Good evening, guys!
Some vintage models of interwar and WW2 era:
General Aircraft, a factory better known for the wartime gliders Hopstur and Hamilcar, made during the 1930s a successful family of small airliners, the Monospar, caracterized by wings with only one spar, hence the name. Motorized either with the Pobjoy Niagara 7 cylinder radial, or the de Havilland Gipsy Major 4 cylinder inline, the Monospar was a reliable airplane, used by several countries both in military (even as bombers) and civilian roles.
The Australian CAC Wackett was an indigenous trainer for the RAAF during WW2 years. Motorized with an american Warner Scarab radial, was a stable and sturdy aircraft, that went on to serve in an important (but largely forgotten) role as wireless operator trainers. After the war, a couple of dozens were converted to KS-3 Cropmaster agricultural aircraft.
In 1934, the Vultee V-1A was the fastest airliner in the world: an all metal aircraft, motorized with a powerful Wright Cyclone 9 cylinder radial, and even with an on board toillete, not was only swift, but also reliable and modern. But was short lived because in the same year, a new legislation banned the single engined aircraft from the main US commercial routes. So, most of the manfactured aircraft were bought by the Spanish Republic and 6 were modified as bombers with 2 defensive machine-guns, 2 fixed ones in the wings, and up to 450 kgs in bombs.
The Spartan 7W Executive was a very advanced aircraft of the mid 1930s. It was an all metal, single engined monoplane, with retracted main wheels, despite being equiped with a rather small radial engine, was almost as fast as a fighter of the era. Only 34 were made, 6 were adquired by the Spanish Republic, but only 3 arrived to Spain in 1937. 16 airplanes were used by the USAAF during WWII under the denomination UC-71. Today, a dozen or so Spartan 7W are airworthy.
Finaly another ab initio trainer, the rather unknown VL Viima. Motorized with a german radial, served well to the Finnish Air Force until the early 1960s.
Cheers.
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