Executive express?

In 2006 Nigel Pickard, a consulting engineer in the oil industry, was considering the purchase of a Beech Staggerwing to join his 450hp Boeing Stearman based at Little Gransden in the heart of the UK. “After chatting with the owner of a Staggerwing who was selling it to buy a Spartan Executive, I looked the type up on Google. I immediately liked the lines and metal skin and decided that the Spartan Executive met all my needs”.

He contacted a number of Spartan owners and having viewed a few and discussed prices, he made offers on a couple of aircraft. He eventually acquired NC17633 from Colgate Darden III, a collector in the USA. Nigel and a ferry pilot flew this aircraft back to the UK in 2008 and while stuck in Greenland, Pickard also acquired NC17615. “Due to lousy weather, we were stranded in Iqaluit (Frobisher Bay) for six days and I thought about the Bendix Trophy aircraft I had looked at in Louisville, Kentucky. After a phone call to the owner I found I now owned two Spartans”!

NC17615 was used in the 1938 film ‘Overland Stage Riders’ starring John Wayne – not one of his most popular. “Maybe this means I can claim to have followed in ‘The Duke’s’ footsteps” Nigel commented. In the same year ‘615 finished 6th in the Bendix Trophy air race in 11 hours 30 minutes, at an average speed of 177 mph. After acquiring the second aircraft, Nigel and a ferry pilot flew NC17615 from the US to the UK in the summer of 2009.

NC17633 has a polished-metal surface with a green trim and is restored to its 1930’s glory including upholstery made to the original specification.

NC17615 is painted light and dark grey and is outwardly restored to original but the interior, instruments and radios are all to modern IFR standard.

First impressions

The Spartan has great “presence” and is admired everywhere it goes. It is large-looking for a four-seat aircraft (a fifth seat was optional); the wing span is 39 feet, length 26 feet, with a take off weight of 4400lbs and empty weight approximately 3000lbs. A modern equivalent might be the Cessna 182, which cruises at 145kts (167mph) on 235hp, has a take off weight of 3110 lbs, with a span of 36 feet but side-by-side the Cessna 182 looks so much smaller than the Spartan. The highly-polished Spartans have a great 1930’s Art Deco look – many people not believing they are over seventy years old.

I have already enjoyed a number of hours flying NC17633 and today will be my first opportunity to sample N17615 and compare it with its sister ship (flown by Ian Austin on the photographic detail for the attached images).

Getting the aircraft out of the hanger is not a one-man job and, although two people can manoeuvre it by hand, Nigel has a small tractor to help move the aircraft into and out of his hanger. Once on the grass, the pre-flight checks can continue – I have already checked in the hanger that there were no unwanted pools of fluid under the aircraft or parts missing/dented etc.

I start the pre-flight check in the cabin. A big step up onto the walkway on the left wing and depress the half-lozenge shaped door handle, fingers behind the door edge and open, being careful the wind doesn’t catch the door as there is no restraining device and it could easily swing through 180 degrees against the fuselage. Once inside, I check the mags’ are off and switch the master to ‘on’; check undercarriage indicators – ‘two greens’; and the park brake is set – a long chrome lever coming from the floor just left of the right seat. I also check that the fuel gauge is reading – it is a single gauge with a switch to select Auxiliary, Main or Reserve tanks – and I check all of them. Master switch back to ‘off’ and I exit the cockpit to begin the external checks.

Once outside the cabin and while on the left wing walkway I check the reserve fuel tank contents. It is located forward of the firewall and is used for takeoff and landing. A visual check of contents is possible from the filler just in front of the windshield. The ‘Manual’ says it should contain 87 octane (to provide more power as the engine is supercharged) with 80 in the other tanks, but as that is rarely available these days the aircraft has 100LL in all tanks. The main and auxiliary tanks are filled via filling points in the left wing root, just below the left door. A screw driver is needed to open the flap covering the fuel filler cap although a visual check is not accurate unless they are full.

The rest of the check is similar to other light aircraft. To complete them I jump down from the trailing edge – it’s a good three feet to the ground so you need to be agile or provide a step! The aircrafts construction is aluminium – or ‘aloominum’ as it’s American – skin over a steel tube frame with fabric covered control surfaces. Fuel drains are located under the belly behind covers and you need to crouch down to access them, being careful not to rub against the underside of the aircraft and get oil on your clothes.

The oil level is checked by climbing onto the right wing root and opening a flap on the right side of the engine cowl. On some R985’s the oil can read low until the engine has been run, so if the reading is around ¾-full or less, we run the engine until warm then shut it down and recheck the contents. Otherwise, topping up just wastes oil as the surplus is thrown overboard through the engine breather system.

The flaps are pneumatically operated and can sag if the aircraft hasn’t run for some time or if there is a leak in the system. So, if the flaps are not level with the trailing edge this needs to be noted and rechecked after engine start. The undercarriage is retractable with a single oleo on each side which is checked for leaks and the correct amount of extension. A clear view panel in the undercarriage bay allows the retraction gear to be checked. This is a tall machine, I’m five foot eleven and the leading edge is chest height so there’s plenty of bending and stretching during a pre-flight check. The pitot tube is a long chrome tube with an Art Deco fin located half way along the leading edge of the port wing – at just the right height to cause injury if care is not taken! As with all radial engines, the R985 has to be pulled through to check for hydraulic locking caused by oil draining into the lower cylinders.

Climbing aboard

With the pre-flight check complete it is time to go flying. The cabin is spacious with seats close to the floor providing a flat seating position, although there is limited vertical adjustment. The rear seats have lots of leg and head room and headset jacks are installed at each seat. NC17633 has been restored to its original interior and has curtains fitted to the big windows. The original ash trays are still fitted, including one located in the central control column. Remember, everyone smoked in the 1930’s! By comparison, NC17615 has a modern, soft, grey leather interior. More 1970’s luxury car than 1930’s Art Deco.

The cockpit layout in NC17615 is very different from the original fit in N17633 – it was designed long before ergonomics were even thought of! N17615 has the magneto switches and engine instruments on the left side with all electrical switches located in neat rows on the far right; the avionics stack is in the centre.

For today’s flight I will take the left seat in NC17615 while owner Nigel Pickard is in the right. Before starting, I check the brakes are still on and the area around is clear, then it’s master switch to ‘on’, check fuel is on ‘Reserve’ and switches and instruments set. To prime the engine there is a chrome lever between the front seats. This is attached to a wobble pump for priming and is moved up and down about 30 times with a cold engine, which primes the fuel lines to 4 psi. The old-fashioned kigas primer has been removed and replaced with a simple red button next to the engine instruments which is pressed as you move the wobble pump lever. I move the mixture to rich, check the prop is set to course (unlike some modern aircraft) and set the throttle before turning the key. The engine fires first blade – admittedly not on all nine cylinders – but that is quite normal for a radial. Gradually, all nine cylinders join-in until it idles slowly and smoothly. I check temperatures on the JPI engine monitor throughout progress.

By now, Ian has NC17633 running and we taxi out to Little Gransden’s runway 28 as a pair, to join the Cherokee Six photo ship. The Spartan is a light aircraft to taxi and for a radial tailwheel the forward visibility isn’t too bad, but weaving is still required. It is certainty better than a WACO UPF 7 or Boeing Stearman. The brakes are good – a multiplate disk system – and only a small amount of power is needed to move off. Once on full rudder travel the brakes can be applied enabling tight turns. NC17633 has had modern disc retrofitted.

Once the engine oil is above 60º C (140º F) I complete the magneto checks, check the fuel pressure is indicating at least 4-5 psi and the ‘Reserve’ fuel tank is selected. Oil pressure should be in the region of 70-90 psi and after checking full and free on the controls, it’s time to go. NC17633 positioned alongside us has a lockable tail wheel but NC17615’s is semi-castoring with a spring bias to keep it straight, so a careful check is required to avoid potential embarrassment!

Take-off

The 450hp supercharged engine requires careful handling and once lined up in position on the runway, I gently increase power to 36 inches. The manual does allow for take off to be made on less than full power, if performance conditions are satisfactory. Today, there is plenty of runway available but to catch Ian I use full power and we accelerate quickly. Rudder is immediately effective and at about 45 knots the elevator comes alive, allowing me to lift the tail. With four on board and ¾ fuel we are airborne at 75 mph using less than 300 meters of the grass. As the speed increases I retract the undercarriage – around six seconds to fully cycle – and set the power to 33inches and the prop to 2300rpm. This provides around 100mph and a climb rate of 1200 feet per minute. A gentle enroute climb might be as high as 120mph and 1,900fpm.

Once in our operating area we join up with the other Spartan and the photo ship to complete the air-to-air detail. 140mph seems right for all three aircraft and Ian and I swop positions at the request of the photographer. It is hard work but I’m sure you will agree the end results were worth the effort. Apparently, an 18mm digital lens was used for some of the images!

During the photographic formation work the controls allow easy positioning although a crisper roll control would be nice! Flying formation for a photo sortie isn’t the same as military formation, because the photographer is looking for so many different angles and shots. Consequently, both aircraft are constantly moving – in relation to the camera ship and each other – so this type of flying gives a good idea of an aircraft’s manoeuvrability. Apart from the roll rate the Spartan is a very enjoyable formation machine.

Flying characteristics

With the photographic formation work complete I break away to investigate the Spartan’s flying characteristics. Initially, I try a power setting of 28 inches and 1900 rpm – just under 80% power – and it gives us 160mph indicated. 70% power – 25 inches and 1800 rpm – gives the best fuel economy but only 140 mph. In cruise, the aircraft is stable with pitch oscillations quickly damped, although the roll control was sluggish and slightly ‘wallowy’. Pitch control is positive and about the same weight as a Cessna 210 in the air although not as heavy on initial rotation. Rudder is also firm and well harmonised needing to be used with aileron in the turn. The elevator trim is effective and operated by a small twist wheel above the throttle.

The controls are fine one handed in normal operations but when being a little more ‘enthusiastic’ the weight increases and two hands make things easier – especially in roll. It flies happily hands off with no divergent tendencies. Designed in the 1930’s as an executive transport, it was expected to provide all occupants with a smooth ride and should be flown gently so as not to upset the passengers – it’s not a fighter aircraft after all.

The engine rumbles happily along and the sound can be quit hypnotic on a long flight. The ‘manual’ suggests a 212mph cruise at 33½ inches and 2300 rpm but that would guzzle fuel. On the ferry flight back from the US, Nigel averaged 21 US gallons an hour. With a standard capacity of 112 gallons (423 litres) it provides around five hours VFR endurance and 800 miles range. NC17615 has 135 gallon long-range tanks, which were fitted for the Bendix Trophy air race. With a bit more operating experience these settings can probably be refined.

One major difference between the two aircraft is that NC17633 has a throw over column – similar to the Beech Bonanza while ours has dual wheels on a central column.

As an aircraft designed to transport its passengers across the US in comfort and style, it must have seemed revolutionary at the time. What a shame its production costs were so high; as it clearly succeeded in its aims – particularly at a time when aviation fuel was cheap. With a modern avionics fit, it bears comparison (both operating costs and comfort) with the Piper Aztec. Even today, it would make a good – if somewhat unusual – personal transport.

NC17615 seems much smoother than my recollections of NC17633. Although both have fairly new engine mounts and low-time engines, it could just be the props making the difference. The cabin is comfortable with the large windows providing a great view although it is not a quiet environment. I remove the headsets momentarily but quickly refit them to my ears – Nigel’s Sennheiser ANR headsets prove a very good investment. I can see why many pilots of the 1930’s and 40’s lost their hearing early. After four or five hours the noise would have been very tiring – presumably passengers were provided with ear plugs of some kind!

Slow speed handling

I want to explore the slow speed handling next and find a convenient location. With HASELL checks complete, I close the throttle and decelerate. The undercarriage warning horn immediately sounds as it is activated with the throttle closed and the gear up. Increasingly, I apply back pressure and the control column comes a long way back before we get to the stall, which takes place at 70 mph, although a high rate of descent starts before the break.

Once the break comes, it is gentle with only light buffet and no wing drop. I try it with power off and the gear and flap down, when it gets to 60mph before stalling. This does require a big control movement and as the column is set slightly high, it feels a very unnatural control position.
Being a relatively large aircraft, there is quite a bit of inertia and with a 450 hp radial up front, care must be taken when opening the throttle to recover or you could find yourself with a large amount of roll and yaw at low speed. Stall recovery is standard – just remember not to slam the throttle open.

Rejoin to land

With the handling checks over we rejoin the other Spartan and prepare to return to Little Gransden airfield. The plan is for a formation run and break before landing onto the 700m grass field about 12nm (20Km) from Cambridge. The airspace is crowded with aircraft arriving for today’s scheduled BBC “Children in Need” flying display and we have to hold off for a while. Eventually, we are cleared in to be followed by a pair of P-51 Mustangs. A four-ship formation of Mustangs and Spartans – maybe next year!

I lead while Ian joins echelon right in NC17633. 160mph seems the right speed and after passing down the runway a gentle left break separates us for landing individually. I reduce power to 15 inches and slow to 120 mph on the downwind leg. I lower the gear with the undercarriage switch – it’s electric – although a handle on the left cockpit wall for manual extension should the normal system fail. Two green indicator lights confirm that both are down.

Downwind checks are simple: fuel on reserve, brakes off, undercarriage down and prop to fine. I continue to slow and lower the wing flaps with the lever at the base of the instrument panel – not the best position for the lever as it means leaning down and right while trying to fly and watch for other traffic – although it soon becomes second nature.

There are two sets of flaps on the Spartan, an under fuselage ‘drag’ flap and the main wing flaps – both of which are pneumatically operated by levers at the base of the control panel. With the wing flaps selected – the belly flap is never used – I turn on to a curving base, while slowing to the final approach speed of 85mph. There are only small trim changes with gear and flap movement and I adjust them easily. I use 80mph over the hedge and touchdown at 75mph which seems to work well.

The controls are definitely less responsive at these slower speeds but it is easy to maintain an accurate speed on approach. The manual quotes a touchdown speed of 63mph but personally this feels far too slow, especially considering the stall speed. It may not take any pitot errors into account, nor allow for differences on the ASI so I err on the side of caution and feel that 75mph indicated is a safe compromise.

With an aircraft of this size and the drag of a big radial in front, I use power all the way to the flare. I prefer to wheel larger tail draggers on, although it can be three pointed with no problem and I would be happy to use that technique on a short runway. I agree with Nigel that wheeling it on puts less strain on both the tail wheel mechanism and tail structure if the tail is allowed to gently ‘land’.

Once on the ground, as the speed decays, the column is eased forward to allow the tail to ‘fly’ onto the runway. Today, there is a slightly gusty crosswind but control is no problem with plenty of rudder authority and although my landing isn’t perfect – why does that always happen in front of an audience – we touch down without any hint of a swing and run to the end of the runway, allowing the following Spartan to land after us.

There is no need to unlock the tailwheel on this aircraft so once clear of the runway I reach down and retract the flaps. The cockpit ventilation is not good on the ground and as it’s a warm day I prop the door open with my elbow to allow a bit more air flow. We taxy in as a pair, the sound of the two radial engines get a lot of attention from the airshow crowd.

The aircraft can be manoeuvred in a relatively small space using brake and a burst of power. Once in our allocated parking areas I let the engines idle for a couple of minutes to stabilise temperatures before the two aircraft shut down together. The process is simple – throttle closed, propeller to course (it protects the prop mechanism), mixture to lean, mags’ off and all electrics off. Even though we have been using ANR headsets throughout the flight, everything suddenly goes very quiet!

Is the Spartan Executive difficult to fly? This is a difficult question. It has been more than 30 years since I flew as a PPL but assuming you have the right tailwheel time, yes. Nigel has held a PPL and had his 450hp Stearman for more than twenty years.

My first tailwheel aircraft was a Chipmunk which I followed with Piper Cubs and various other tailwheel types. Don’t forget that the Spartan is a 73 year old aircraft with a big radial engine that requires careful looking after – very different from some of the types mentioned above.

As long as the prospective pilot is disciplined in his outlook and takes time to understand the machine, I’m sure they would enjoy handling this great aircraft.

Wherever the Spartan Executives visit, they are admired and photographed and I would like to thank Nigel for occasionally entrusting them to me.