Pitts S-2 Special
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The Pitts Special (company designations S-1 and S-2) is a series of light
aerobatic Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...
biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
s designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts biplanes dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and, even today, remain potent competition aircraft in the lower categories.Montgomery and Foster 1992, p. 92."Plane and Pilot" 1977, p. 84.


Design and development

Curtis Pitts began the design of a single-seat aerobatic biplane in 1943–1944.Taylor 1980, p. 899. The design has been refined continuously since the prototype first flew in September 1944; however, the current Pitts S-2 still remains quite close to the original in concept and in design. Several of the aircraft that Curtis Pitts built had a picture of a skunk on them and were called "Stinkers". After she bought it, aerobatic performer
Betty Skelton Betty Skelton Frankman Erde (June 28, 1926 – August 31, 2011) was an aerobatics pilot, test driver, and advertising executive who set 17 aviation and automobile records. Known as "The First Lady of Firsts", she helped create opportunities for wo ...
called the second aircraft that Curtis built, "Little Stinker". The prototype S-2, which was the first two-seat Pitts, was "Big Stinker", the prototype Model 11 (later called S-1-11B) was "Super Stinker", and the prototype Model 12 was the "Macho Stinker". In 1962 Curtis Pitts set up Pitts Enterprises to sell plans of the S-1C to homebuilders.Simpson 1991, p. 125.


Current versions

Certified Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
versions of the Pitts are now produced by
Aviat Aircraft Aviat Aircraft Inc. is an American manufacturer of sport and utility aircraft based in Afton, Wyoming.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 94. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X ...
in
Afton, Wyoming Afton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 2,172 at the 2020 census. Afton is home to the world's largest arch made of elk antlers. Spanning across the four lanes of U.S. Highway 89, the arch, completed in ...
. It is available as the S-1 single-seater with an up to 200 hp (150 kW)
flat-4 A flat-four engine, also known as a horizontally opposed-four engine or boxer engine, is a four-cylinder piston engine with two banks of cylinders lying on opposite sides of a common crankshaft. The most common type of flat-four engine is the box ...
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and a 17 ft 4 in (5.28 m) wingspan, or as the S-2 two-seater variant featuring a 260 hp (194 kW)
flat-6 A flat-six engine, also known as a horizontally opposed-six, is a six-cylinder Internal combustion engine#Reciprocating engines, piston engine with three cylinders on each side of a central crankshaft. The most common type of flat-six engine is t ...
Lycoming and a 20 ft (6.1 m) wingspan. Pitts Specials have been equipped with engines of up to 450 hp (338 kW). Plans for the single-seat Pitts S-1S are also available from Aviat Aircraft. The S-1C and derivative S-1SS plans and kits are supplied by Steen Aero Lab in
Palm Bay, Florida Palm Bay is a city in Brevard County, Florida, United States. The city's population was 119,760 at the 2020 United States census, up from 103,190 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous city in the county and the largest by land mass. T ...
. Many hundreds of homebuilders have successfully completed and flown the Pitts since plans became available in 1960.Pitts Overview


Operational history

All single-seat (S-1) and two-seat (S-2) Pitts Specials are variations of the basic design from 1944. The aircraft was popularized by
Betty Skelton Betty Skelton Frankman Erde (June 28, 1926 – August 31, 2011) was an aerobatics pilot, test driver, and advertising executive who set 17 aviation and automobile records. Known as "The First Lady of Firsts", she helped create opportunities for wo ...
, Caro Bayley, and other air show performers, which led to the offering of plans in 1962. Pitts produced limited numbers of aircraft during the 1940s and 1950s. The Pitts Special became the standard by which all other aerobatic aircraft were judged. After a number of homebuilt aircraft were produced from rough hand-drawn plans produced by Pitts, more professionally drawn plans went on sale in 1962. While many homebuilt aircraft were built in the 1960s, earning the S-1 a reputation as an excellent aerobatic aircraft, Pitts worked on the design of a two-seat aerobatic trainer version, the S-2, which first flew in 1967 and gained its
type certificate A type certificate signifies the airworthiness of a particular category of aircraft, according to its manufacturing design (''type design''). Certification confirms that the aircraft of a new type intended for serial production is in compliance w ...
in 1971. Factory-built aircraft produced by the Aerotek company at
Afton, Wyoming Afton is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 2,172 at the 2020 census. Afton is home to the world's largest arch made of elk antlers. Spanning across the four lanes of U.S. Highway 89, the arch, completed in ...
were joined in production by the single-seat S-1S in 1973.Donald 1999, p. 683.Donald 1999, p. 684. In 1972, the US Aerobatic Team won the World Championships flying only Pitts biplanes. In 1977 Curtis Pitts sold his interests in the Pitts S-1 and S-2 to Doyle Child. Child later sold the rights in 1981 to Frank Christensen, who continued production at the Afton plant under the guise of Christen Industries. The rights for homebuilt versions of the Pitts were sold in 1994 to Steen Aero Lab,Taylor 1999, p. 585. with the Afton factory and production rights being transferred to Aviat. Curtis Pitts died in 2005 at age 89. At the time of his death, he was working with Steen on the prototype of the new Pitts Model 14, a brand new, two-seat biplane designed for unlimited aerobatics powered by the 400 
horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...
Vedeneyev M14P The Vedeneyev M14P is a Russian nine-cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled, petrol-powered radial engine. Producing , its design dates from the 1940s (Kotelnikov 2005), and is itself a development of the Ivchenko AI-14 engine. The engine has been ...
radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...
. The rights to the Pitts name is currently owned by Aviat which also owns the similar model to the Pitts in the
Christen Eagle The Christen Eagle, which later became the Aviat Eagle in the mid-1990s, is an Aerobatics, aerobatic sporting biplane aircraft that has been produced in the United States since the late 1970s. Design The aircraft was intended to compete with t ...
. The current inverted flat spin world record is 98 set on March 20, 2016 by air show performer Spencer Suderman over
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. Suderman flew the Sunbird S-1x, a
Lycoming IO-540 The Lycoming O-540 is a family of air-cooled six-cylinder, horizontally opposed fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter engines of displacement, manufactured by Lycoming Engines. The engine is a six-cylinder version of the four-cylinder Lycoming O-3 ...
-powered experimental variant of the Pitts S1. The maneuver began from 24,500' over the Yuma Proving Grounds and was recovered at 2,000' AGL. The previous world record for the number of consecutive turns in a flat spin was 81 also set by Spencer Suderman on March 13, 2014 in a Pitts S-2B from 23,000 ft altitude over the
Naval Air Facility El Centro Naval Air Facility El Centro or NAF El Centro is a United States Navy Naval Air Facility located approximately six miles (10 km) northwest of El Centro, in Imperial County, California. NAF El Centro is under the jurisdiction of Navy Reg ...
.


Variants

;S-1 :Basic single-seat Pitts aerobatic biplane with a flat M6 aerofoil section and lower wing
aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement aroun ...
s only, fitted with a variety of engines.Simpson 1991, p. 126. Two were built, the first named ''Special'' and the second ''Li'l Stinker''. ;S-1C :Amateur-built S-1 single-seat aircraft, flat bottom wing with ailerons on lower wing only, designed for 100–180 hp (75–134 kW) engines. First flown in 1960, the S-1 is currently available as a plans-built aircraft from Steen Aero Lab.Taylor 1976, p. 527."1999 Plans Aircraft Directory" 1999, p. 69. ;S-1D :Amateur-built S-1C with ailerons on all four wings, generally similar to S-1S.Taylor 1982, p. 187. ;S-1E :Amateur-built S-1C using factory-produced kits. Uses symmetrical
airfoil An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is a streamlined body that is capable of generating significantly more Lift (force), lift than Drag (physics), drag. Wings, sails and propeller blades are examples of airfoils. Foil (fl ...
. ;S-1S :Aerotek-built
certified Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
S-1C for competition aerobatics, round airfoil section, four ailerons, and powered by a 180 hp (134 kW)
Lycoming AEIO-360 The Lycoming O-360 is a family of four-cylinder, direct-drive, horizontally opposed, air-cooled, piston aircraft engines. Engines in the O-360 series produce between , with the basic O-360 producing . The engine family has been installed in ...
-B4A; 61 built. This model is also available from
Aviat Aircraft Aviat Aircraft Inc. is an American manufacturer of sport and utility aircraft based in Afton, Wyoming.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 94. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485X ...
as a plans-built aircraft."1999 Plans Aircraft Directory" 1999, p. 53. ;S-1SS :Similar to the
certified Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...
S-1S "Roundwing". 180–200+ hp (134–149 kW), single-seat, homebuilt, symmetrical wing, four symmetrical "Super-Stinker" style ailerons, 300 degree/s roll rate, fixed-pitch propeller. This model is available in plans and components form from Steen Aero Lab."The Pitts S1-C and S1-SS."
Steen Aero Lab, 2008. Retrieved: 8 August 2008.
;S-1T :Aerotek-built S-1C with a 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming AEIO-360-A1E and minor changes; 64 built. Four-aileron, single-seat, factory-built, symmetrical wing, symmetrical ailerons, constant speed two- or three-blade
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propeller. The top wing was moved forward compared to the S-1S for weight and balance. This model was in production in 2008 from Aviat Aircraft as an "on-demand" manufacture product.Taylor 1988, p. 381. ;S-1-11B :Known as Model 11 "Super Stinker", 300+ hp (220 kW) Lycoming, four-aileron, single-seat, experimental-plans or factory-built and factory component parts, symmetrical airfoil, three-blade constant speed prop, rolls better than 300 degree/s, climbs better than 3,000 ft/min (15.3 m/s)."Pitts S1 Historical Information."
Steen Aero Lab, 2008. Retrieved: 8 August 2008.
;S-2 :Scaled up S-1 with tandem two-seat fuselage and powered by a 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming AEIO-360-B4A piston engine. ;S-2A :Aerotek-built S-2A with a 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming AEIO-360-A1A or -A1E piston engine,
constant speed propeller Constant or The Constant may refer to: Mathematics * Constant (mathematics), a non-varying value * Mathematical constant, a special number that arises naturally in mathematics, such as or Other concepts * Control variable or scientific con ...
, later builds have a longer landing gear and a front cockpit; 259 built. ;S-2B :Aerotek-built S-2A with a 260 hp (194 kW) Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5 engine, upper wing auxiliary fuel tank, the landing gear and upper wings were moved forward six inches; 196 built. The aircraft is out of production but is supported by Aviat Aircraft. ;S-2C :Four aileron, two-seat, factory-built, symmetric airfoil, 260 hp (194 kW) Lycoming driving constant speed three-blade propeller, current production model. This was an evolution of the S-2B model, with improved ailerons and rudder, flat bottom fuselage, lower profile bungee gear, better inverted handling, and certified for +6 -5g. It is in production in 2008 by Aviat Aircraft. ;S-2E :Amateur-built S-2A from factory-produced kits. ;S-2S :Aerotek-built S-2B with a single cockpit and a twin tank fuel system. The fuselage is shortened by 14 inches (35 cm) forward of the cockpit to allow the installation of the heavier 260 hp (194 kW) Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5. The wingspan is 20 ft, 0 inches (6.10 m); 17 built. This model is currently out of production, but supported by Aviat Aircraft. ;S-2SE :Amateur-built S-2S from factory-produced kits.


Operators


Military operators

* (From 1980 to 1989) * **
Royal Jordanian Falcons The Royal Jordanian Falcons (صقور الأردن الملكية) is the national aerobatic demonstration team of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The team was formed on the orders of King Hussein of Jordan Hussein bin Talal (14 November 1 ...
aerobatic team (4 S-2As) *


Civil operators

* Goodyear Eagles Aerobatics Display Team - 4 X Aviat S-2B * Pitts Specials Formation Aerobatic Team – 2 X S-2B


Aircraft on display

Canada * S-1C on static display at the Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum in
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. * S-2A on static display at the
Canada Aviation and Space Museum The Canada Aviation and Space Museum () (formerly the Canada Aviation Museum (''Musée de l'aviation du Canada'') and National Aeronautical Collection (''Collection aéronautique nationale'')) is Canada's national aviation history museum. The m ...
in
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. Italy * S-1T on static display at
Volandia Volandia Park and Flight Museum is the largest Italian aeronautical museum, as well as one of the largest in Europe. Volandia displays over 100 aircraft. The museum covers an area of ca. 60,000 m2 (645,000 sq ft) of which 20,000 m2 (215,000 sq f ...
in Somma Lombardo, Varese. United States * S-1 on static display at the
MAPS Air Museum The MAPS Air Museum is an aviation museum in Green, Ohio, United States. Run by the Military Aviation Preservation Society, it is located off SR241 on the west side of the Akron-Canton Regional Airport. The museum holds more than 50 aircraft, ...
in
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. * S-1C on static display at the
Aerospace Museum of California The Aerospace Museum of California is a private non-profit aviation museum located in McClellan, California, outside of Sacramento, California, on the grounds of the former McClellan Air Force Base. History Founded as the Air Force Logistics Mus ...
in
North Highlands, California North Highlands is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento– Arden-Arcade– Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 49,327 at the 2020 census, up ...
. * S-1C on static display at the
Hiller Aviation Museum The Hiller Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located at the San Carlos Airport in San Carlos, California, focused on Northern California aviation history, Hiller Aircraft and helicopter history. History Background As early as the late 1960 ...
in
San Carlos, California San Carlos (Spanish language, Spanish for "St. Charles") is a city in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population is 30,722 per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Native Americans Prior to the Spain, Spanis ...
. * S-1C on static display at the
Pima Air & Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum is an aerospace museum in Tucson, Arizona, US. It features a display of nearly 400 aircraft spread out over on a campus occupying . It has also been the home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame since 1991. Overv ...
in
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. * S-1C on static display at the
Udvar-Hazy Center The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, also called the Udvar-Hazy Center, is the Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum (NASM)'s annex at Dulles International Airport in the Chantilly, Virginia, Chantilly area of Fairfax C ...
of the
National Air and Space Museum The National Air and Space Museum (NASM) of the Smithsonian Institution is a museum in Washington, D.C., in the United States, dedicated to history of aviation, human flight and space exploration. Established in 1946 as the National Air Museum, ...
in
Chantilly, Virginia Chantilly is a census-designated place (CDP) in western Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 24,301 as of the 2020 census. Chantilly is named after an early-19th-century mansion and farm, which in turn took the name of an ...
. * S-1S on static display at the
San Diego Air and Space Museum The San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California. It is located in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building, which is listed on the US National Register of Historic Plac ...
in
San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
. * S-1S On static display at the
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is an independent, 501(c)(3) non-profit, aviation museum in McMinnville, Oregon. Its exhibits include the Hughes H-4 Hercules (''Spruce Goose'') and more than fifty military and civilian aircraft, unmanned ...
in
McMinnville, Oregon McMinnville is the county seat of and the most populous city in Yamhill County, Oregon, Yamhill County, Oregon, United States at the base of the Oregon Coast Range. The city is named after McMinnville, Tennessee. As of the 2020 United States cens ...
. * S-2 on static display at the
EAA Aviation Museum The EAA Aviation Museum, formerly the EAA AirVenture Museum (or Air Adventure Museum), is a museum dedicated to the preservation and display of historic and experimental aircraft as well as antiques, classics, and warbirds. The museum is lo ...
in
Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh () is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the western shore of Lake Winnebago and had a population of 66,816 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List o ...
. * S-2B on static display at the
Frontiers of Flight Museum The Frontiers of Flight Museum is an aerospace museum located in Dallas, Texas, founded in November 1988 by William E. Cooper, Kay Bailey Hutchison, and Jan Collmer.Dallas, Texas Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
. * On static display at the Virginia Air & Space Center in
Hampton, Virginia Hampton is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 137,148 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, seve ...
. * On static display at the
Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum The Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum (WOTR) is located on the former Lowry Air Force Base in Denver, Colorado, United States. The museum preserves the history of Lowry AFB's operations from 1938 to 1994 in its collections, archives, an ...
in
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.


Specifications


Pitts S-1S


Pitts S-2B


See also


References


Notes


Bibliography

* Andrade, John ''Militair 1982''. London:Aviation Press Limited, 1982. .
Aviat Aircraft
* Donald, David, ed. ''The Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft''. London: Aurum Press, 1999. . * Montgomery, M.R. and Gerald Foster.''A Field Guide to Airplanes, Second Edition''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1992. . * "1999 Plans Aircraft Directory." ''Kitplanes Magazine'' Volume 16, Number 1, January 1999, Belvior Publications, Aviation Publishing Group LLC. * "Plane and Pilot." ''1978 Aircraft Directory''. Santa Monica CA: Werner & Werner Corp., 1977. . * Simpson, R.W. ''Airlife's General Aviation''. Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife Publishing, 1991, . * Taylor, John W.R., ed. ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1976-77''. London: Macdonald and Jane's, 1976. . * Taylor, John W.R., ed. ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1988-89''. Coulsden, Surrey, UK: Jane's Information Group, 1988. . * Taylor, John W.R., ed. ''Jane's Pocket Book of Light Aircraft - Second Edition''. Coulsden, Surrey, UK: Jane's Publishing Company, 1982. . * Taylor, Michael J.H., ed. ''Brassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory 1999/2000 Edition''. London: Brassey's, 1999. . * Taylor, Michael J.H., ed. ''Janes's Encyclopedia of Aviation, Vol. 5''. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Educational Corporation, 1980. . * "2008 Kit Aircraft Directory." ''Kitplanes Magazine'' Volume 24, Number 12, December 2007, Belvior Publications, Aviation Publishing Group LLC.
Three View Super Stinker
(PNG). Super Stinker, Inc., 1995.


External links


Aviat Aircraft Pitts

Steen aero lab


{{Poberezny aircraft 1940s United States sport aircraft Aerobatic aircraft
Special Special or specials may refer to: Policing * Specials, Ulster Special Constabulary, the Northern Ireland police force * Specials, Special Constable, an auxiliary, volunteer, or temporary; police worker or police officer * Special police forces ...
Biplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft Aviat aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1944 Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear Single-engined piston aircraft