Simmonds Spartan ZK-ABK (c/n 46) arrived in New Zealand as a new aircraft late 1929 through the Canadian Knight & Whippet Motor Co.Ltd. of Wellington who were the agents, and then went to New Zealand Airways Ltd., Timaru as a three-seater. ABK was then used extensively around the South Island, and suffered some mishaps such as this one:
When NZAW folded, Syd Lister of Temuka bought this aircraft at the receiver’s auction in 1937, sold it briefly to Leslie T Whitaker, Lower Hutt in 1938 and then re-acquired it soon after. It was finally wrecked when ‘Ace’ Willmott overshot a landing at Milford, north of Timaru, & wrecked when wingtip hit ground at a date in 1940. The remains were stored by Syd on his farm until being sold after his death to Bob McGarry in 1994.
Restoration pic of ZK-ABK from the NSAC newsletter:
The Spartan has been returned to the NZ civil register in July this year in anticipation of post-restoration flight. This is yet another classic aircraft with an extensive NZ history, and brings the number of known survivors of the marque in New Zealand to three – the other two being ZK-ABZ in the Geraldine museum and ZK-ARH with Rod Hall-Jones.
However, a news item today indicates that there may be a delay in the paperwork:
“A Canterbury man is calling for help to find stolen manuals and instructions for an 80-year-old plane he is working on.
Bob McGarry had hoped to fly his 1929 Simmonds Spartan for the first time next week at Wigram Airfield – however, that timeframe could be in doubt after his Sommerfield home was broken into yesterday.
Mr McGarry says a number of things were taken including his laptop with important information about the rebuild, which so far has taken nearly 9,000 hours. He says once complete, the aircraft, similar to a Tiger Moth, will be the only flying Simmonds Spartan in the world.”
By: flyernzl - 19th September 2008 at 04:17
That’s correct John, interchangeability was the key.
I have never seen any adverse comments about the Spartan from a New Zealand source, but some of the Australian internet-based comments on this aircraft type are extremely negative.
Possibly poor hot-weather performance?
ZK-ABZ (Spartan 43) in 2002:
By: John Aeroclub - 18th September 2008 at 19:07
For those who are not familiar with the aeroplane, the original concept was inter-changability of flying surfaces. In theory all the spares one needed was one wing, one aileron and a fin/tailplane and a rudder /elevator.
John
By: John Aeroclub - 18th September 2008 at 10:13
WP I photographed at Barton (on the day of the Varsity crash) and BZ I took 3 years ago at Geraldine.
John
By: flyernzl - 18th September 2008 at 09:29
Local television news item on ZK-ABK
By: Steve Bond - 18th September 2008 at 08:50
The last I heard G-ABWP was based at Barton.
By: avion ancien - 17th September 2008 at 20:53
As far as I am aware, only three Simmonds Spartans survived the war in the UK. I don’t know which of the two seaters was the last to go. Was it G-AAGY or G-ABNU? I think that the former survived until 1947 and the latter until 1948. It appears that the very last was the three seater G-AAHV, which appears to have been scrapped in 1953. The Spartan Arrow was a related but a different creature. Where does G-ABWP live these days? And what happened to G-ACHG which, I understand, was extant in Sweden as late as 1951?
By: flyernzl - 17th September 2008 at 20:16
Yes I wondered about that.
The news came as posted. Looks like the media got it wrong again – Surprise!
By: DragonflyDH90 - 17th September 2008 at 12:23
Rod’s one is flying so “only” might be a bit incorrect
By: Steve Bond - 17th September 2008 at 08:23
What a lovely aeroplane. It’s a shame that the Spartan Arrow still living in the UK seems to get out and about so infrequently, it would look terrific gracing Old Warden’s turf.
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September 17, 2008 at 6:57 am