09/30/2015. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "Designed by James Ford the prototype of the four-seat Spartan 7X Executive design was laid down 1934-1935 and registered X13984 made its first flight on February 19, 1935. The prototype featured a dorsal fin, while the power plant was a 285 hp Jacobs L-5. However, the redesigned production version Model 7W Executive was powered with the 400 hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior SB and an additional seat made the 7W a five-seat airplane; the dorsal fin was eliminated from the redesign of the fin and rudder.
Several examples are still flying today. The pictured aircraft was the last of 34 Executives built and was completed on September 9, 1940, three days later it was registered to the Texas Oil Product Company (later Texaco) as NC17668 (the 'C' was dropped from the registration in January 1949). By 1965 it was reregistered N668MD (owned by the Mennen family).
