The Spartan C2 is a

light aircraft A light aircraft is an aircraft that has a Maximum Takeoff Weight, maximum gross takeoff weight of or less.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 308. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. Light aircraft are use ...

produced in the United States in the early 1930s as a low-cost sport machine that would sell during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

Design and development

The C2 is a conventional, low-wing monoplane design with two seats side-by-side in an open cockpit.''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft'', p.2955Taylor 1989, p.835 The wing was braced with struts and wires and it carried the main units of the divided fixed undercarriage. Power was supplied by a small radial engine mounted tractor-fashion in the nose, which drove a two-bladed propeller. Spartan introduced the C2 in 1931 with a 55-hp engine, and sold 16 examples before ongoing economic circumstances brought production to a halt. Spartan then built 2 examples with 165-hp engines to use in their own flying school. These latter aircraft were fitted with hoods that could be closed over the cockpit for training pilots in instrument flying."C2-60, -165", ''Aerofiles''"Spartan's Aircraft Manufacturing History" Spartan offered this version to the U.S. military as a trainer,"The Spartan Aircraft Company" but officials at the time believed that low-wing monoplanes were unsuitable for pilot training. Spartan also tendered a proposal to the U.S. Bureau of Air Commerce to provide its inspectors with a two-seat light aircraft. The design in question was probably the C2-60, but in any case, the tender was not accepted.

Variants

* C2-60 — initial production version with Jacobs L-3 engine (16 built) * C2-165 — trainer with

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engine and hood for instrument training for Spartan School of Aeronautics (2 built)

Operators

* Spartan School of Aeronautics (2 × C2-165)

Aircraft on display

Three C2s are preserved in museums — a restored example on display at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum, a restored and flyable example at the

Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum The Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) is located in Hood River, Oregon, United States, adjacent to the Ken Jernstedt Airfield, Ken Jernstedt Memorial Airport. WAAAM is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to the prese ...

Hood River, Oregon Hood River is a city in and the county seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,313. It is the only city in O ...

, and an example awaiting restoration at the

Golden Wings Flying Museum The Golden Wings Flying Museum was an aviation museum located in Blaine, Minnesota. History The museum was founded in 1996 by Greg Herrick in a former University of Minnesota hangar. In 1997, Greg Herrick began a campaign to force the Federal ...

Blaine, Minnesota Blaine is a suburban city in Anoka and Ramsey counties in Minnesota, United States. Once a rural town, Blaine's population has increased significantly in the last 60 years. For several years, Blaine led the Twin Cities metro region in new home ...

."Aircraft", Golden Wings Flying Museum

Specifications (C2-60)

References