Pitts S2
Moderators: North Shore, sky's the limit, sepia, Sulako, lilfssister
-
fougapilot
- Rank 7
- Posts: 669
- Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2004 4:49 am
Re: Pitts S2
Where are you?moyo26 wrote:Also does anyone know any good training schools for pitts aerobatics? I have been looking at Tutima (tuckers school)
Although schools with pitts might be limited, there are a bunch of people out there with a lot of pitts experience. After you have your airplane, you can call Rob Holland (on the ease coast), he is an instructor and world champion (www.aerial-advantage.com) or just give our friend Hedley a call he knows a thing or two about them small planes
F
Re: Pitts S2
S-2A, S-2B, S-2C, S-2E are all very different aircraft.
S-2A is factory-built two-place with 200hp AEIO-360
(four cyl) and two-blade metal prop. Ok with one
person, not enough power for two.
S-2E is homebuilt version of the above. There are
a few around, but not many.
S-2S was single-seat prototype of S-2B, built around
1980. Didn't have the angled firewall, but did have the
six cyl parallel valve 540. There are a very few of these
aircraft around - Bill Carter flies one now.
S-2B was two-seat S-2S, with angled firewall for front
seat legroom. Came with metal two-blade prop which
you must fly very gently to avoid breaking the crankshaft.
Best to upgrade to either the composite 3-blade MT or
claw.
S-2C was upgraded S-2B (circa 1998) with claw prop,
bigger ailerons, squared-off wingtips and tail feathers,
balanced elevator. Very nice aircraft, but note that
all S-2C have the crank replacement AD applicable.
Honourable mentions:
Christen Eagle II: homebuilt variant of S-2A with
no dihedral and wide cockpit. Nice airplane, same
caveat applies about two-blade metal prop. A
friend of mine had a prop hub crack and a prop
blade depart in flight. The subsequent imbalance
caused the prop and engine to separate from
the airframe in flight. Amazingly he got out at
1000 feet and survived, thanks to his parachute.
I am not a big fan of two-blade metal props
for aerobatics. The stresses they impose
can be enormous, and unmeasured.
Ultimate: Wings available for Pitts, and
complete airframes. Available as single
and two-seat, and 4 or 6 cyl engine. Nearly
forgotten until Rob Holland flew one on the
airshow circuit, and showed everybody
what it could do.
S-2A is factory-built two-place with 200hp AEIO-360
(four cyl) and two-blade metal prop. Ok with one
person, not enough power for two.
S-2E is homebuilt version of the above. There are
a few around, but not many.
S-2S was single-seat prototype of S-2B, built around
1980. Didn't have the angled firewall, but did have the
six cyl parallel valve 540. There are a very few of these
aircraft around - Bill Carter flies one now.
S-2B was two-seat S-2S, with angled firewall for front
seat legroom. Came with metal two-blade prop which
you must fly very gently to avoid breaking the crankshaft.
Best to upgrade to either the composite 3-blade MT or
claw.
S-2C was upgraded S-2B (circa 1998) with claw prop,
bigger ailerons, squared-off wingtips and tail feathers,
balanced elevator. Very nice aircraft, but note that
all S-2C have the crank replacement AD applicable.
Honourable mentions:
Christen Eagle II: homebuilt variant of S-2A with
no dihedral and wide cockpit. Nice airplane, same
caveat applies about two-blade metal prop. A
friend of mine had a prop hub crack and a prop
blade depart in flight. The subsequent imbalance
caused the prop and engine to separate from
the airframe in flight. Amazingly he got out at
1000 feet and survived, thanks to his parachute.
I am not a big fan of two-blade metal props
for aerobatics. The stresses they impose
can be enormous, and unmeasured.
Ultimate: Wings available for Pitts, and
complete airframes. Available as single
and two-seat, and 4 or 6 cyl engine. Nearly
forgotten until Rob Holland flew one on the
airshow circuit, and showed everybody
what it could do.
Re: Pitts S2
.
Last edited by moyo26 on Tue May 07, 2019 7:32 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Pitts S2
For the 40K range, get yourself a good, single-seat
Pitts. Mind you, your window may have closed - the
Canadian dollar is crashing!! Makes those US airplanes
much more expensive.
Why do you want a two-seater? 99% of the time,
the front seat is going to be empty. The rest of the
time, you will have to fly completely differently, when
you are doing aerobatics with a student/passenger in
the front seat. Apart from power-to-weight ratio,
stall speed increase, and C of M shift, your pax will
likely not enjoy your normal aerobatic sequence.
You can always sell the single-seat Pitts for what you
paid for it, later, and then step up to an expensive two-seat
aerobatic aircraft.
P.S. If everyone here had taken my advice about
buying single-seat Pitts in the USA, you would be up
30% on your investment!
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/conve ... it=Convert
Pitts. Mind you, your window may have closed - the
Canadian dollar is crashing!! Makes those US airplanes
much more expensive.
Why do you want a two-seater? 99% of the time,
the front seat is going to be empty. The rest of the
time, you will have to fly completely differently, when
you are doing aerobatics with a student/passenger in
the front seat. Apart from power-to-weight ratio,
stall speed increase, and C of M shift, your pax will
likely not enjoy your normal aerobatic sequence.
You can always sell the single-seat Pitts for what you
paid for it, later, and then step up to an expensive two-seat
aerobatic aircraft.
P.S. If everyone here had taken my advice about
buying single-seat Pitts in the USA, you would be up
30% on your investment!
http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/conve ... it=Convert
