History:

In 1928 Mr O E Simmonds decided to design and manufacture a series of light biplanes for sale to the public, with the main design aim being to make as many parts interchangeable as possible to save costs.  All four wings were identical and had a symmetrical aerofoil section so that one spare wing could fit in any position.  The rudder was interchangeable with the half elevator; the fin was identical with the outer third of the tailplane; each half of the undercarriage could fit on either side; and all main bracing wires were the same length.  The prototype G-EBYU (c/n 1), powered by a 71 kw (95 hp) Cirrus II engine, was flown in July 1928.  Later in the year it was flown non-stop from Croydon, UK to Berlin in Germany in 7 hours and 10 minutes, with the return trip being made in 5 hours and 55 minutes, three days later.

Production then proceeded and at least 49 aircraft were built and fitted with a variety of engines.  In addition to the four engines noted above, the 63 kw (85 hp) seven-cylinder Redup Fury Mk II air-cooled Lever engine was also installed.  In 1929 five were sold in Australia by the agents, Robert Bruce & Co Pty Ltd, and seven were imported to New Zealand.

These 12 aircraft were: VH-UIT (c/n 3) registered in February 1929 to R Bryce & Co Pty Ltd of Melbourne, VIC.  On 20 September 1929 it hit a hedge on take-off at Essendon, VIC and crashed.  It was repaired and had a number of owners.  It was sold to E J Connellan in December 1937 but crashed on take-off at Balranald, NSW on 7 January 1939 and was not rebuilt.

VH-ULI (c/n 4) was registered in August 1929 to Robert Bryce & Co and was sold in New Zealand in September that year to the Hawkes Bay Aero Club, NZ, becoming ZK-AAY.  Rebuilt to three-seat configuration by New Zealand Airways, it was destroyed in 1937.

VH-UKQ (c/n 5) had a Cirrus III engine and was registered in April 1929, being on-sold to Taylor & Ross Air Transport Co of Lae, NG.  On 13 March 1930 it came down in the sea after take-off at Salamaua, PNG and had to be rebuilt.  It had a number of owners and incidents, at one stage being fitted with a Gipsy I engine, operating with Salamaua Aerial Services and Stephens Aviation Ltd, eventually crashing in April 1942 between Bena Bena and Kaitantu, PNG.

VH-UMP (c/n 23) had a Cirrus Hermes engine and was registered in December 1929 to Bishop & O’Sullivan Aircraft Service of Brisbane.  Its registration lapsed on 16 December 1931. VH-UMQ (c/n 45) was fitted with a Cirrus Hermes engine and was registered in November 1929 to Western Air Services of Guilford, WA. It later operated with Wings Ltd of Perth, and Mrs J L D E Ittershagen of West Subiaco, WA.  The registration lapsed in August 1934.

ZK-AAP (c/n 8) was used for an attempted solo flight from the United Kingdom to New Zealand by H F Mase.  Fitted with a 360 litre (80 Imp gal) fuel tank in the forward fuselage, and named The All Black, it left Lympne in Kent on 26 April 1929 but crashed at Commelle Cernay in France. ZK-ABL (c/n 39) was registered to the Wellington Aero Club but crashed in 1936.  ZK-ABN (c/n 42) was registered to New Zealand Airways Ltd.  Rebuilt to three-seat configuration and fitted with a cabin top it carried the name Southern Cross Kitten for a period in 1933.  It was destroyed in an accident at Pleasant Point in October 1939.  ZK-ABZ (c/n 43) was registered to Air Travel, Marlborough Aero Club, and New Zealand Airways at various times.  Purchased by S Lister in 1937, it was refurbished in 1968.  For many years it was on display hanging from the roof of the Geraldine Vintage Car and Machinery Museum, but in the late 1990s consideration was given to removing it for restoration to airworthiness.  The registration was again reserved in November 2005 but the aircraft was still on display in the museum at Geraldine, NZ in 2012.

ZK-ABK (c/n 46) was used by New Zealand Airways Ltd in 1929 to pioneer the Dunedin – Timaru route but was withdrawn from service in November 1940.  This aircraft has been restored to airworthiness at West Melton, being re-registered as ZK-ABK to its owner at Christchurch in July 2008.  VQ-FAA (c/n 47) was operated on floats in Fiji in 1930 by Fiji Airways, and was joined a little later by two Australian-built General Aircraft Genairco floatplanes.  It was later shipped to Australia and the registration VH-UUJ was allotted but it was not taken up and the fate of the aircraft is not known.  ZK-ABC (c/n 48) was registered to the Hawkes Bay Aero Club but crashed at Tarumaranui in March 1933 and the remains were scrapped in July 1937. ZK-ABU (c/n 49) was registered to Air Travel, and was the first aircraft, on 13 June 1932, to land on the Waiho Gorge glacier.  The registration was cancelled in 1939.

ZK-ARH, a Spartan II (c/n 102 – ex G-ABYN, EI-ABU), is one of six production aircraft with what was known as the ‘reverse cockpit’, and had a 90 kw (120 hp) Cirrus Hermes IV engine.  It was built in June 1932 as G-ABYN and was sold to E G Croskin of Hedon Hull in East Yorkshire in 1935.  It later went to Mr A Clarke in Cloughjordan in Ireland as EI-ABU.  It was grounded during World War II and was stored.  It was discovered in 1971 and was taken to England.  It was imported in 1995 to New Zealand and restoration was commenced by the Croydon Aircraft Co at Mandeville before being moved to South Air Aviation at Taieri. It made its post restoration flight in August 2005.

The Spartan Two-seater had similar dimensions to the Three-seater and, when fitted with the 71 kw (95 hp) ADC Cirrus III engine, its specifications were: empty weight 422 kg (930 lb); loaded weight 763 kg (1,680 lb); disposable load 340 kg (750 lb); max speed 161 km/h (100 mph); cruising speed 129 km/h (80 mph); landing speed 64 km/h (40 mph); climb to 1,525 m (5,000 ft) 10 mins 30 secs; and normal range 515 km (320 miles).