About the ARROW AIRCRAFT & MOTORS ARROW SPORT
The Arrow Aircraft and Motors Arrow Sport is a notable contribution to the history of general aviation, representing an era of innovation and ambition in the American aviation industry during the late 1920s and early 1930s. The Arrow Sport was designed and produced by the Arrow Aircraft and Motors Corporation, a company founded in 1925 in Havelock, Nebraska, by Swen Swanson and Orville L. Johnson. The aircraft first flew in 1929, a time when aviation was burgeoning with new technologies and designs aimed at making flying more accessible and popular to the public.
The Arrow Sport was a biplane which featured a fabric-covered steel tube fuselage and wooden wings, powered initially by 60 to 90-horsepower engines. One of the early engine options included the three-cylinder Anzani engine, which provided adequate performance for its time but later models included the more reliable and powerful Warner Scarab radial engines. The design was conventional for the period, with an open cockpit, fixed landing gear, and tandem seating for a pilot and one passenger.
Key Features and Capabilities
Motivated by the growing interest in aviation as both a mode of personal transport and a recreational activity, Arrow Aircraft produced the Arrow Sport to cater to private pilots and flying enthusiasts. It was a period marked by the wave of barnstormers and flying circuses, and the Arrow Sport found its niche among pilots who sought a rugged and reliable aircraft capable of performing aerobatic maneuvers while also being relatively easy to maintain.
The Arrow Sport was praised for its good handling characteristics and sturdy construction. Its simplicity and reliability made it a favorable choice for flight schools and private owners alike. However, the economic constraints of the Great Depression led to the decline of many small aircraft manufacturers, including Arrow Aircraft, which ceased operations in 1939. Despite this, the Arrow Sport remains a celebrated example of early American civil aviation, symbolizing the adventurous spirit and technological progress of its time.