Spartan Zeus

8W Zeus
Role	Military training aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Spartan Aircraft Company
First flight	1937
Number built	4 or 5
Developed from	Spartan Executive

The Spartan 8W Zeus, also designated FBW-1 Zeus was a military aircraft produced in small numbers in the United States in the late 1930s, based on the airframe of the Spartan Executive civil aircraft.

It was a conventional low-wing monoplane of metal construction, with a semi-monocoque fuselage and a cantilever wing. Two crewmembers sat in tandem beneath an extensively-glazed canopy, and the main units of the tailwheel undercarriage were retractable. Fitted with a fixed, forward-firing machine gun, a flexible tailgun, and capacity for light bombs under the wings, Spartan offered the Zeus to the USAAC for testing as an advanced trainer.

Although no orders followed, Spartan sold a number of examples to Mexico and China.

Following Mexico's refusal to accept the French and British non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War, the Mexican aircraft were purchased by the Spanish Republican military. In the end, however, the freighter carrying them was sunk and these US made planes could not take part in the war.

Data from Aerofiles, except as noted

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

...
Wikipedia