Spartan C3

The Spartan C3 was an American three-seat open cockpit biplane of the late 1920s.

Development
The type originated as the Mid-Continent Spartan of 1926. The company was reorganised as Spartan Aircraft Company in 1928 and a series of Spartan C3 aircraft was built between that year and 1930. The C3 was a tube, wood and fabric aircraft with two open cockpits accommodating three people, and the tail unit had a distinctive "rounded square" shape. Around 122 examples were completed with various engines leading to differing designations.

Operational history
The C3 was used by schools of flying for training instruction. Other firms utilised the aircraft's two-passenger capability in "barnstorming operations". Three C3 aircraft survived in the U.S. in 2001, of which two were airworthy. Currently, as of 2009, there is only one left that is airworthy. This plane is owned and operated by Lee Kunze of Howards Grove, Wisconsin.

Variants
(data from http://www.aerofiles.com)


 * C3-1 : 125 h.p. Ryan-Siemens radial (main production version - approx 100 examples);
 * C3-2 : 120 h.p. Walter (also known as the C3-120);
 * C3-3 : 170 h.p. Curtiss Challenger;
 * C3-4 : 115 h.p. Axelson A;
 * C3-165 : 165 h.p. Wright J-6-5 (initially known as the C3-5);
 * C3-166 : 165 h.p. Comet 7-E;
 * C3-225 : 225 h.p. Wright J-6;