Can anyone provide any information on the " India Air Pace" marking on the aircraft?
Below is the text of a letter I recently(April 2003 ) received from Oliver Simmonds' son Geoffrey Simmonds.This gives a fascinating insight into the background of the Simmonds Aircraft Company.(reproduced with his kind permission)
My father in 1914 had obtained a scholarship from Taunton to Magdalene College, Cambridge to read History. During his last year at Taunton, the RFC landed a plane on the football fields and my father was hooked! He signed up with the RFC and with a total of less than 20 hrs, went to France and flew FE 2B's, a light bomber with two crew. In those days you flew until you were dead or wounded.
Upon his entry to Cambridge 1n 1919, he asked if he could use his scholarship to read Engineering, rather than History, which was agreed. Upon his graduation in 1922, he joined the RAE at Farnborough. During his time there, he wrote in conjunction with the only female enginner there, a paper on the effects of supersonic flight on an air foil. As I understand it, (not being an engineer) they did that by turning up the speed of the fan in the wind tunnel so that the air flow over the tips of the blades exceeded the speed of sound.
In about ' 24, he was moved to the Airworthiness Dept. That involved the granting of Certificates of Airworthiness, to all new civil British aircraft. That job gave my father the opportunity to visit the design offices of all the then UK aircraft manufacturers, of which there were many. This exposed him to all the cutting edge thinking in the aerodynamics of that day.
In 1925, I believe, James Doolittle won the Schneider Trophy for the USA, at about 240mph. The Supermarine Sea Lion, the British entry, was a biplane and barely reached 200mph. As a result, the Air Ministry wrote a simple specification for a new aircraft, with a target speed of 300mph. Scott Payne, the owner of Supermarine and Mitchell, the Chief Engineer, apparently regarded that as a very tall order. They asked the Ministry if they had any bright young engineer, who might contribute to the aerodynamic design. My father was produced, sent to Southampton for an interview and immediately hired. He and my mother rented a house in nearby Woolston, where I was born.
My father headed up a small team of about 3-4 designers, some of whom I met in the mid ' 60's. They told me two technical points which have always fascinated me. The first was that at the start of the design, my father sat down on the ground, with his back to a piece of plywood, laid against a wall and asked one of his colleagues to draw an outline around his body. That became the lateral dimension of the fuselage and his height, the height of the cockpit. My father was quite a small man, say 5' 6" at the most. So when flying trials eventually started, the RAF had to pick pilots, who were able to operate in what was a very small cockpit. The second point concerned cooling the engine oil, or trying to. They ran flutes, aft and forward, in the skin of the aircraft, down its sides. The engine oil was pumped back and forth during flight, helping to cool it.The successful winning of the Schneider Trophy in 1927, 1929 and 1931 is aviation history. It was also the birth of the RR Merlin.
Finally when the RAF started looking for a new monoplane fighter in the mid ' 30's, the design of the Schneider racers had a major influence on the design of the Spitfire. In about 1927, as the Schneider racers had become evolutionary designs, my father was thinking of future ideas and his own future in the industry. He recognized that in export markets, spare parts were always a problem. In his approach to what became the Spartan, he sought to address that by making the four wings interchangeable and the three tail surfaces also. As your Web site points out the aircraft was initially built in my parents house in Woolston. Family lore has it that the wings were laid across the beds in the guest room as my mother and father together attached the fabric to the wings. As I understand it, it was not until the aircraft was first flown that Scott Payne and Mitchell at Supermarine, became aware of the plane's existence. They were not at all pleased and took the position that anything that my father developed, even on his own time, was company property. This difference led to my father's dismissal. When he went home and told my mother, she cried, while he assured her it was the turning point of his life!
Shortly thereafter, Whitehall Securities, in London, came into the picture. Simmonds Aircraft was formed, with my father contributing the Spartan design for 50% of the equity and Whitehall taking the balance for the cash contributed. As your records show, a significant number of aircraft were built and I know the company also built a large number of De Havilland Gypsy Moths under contract.
I think in either late 1929 or sometime in 1930, Simmonds Aircraft began to experience a business back lash from the ' 29 crash in the US. Whitehall Securities wanted to merge the company with Saunders Roe. The latter had its design offices in London, its factory in the Isle of Wight and it was a flying boat company. My father thought this was a recipe for design, production and market failure and so resisted the merger. It was finally agreed Whitehall would buy out my father for £10,000, which I suppose is about £300,000 in today's money. The merger with Saunders Roe was subsequently completed. In 1931 my father went to the Paris Air Show and there saw what was called a push pull contol. He saw immeadiately that this would do away with bell cranks and levers, which then connected the aircraft controls to the control surfaces. He obtained a license for the rest of the world. He returned to the UK, formed Simmonds Aerocessories Ltd and established a sub contract manufacturer for the product in Birmingham. The company prospered and eventually had operations in the UK, France, Poland, the USA, Canada and Australia. From the 1960's to the 1980's, there was hardly an air frame or an engine in the free world, which did not not incorporate a Simmonds product, which by then had grown dramatically in their diversity.
c/n CofA Registration Type
1 G-EBYU Simmonds Spartan
2 No details
3 G-AUIT Simmonds Spartan, imported in 1929 by agents Robert Bryce and Co.
as were all Australian Spartans.Regd Feb 29,reregd VH-UIT Aug 1930,
Written off in a take off crash at Balranald, NSW on 7 Jan 1939.
Reg cancelled Oct 39
4 VH-ULI Simmonds Spartan Reg'd Aug 29.to ZK-AAY Sept 29 with Hawkes Bay Aero Club.
Rebuilt to three seat configuration and operated by New Zealand Airways Ltd,
Saltwater Creek, Timaru. Destroyed 12-02-1937.
5 VH-UKQ Simmonds Spartan.Regd April 29 w/o off Lae PNG,12-03-30.Wreck sold to
Jack Gethling and rebuild started,sold in 1933 to Arthur Collins
who completed the rebuild.1934 leased to Papuan Air Transport.
Sold May 1935 to to George “Bendum” Mendum of Salamaua Aerial Services
Crashed in Surprise Creek in 1938,rebuilt again, sold in 1941 to Norman Wilde
Used by Father John Glover in attempted evacuation of injured people from
Kainantu in 1942-abandoned there after prop damaged.
For a more detailed history of UKQ look HERE.
6 ZK-AAP Simmonds Spartan.Intended for UK-NZ flight by H.F.Mase.
Fitted with 80 imp. gallon tank in front fuselage and named "The All Black."
Departed Lympne on 26th April 1929.Crashed at Comelle Cernay, France.
7 No details
8 No details
9 No details
10 G-AAWM Simmonds Spartan
11 G-AAFP Simmonds Spartan
12 G-AAFR Simmonds Spartan
13 No details
14 G-AAGN Simmonds Spartan.Cr at Ratcliffe Aerodrome Sept 6th 1930
15 G-AAGY Simmonds Spartan
16 No details
17 G-AAMA Simmonds Spartan
18 No details
19 G-AAJB Simmonds Spartan
20 G-AAMC Simmonds Spartan
21 G-AAMB Simmonds Spartan
22 G-AAMH Simmonds Spartan
23 G-AAHA Simmonds Spartan to ZS-ADC 3-32
24 G-AAMD(ntu) Simmonds Spartan
24 G-ABHH Simmonds Spartan became SE-ADB and destroyed
in accident 26-01-33
25 G-ABNU Simmonds Spartan
26 G-AAME Simmonds Spartan
27 G-ABXO Simmonds Spartan reregistered as
27 G-AAGV Simmonds Spartan
28 VH-UMP Simmonds Spartan Regd 1929.
29 G-AAGO Simmonds Spartan
30 No details
31 VT-AAT Simmonds Spartan registered to Purshottam Meghji Kabali in April 1930
at Bombay,named "FEATHER OF THE DAWN".Later cancelled after crash in Sahara.
32 No details
33 G-AAMF Simmonds Spartan
34 G-AAMG Simmonds Spartan.Used with floats.Crashed Ratby ( nr Leicester) 19 June
1930. Engine becamed detached from aircaft after prop blade broke off at 1000+ ft.
Aircaft descended out of control and crashed. Pilot W A Andrews only slightly hurt.
35 G-AAMI Simmonds Spartan. To LN-45, LN-ABG(registered 6/6/32 W Omsted).
Jan 17 1934 to Widerøes Flyveselskap.Apr 17 1934 to to C. Bang, Greåker.
Cancelled from register Nov 28, 1946 as "withdrawn fro use". fate unknown
36 G-AAMJ Simmonds Spartan
37 G-AAMK Simmonds Spartan
38 G-AAML Simmonds Spartan
39 ZK-ABL Simmonds Spartan Registered 1929 to Wellington Aero Club.Crashed 1936
40 No details
41 No details
42 ZK-ABN Simmonds Spartan Registered 1929 to New Zealand Airways Ltd, Saltwater Creek, Timaru.
Rebuilt to three seat configuration and fitted with a cabin top.
Named Southern Cross Kitten for a period in 1933.
43 ZK-ABZ Simmonds Spartan.Registered 1929 to Air Travel.
Subsequently operated by Malborough Aero Club.
Bought as a wreck in 1933 following a fatal crash in Blenheim by
New Zealand Airways Ltd, Saltwater Creek, Timaru.
Rebuilt by NZ Airways engineer Gilbert Lyon.Subsequently operated as a
trainer by NZ Airways.
Purchased by J. H Dobson of Hinds, Ashburton in 1936 when the assets of NZ Airways
were auctioned off following the closure of its flying school.
Purchased by Syd J Lister, of Milford, Temuka in 1940 from J. H. Dobson
(for 5 NZ Pounds).
Lister had completed his first solo in this aircraft in March 1935 whilst
it was operated by NZ Airways Flying School).
Lister had the aircraft 'tidied-up' by Gilbert Lyon.
It was fitted with the engine from ZK-ABK and the propeller from ZK-AAY.
Occasionally used by Lister to provide practice for the Home Guard.
Last flew Nov 1946 and stored at Listers farm at Milford.
Aircraft statically displayed at Christchurch in 1967 to mark the
50th anniversary of flying training at RNZAF Wigram and statically displayed at
Blenheim to mark the 40th anniversary of the Marlborough Aero Club.
Subsequently the Blenheim-based Golden Age Flying Society began negotiations
to return the aircraft to flying condition but this did not eventuate
due to the deaths of two of the organisations principals.
Refurbished to static display condition by tradesmen at RNZAF Wigram in 1968.
Aircraft statically displayed at RNZAF Wigram, Christchurch in 1978
to mark the 50th anniversary of the crossing of the Tasman Sea by
Charles Kingsford-Smith.
Subsequently donated to Geraldine Museum of Transport.
44 G-AAHV Simmonds Spartan
45 VH-UMQ Simmonds Spartan Registered Nov 1929 to August 1934.
46 ZK-ABK Simmonds Spartan
Registered in 1929 to New Zealand Airways Ltd, Saltwater Creek, Timaru.
Used to pioneer Timaru-Dunedin route.
Crashed in 1932, presumably rebuilt by NZ Airways..
Purchased by Syd J Lister, of Milford, Temuka in 1936 when the assets
of NZ Airways were auctioned off following the closure of its flying school.
Sold by Syd in 1938 but re-purchased by him in 1940.
Crashed into a peat bog on the Lister property at Milford when being flown
by a friend of Listers.
Rudder now displayed at Ashburton Aviation Museum.
47 VH-UUJ(ntu) Simmonds Spartan to VQ-FAA Operated on floats by Fiji Airways in 1930
48 ZK-ABC Simmonds Spartan Registered to Hawkes Bay Aero Club.Crashed 1933.
49 ZK-ABU Simmonds Spartan Registered to Air Travel.Was the first Aircraft to
land on the Waiho Gorge glacier, Westland on 13th June 1932.Crashed 1939.
50 No details
51 G-AAWY Spartan Arrow
52 G-AAWZ Spartan Arrow
53 G-ABAZ Spartan Three Seater
54 G-ABET Simmonds Spartan
55 G-ABKJ Spartan Three Seater 1
56 G-ABJS Spartan Three Seater 1 to VH-UUU in 1934
57 G-ABKT Spartan Three Seater 1
58 G-ABKK Spartan Three Seater 1
59 G-ABLJ Spartan Three Seater 1
60 G-ABPZ Simmonds Spartan to ZS-ADP
61 G-ABRA Simmonds Spartan To EI-AAT
62 G-ABRB Simmonds Spartan to VR-TAJ
63 VH-URB Spartan Three Seater 1.Airlines of Western Australia.Accident
at Mundaring Wier,16-10-1938.No fatalities.
64 G-ABTT Spartan Three Seater 1
65 G-ABTU Spartan Three Seater 1
66 G-ABWO Spartan Three Seater 1 Burnt out Maylands 6-Feb 1940
67 G-ABWU Spartan Three Seater 1
68 G-ABWV Spartan Three Seater 1
69 G-ABWX Spartan Three Seater 1
70 G-ABYG Spartan Three Seater 1
71 G-ABYH Spartan Three Seater 1
72 No details
73 No details
74 No details
75 G-ABBE Spartan Arrow to ZK-ACQ
76 G-ABKL Spartan Arrow
77 G-ABGW Spartan Arrow
78 G-ABWP Spartan Arrow
79 G-ABWR Spartan Arrow to OY-DOO
80 G-ABHD Spartan Arrow to VH-UQD
81 G-ABHR Spartan Arrow
82 S-1 Spartan Arrow Floatplane,to G-ABMK,LN-BAS
83 G-ABOB Spartan Arrow
84 G-ACHE Spartan Arrow
85 G-ACHF Spartan Arrow
86 G-ACHG Spartan Arrow to OY-DUK,SE-AFR
87 G-ABST Spartan Arrow
101 G-ABTR Spartan Three Seater II
102 G-ABYN Spartan Three Seater II,to EI-ABU(this is currently being
rebuilt/restored in New Zealand as ZK-ARH)
103 G-ABZH Spartan Three Seater II
104 G-ABZI Spartan Three Seater II,to YI-AAB
105 G-ACAD Spartan Three Seater II
106 G-ACAF Spartan Three Seater II
107 G-ACEF Spartan Three Seater II
201 S-3 Spartan Clipper,to G-ACEG.
24M 8/32 G-ABTY Spartan Cruiser MK1.Spartan Air Lines . Cr in Channel 11-5-35
2SUB N512E Simmonds Spartan
A24/1 G-ABLI Spartan A24 Mailplane
? SU- Spartan Cruiser.Misrair.
? JU-SAD Spartan Cruiser
2 2/33 G-ACBM Spartan Cruiser MK2,to
YI-AAA Iraq Airwork.
Ret UK Sept 34. British Airways Ltd. Scrapped 1937
3 5/33 G-ACDW Spartan Cruiser MK2 Spartan Air LInes Ltd"Faithful City"
SU-ABL Leased by Misr Airwork April 34. (Some sources say 1933)
4 6/33 G-ACDX Spartan Cruiser Mk2 British Airways,Cr Gosport 9-10-35
5 9/33 G-ACJO Spartan Cruiser MK2
YU-SAN Aeroput 9/33.w/u 1/38
6 3/34 G-ACMW Spartan Cruiser Mk2
YU-SAO Aeroput 4/34.w/u 1.38
7 11/33 G-ACKG Spartan Cruiser Mk2
VT-AER Maharajah of Patialia Reg'd 4-34, cancelled 23-04-42
8 2/34 G-ACNO Spartan Cruiser Mk2
OK-ATQ Bata 4/34
9 7/34 G-ACOU Spartan Cruiser Mk2
OK-ATM Bata 8/34
10 6/34 G-ACSM Spartan Cruiser Mk2 Spartan Air Lines,British Airways,Northern and Scottish.
X9433 RAF,4/40(impressed) scrapped 7/40
11 8/34 G-ACVT Spartan Cruiser MK2 Spartan Air Lines , British Airways, Cr at Ronaldsway 23-3-36
12 10/34 G-ACYL Spartan Cruiser Mk2 Spartan Airlines,United Airways,British Airways
13 No details
Northern and Scottish
X9431 RAF 4/40(impressed)
14 12/34 G-ACZM Spartan Cruiser Mk2 United Airways,British Airways, Northern and Scottish
Destroyed 5/42
1 12/35 YU-SAP Spartan Cruiser Mk2 Built under licence in Yugoslavia by Fabrili Zmaj , for Aeroput
in service 5/35,cancelled 1937
101 4/35 G-ACYK Spartan Cruiser MK3 Spartan Air Lines, British Airways, Northern and Scottish
Cr Hill of Stake near Largs,Ayrshire 14-1-38
Recovered in 1973 -Remains now in MJuseum Of Flight,
East Fortune.Scotland
102 4/35 G-ADEL Spartan Cruiser Mk3 Spartan Air Lines, British Airways, Northern and Scottish
X9432 RAF 4/40(Impressed)
103 6/35 G-ADEM Spartan Cruiser Mk3 Spartan Air Lines, British Airways, Northern and Scottish
Cr on take off in fog at Stanley Park Aerodrome Blackpool
20-11-36- 2 on board killed.
.
