeles–to–Cleveland Bendix Trophy Race. The Spartan finished fifth
behind the hottest military aircraft of the period.
To fly the Spartan is to
visit another era. It is a big step up onto the wing and a short walk to the
cabin door. Inside, this aircraft maintains originality by being upholstered in
high-quality cloth. The seats are adjustable, and even a short-legged pilot can
find a comfortable position to operate the controls and reach the rudder pedals.
The instrument panel is well laid out, with logical placement of the important
controls for the magnetos, battery master, flap, and landing gear. A large
single control wheel with a flip-over capability sits on a polished aluminum
column.
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The big Pratt lights up after a few blades and settles down to that
satisfying sort of rumble that only big, round engines have at idle. Taxiing the
tail-wheel aircraft requires S-turning to ensure forward visibility over the
large engine cowling. Pushing the throttle lever forward gives about 36 inches
of manifold pressure and a surprising amount of acceleration, the tail lifting
off in a couple of hundred feet. With the landing gear retracted, an initial
climb of over 1,000 feet per minute is achieved, but this is brought back to 500
feet per minute at about 150 mph for good visibility over the nose.
Perfectly restored, this Spartan Executive was the 10th example built and
one of the few still flying.
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Once at
altitude and indicating an effortless 170 mph, the big Spartan displays
excellent handling characteristics. Control can be handled with two fingers on
the large yoke, and little rudder pedal pressure is needed to control yaw. The
aircraft trims easily with its electric control. The large plan area of the wing
gives a fine ride, and the entire aircraft affords a feeling of immense strength
and structural integrity. Pilots with visions of Clark Gable or Spencer Tracy,
with cigar and silk scarf and wrestling a big single-engine aircraft, will
be amazed at the light, responsive controls and rudder coordination not unlike
that of a Beech Bonanza, but perhaps a little better. The large split-flap
system and center dive brake make speed control during approach easy for this
4,400-pound gross weight aircraft, and the wide-based landing gear helps to
reduce the anxiety of landing.
Over the last few years, Spartan Executive
NC17605 has undergone an extensive overhaul and now carries modern Cleveland
wheels and brakes, along with improved cabin ventilation. Surprisingly, little
of the aircraft needed modernization. Today, the Spartan commands attention at
any airfield or air show that it might attend, especially with its polished
aluminum finish. Its reliability, speed, and fine flight characteristics make it
an excellent show aircraft, suitable for those long spring and summer
cross-country flights from California to the “Sun ’n Fun” in Florida or to the
annual EAA show in Oshkosh. The care and attention lavished upon it will ensure
a rewarding experience for the owner/pilot and bring delight to all who see
it. It is available for $365,000 from Screaming Eagle Aviation in Santa Paula,
Calif., that small field famous as a hotbed of vintage aircraft operations and
restoration.
(Click image to enlarge)
Screaming Eagle Aviation
805.525.7121,
www.aso.com/seller/171/main.htm
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