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Pitts S-2 Special
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The Pitts Special was
designed by Curtis Pitts and is acknowledged as
the worlds leading competition aerobatic and
airshow display airplane.
The original prototype of the S-1 Special first
flew in September 1944.
The Pitts Special has won more aerobatic
competitions than any other airplane in history.
It is the only fully FAA Certified competition
airplane made in America and one of the very few
which are manufactured in the world.
The Pitts Special has been factory built by
Aerotek, Christen, and currently Aviat.
The two seat S-2 Special is of the same
configuration as the single seat S-1 but is
larger overall, and generally regarded as a more
capable aerobatic aircraft due to its larger
size and heavier weight, more power and
aerodynamic changes.
The current model is the
Pitts S-2C, a two-place airplane capable of
unlimited category competition and universally
recognized as "the" aerobatic trainer, as it can
legally carry both instructor and student,
including fuel reserves, during all hard
aerobatic training sessions. There have been
some 700 factory manufactured Pitts and an
estimated 600 that have been built from plans or
kits in the period before 1984. |
Pitts S-2B
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Developing
nation: |
United States of America. |
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Manufacturer: |
Aviat Aircraft Inc. |
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Designer: |
Curtiss Pitts. |
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Production line: |
Afton, Wyoming
USA. |
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Type aircraft: |
Special
aerobatic biplane. |
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First flight: |
September 1944,
Pitts S-1. |
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Cockpit: |
two seats. |
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Wing span upper: |
6,10 m. |
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Wing span lower: |
5,79 m. |
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Wing area: |
11,6 mē. |
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Fuselage length: |
5,71 m. |
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Height: |
2,02 m. |
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Engines: |
one Lycoming
IO-360 fuel injected flat four piston engine
rated 135 KW. |
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Propeller: |
The Claw by Hartzell, constant speed,
composite three-blade, 1,98 m diameter. |
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Empty weight: |
520 Kg. |
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Fuel: |
fuselage tank
capacity 90 liters. |
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wing tank capacity 110
liters. |
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Max. take off
weight: |
737 Kg. |
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Cruise speed: |
282 km/h. |
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Service ceiling: |
6.400
m best at 1.830 m. |
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Max rate of
roll: |
400 °/sec. |
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G-limits: |
6 G/-5 G. |
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Range: |
513 km. |
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Performance: |
max. rate of
climb at sea level 823 m per minute. |
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Take-off run: |
169 m. |
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Landing run: |
229 m. |
Pitts S-2C
The
S-2C has aerodynamic changes including square wingtips, fin and
tailplanes, flattened belly, refined engine cowl and redesigned
windshield. It cruises 24km/h faster than the S-2B.
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Cockpit: |
2 seats. |
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Wing span upper: |
6,10 m. |
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Wing span lower: |
6,10 m. |
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Wing area: |
11,8 mē. |
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Fuselage length: |
5,41 m. |
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Height: |
2,02 m. |
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Engines: |
one Textron
Lycoming AEIO-540 flat six
rated 195 KW. |
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Propeller: |
constant speed 3
blade prop |
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Empty weight: |
520 Kg. |
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Max. take off
weight: |
771 Kg. |
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Max. speed: |
337 km/h. |
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Service ceiling: |
6.400 m. |
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Max rate of
roll: |
400 °/sec. |
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G-limits: |
6 G/-5 G. |
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Range: |
555 km. |
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Performance: |
max. rate of
climb at sea level 884 m per minute. |
Pitts Specials
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All single seat (S1n) and two seat (S2n) are
high performance biplanes with variations of a design that
started in 1944. The design was popularized by Betty Skelton,
Caro Bayley, and other performers, which lead to the offering of
plans around 1960.
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S-1C = Plans built aircraft, flat bottom wing,
two aileron, single seat engine was normally anything from an
62.5 kW continental to a 132 kW Lycoming, fixed pitch prop.
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S-1D = Just an S-1C but with 4 ailerons.
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S-1E Like S1-S, but homebuilt (E for
Experimental) symmetrical wing.
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S-1S = 132 - 147+ kW, single seat, factory or
homebuilt, symmetrical wing, 4 ailerons, fixed pitch prop.
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S-1T = 147 kW Lycoming AEIO-360, 4 aileron,
single seat, factory built, symmetrical wing, constant speed 2
blade Hartzell prop.
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S-1-11B = 220+ kW Lycoming, 4 aileron, single
seat, experimental-plans or factory built and factory component
parts, symmetric airfoil, 3 blade constant speed prop rolls
better than 400 degree/s, climbs better than 1.220 m/min.
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S-2A = 147 kW Lycoming, 4 aileron, 2 seat,
factory built, symmetrical airfoil, constant speed 2 blade
Hartzell prop.
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S-2B = 191 kW Lycoming, 4 aileron, 2 seat
(larger fuselage than S2-A), factory built, symmetric airfoil,
constant speed 2 blade Hartzell prop with options for a 3 blade
MT or 3 blade Hartzell composite prop.
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S-2C = 191 kW Lycoming, 4 aileron, 2 seat,
factory built, symmetric airfoil, constant speed 3 blade prop ,
current production model. Improved version of S-2B, with
improved ailerons and rudder.
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S-2E = basically a kit built S-2A (maybe a few
plans built).
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S-2S = 191 kW Lycoming IO540, 4 aileron, single
seat, factory built, symmetrical wing, constant speed prop, 2
blade Hartzell prop...derivative of the S-2A, factory built,
often used by airshow performers such as Jim LeRoy of Bulldog
Airshows.
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Model 12 - 264 kW M14P Russian radial engine,
2-blade or 3 blade MT propeller, plans built, component parts
available. Developed by Jim Kimball Enterprises in Florida.
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Model 13 - a "coupe" type monoplane design. It
was never built.
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Model 14 - A new design being built by Steen
Aero Lab Two-place, 294 kW M14.
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Model 15 - Reported as a light sport type
monoplane aircraft being developed by Steen Aero Lab.
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