In 1991 Curtis and a group of friends formed a new company, Aero Design Eleven, and he designed the Model 11-260. A single seat Lycoming powered aerobatic biplane incorporating all that has been learned including his “Aerodynamically Boosted Ailerons.” Construction of the model 11 then began.
In 1993 the prototype model 11 was completed by Curtis Pitts, Pat Ledford, Don Lovern, Bill Lancaster and Will Teft. The new airplane was dubbed “Super Stinker” in the tradition of many of the prototype designs Curtis created through the years.
S-1-11B Super Stinker Engine: IO-540, 250 hp Speed max: 205 mph Cruise: 187 mph Range: 350 sm Stall: 64 mph ROC: 3300 fpm Take-off dist: 300 ft Landing dist: 1200 ft HP range: 250-328 Fuel cap: 29 USG Weight empty: 1025 lb Gross: 1500 lb Height: 6 ft Length: 17.5 ft Wing span: 18 ft Wing area: 110 sq.ft Seats: 1 Roll sate: 360 deg/sec Landing gear: tail wheel
It was not until 1967 that Pitts introduced the two seat S 2A. Although similar to the S 1 in configuration and construction, the S 2A is slightly larger in overall dimensions and shares little commonality in components. In 1973, five 200 hp S 2As were supplied to a British aerobatic team sponsored by Rothmans Tobacco. Five more S 2As were later supplied to the Carling Black Label team in Toronto, Canada. And in mid 1976, the Peruvian Air Force announced an order for six S 2As, for “an unspecified training role.” The single seater’s popularity has been partially eclipsed by that of the two seat version, the S 2A, which went into production early in 1971, and of which nearly 140 have been sold by 1977.
Pitts S-2A N846
The S 2A is slightly larger in all dimensions than the S 1; no attempt was made at commonality of structure. A tandem two holer with a 200 hp Lycoming engine and a constant speed prop, it is not a tiny airplane. Both wings use symmetrical airfoil sections, the upper considerably thicker than the lower; they are set at an incidence that compromises between the requirements of upright and inverted flight, so that the airplane feels slightly nose high in cruise but comfortably level when inverted. The cockpits are fairly roomy, but the instrument panel is inches from your face, and the optical distortions caused by the edges of the compound curved windshields add to an already (and inevitably) cluttered view. Canopy hoods of plexiglass may be fitted, at the expense of intimacy with the air. The hoods reduce the unpleasant forward pressure of the wind on the rear seat pilot. The cockpit sides are high, blocking visibility, which in the landing disappears altogether. Any object carelessly dropped finds its way into the far end of the tail cone, there to interfere with the elevator controls.
1972 Pitts Special S2A
Besides its legendary ability to snap roll several times in succession with little loss of rate, the Pitts is notable for its willingness to be held in any attitude and yet to recover on command. As well as being a highly qualified aerobatic competitor, the S-2A is also ideally suited for advanced aerobatic instruction. It is a two-place aerobatic biplane that offers the student the opportunity to learn aerobatics under the supervision of an instructor.
The S-2B is a two-place 260hp aircraft. Wings and landing gear moved forward 6 in to balance the larger engine.
Christen-Pitts S2-B N60770
The S-2E price in 1982 was $50,800 as a complete kit. Units delivered to June 1982: 75.
The S-2S is identical to the S-2A except for the forward fuselage which has been shortened 14 inches to accommodate the larger 285hp Lycoming IO 540 engine, with the wings nine inches further forward and a number of other differences such as symmetrical ailerons which increase roll rate over other Pitts by 60″/sec (Up to 240″/sec). In addition, the front cockpit has been eliminated, making it a single-place plane. The S-2S’s larger size makes it ideal for air show flying as well as aerobatic competition. Its cruising speed of 175 mph combined with its fuel capacity of 35 gallons also gives it excellent cross country capability. With a 5 lb/hp and thrust/weight ratio of almost 1:1, it can, for example, do three vertical rolls in full competition, climb 300ft/min in knifedge and hover for “three or four seconds” at the end of a vertical climb. Climb rate is around 3,000ft/min and its snap roll rate is something like 480o/sec, and other party tricks include the ability to pinwheel, which is a stall turn through 540 degrees.
The first S 2S received its certification in mid 1981. The S-2S price in 1982 was $56,550 as a complete kit. Units delivered to June 1982: 10.
1972 Pitts Special S2A
The S-2, S-2A, S-2B, and S-2S are certified under FAA A8SO.
The S2-S was not a Pitts product, but a single place experimental home-built.
Curtis Pitts began designing the single-seat S 1 in 1942. The 55 hp prototype flew in September 1944, but was repowered with 90hp Franklin and sold to a cropduster, who reportedly was so hard of hearing that one time he didn’t hear the motor quit and crashed—no injury, but the plane was written-off.
A second Special, with 85hp Continental C-85, went to aerobat Betty Skelton in 1947 as Li’l Stinker (NX86401/N22E) (still active in 1975, displayed at NASM 2001).
Black Beauty (built by Pitts for Caro Bailey) started the trend toward more power by packing a 125 hp Lycoming O 290.
Betty Skelton Pitts Special
The Pitts Special is a single seat, open cockpit, fully aerobatic biplane. The fuselage is made up of a welded steel tube structure to which plywood formers and wooden stringers are fitted, the whole being fabric covered except for the aluminium front panels. Roth wings have solid spruce spars to which are fitted wooden ribs, each wing panel being internally and externally wire braced and fabric covered. The wings are set at 6 degrees sweep back at the quarter chord line, Frise type ailerons are fitted only to the lower wings, which have 3 degrees dihedral. Single faired interplane struts and N type cabane struts are fitted. The wing airfoil section is an M6.The main undercarriage is made up of welded steel tube and utilises rubber cord shock absorption. The tail wheel is steerable. A 16 Imperial gallon fuel tank is located immediately aft of the firewall. Engines of from 100-200 h.p. may be fitted.
The 1960 S1-C or Flatwing incorporated a semi-symmetrical airfoil and lower-wing ailerons with a Continental O-200 engine. The first S1-C was Pat Ledford’s (N8L) and the plans were drawn up as it was constructed. They were redrawn in the ’90s by Steen Aero Lab, incorporating many minor changes, one of which was the inclusion of the slightly-longer S1-S fuselage.
Christen-Pitts S1-C N3507
The S-1D is a four aileron version with a modified M-6 airfoil, completely certified. Kits and plans were marketed to home-builders.
The S1-E is an experimental, home-built version of the S1-S, with some crossover in names and parts provided by the factory between the -S and –E. An unknown number of S1-E became certified S1-S.
The S-1S model was first year built in 1974. The price in 1982 was $41,690 as a complete kit, or certified under FAA A8SO.
Christen-Pitts S1-S N55BT
S1-S / Roundwing of 1973 was an S1-D with two different symmetrical airfoils on the upper and lower wings with four ailerons.
S1-S production continued until 1981, when its plans were released for home-builders. Any home-built S1-S predating 1981 was not a true S1-Ss.
S1-SS or Super Stinker Pitts Special used an airfoil and aileron setup derived from the S-1-11/-11B “Super Stinker” aircraft, which was not a Pitts Special nor was it an S1, but a new design meant for world championship aerobatic competition. S1-SS was offered by Steen Aero Lab since the ’90s as supplemental wing plans to fit onto any S1 fuselage.
Christen-Pitts S1-SS N519DC
The 1981 S-1T is a single-seater model which claims roll rates of up to 240 degrees/second. A certified version that superseded the S1-S, with a 200hp engine, constant-speed prop, and new aileron design. Pitts has sold more than 2500 sets of plans for the popular S-1T.
Christen-Pitts S1-T
By 1998 the Pitts S-1 was marketed by Aviat Aircraft.
S-1C Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B4A, 180 hp Speed max: 147 mph Cruise: 143 mph Range: 250 sm Stall: 64 mph ROC: 2600 fpm Take-off dist: 300 ft Landing dist: 600 ft HP range: 125-200 Fuel cap: 20 USG Weight empty: 720 lb Gross: 1150 lb Height: 6.25 ft Length: 15.5 ft Wing span: 17.33 ft Wing area: 98 sq.ft Seats: 1 Landing gear: tail wheel
Engine: Lycoming O-320, 150 hp Cruise: 150 mph ROC: 2650 fpm Range: 300 sm Span: 17 ft 5 in Length: 15 ft 6 in Empty wt: 720 lb Max wt: 1050 lb
S-1C Engine: 1 × Textron Lycoming AEIO-540-D4A5, 260 hp (194 kW) Wingspan: 17 ft 4 in (5.28 m) Length: 18 ft 9 in (5.71 m) Maximum speed: 210 mph (338 kph) Maximum range: 319 miles (513 km) Service Ceiling: 21,000 ft (6,400 m)
1945: Curtis Pitts, Jacksonville FL. 1945: Pitts Aero Service, Gainesville FL. 1955: Homestead FL. 1967: Pitts Aviation, Homestead. 1969: Pitts Aviation Enterprises, Afton WY. Pitts Aviation Enterprises founded at Florida to market plans for the Curtis Pitts biplane.
New company formed as Pitts Aerobatics in 1977 at Afton, Wyoming, to continue sales and engineering of the Pitts aerobatic biplane at the same location by Aerotek Inc, which formerly built the Pitts S-2 for Pitts Aviation Enterprises. c.1980: Pitts Aerobatics (pres: E H Anderson) Aerotek continued to produce the S-2 for Pitts Aerobatics and the single-seat Pitts S-15 for pilots who did not wish to build their own.
In 1953 Bruce & Gilbert Pitt designed and built the sole single place low wing monoplane, Yellow Jacket N5745N. The fuselage was framed with tubing from a surplus PT-23 and a Porterfield, and the wings from a 1948 Anderson Special. The Yellow Jacket was first flown on 8 August 1953.
“Bullet” cowls were added to streamline the four cylinders of the 85-hp Continental C-85-8 motor.
Engine: Continental C-85-8, 85-hp Wing span: 14 ft. Length: 19 ft Max speed: 150 mph Cruise speed: 130 mph Stall: 60 mph
Herbert John Pither of Invercargill, New Zealand, was a professional cyclist, cycle and small engine manufacturer and aviation experi¬menter. The basic facts are clear. Pither built a Bleriot type monoplane, and a V 4 configured engine to power it. He incor¬porated some ideas of his own, including the early use of bicycle steel for the airframe. His workmanship was of a high standard.
Pither tested his aircraft on a remote Southland beach in winter 1910, but there is no contemporary record of a witness to the flight he later described. He claimed to have flown for 1.5 km along Riverton Beach on 15 July 1910 at a height of 30 ft.
He took it to Australia in November 1910 hoping to attract the attention of the Australian government, and then disappeared from aviation history.
At least six of the 1930 Pitcairn PA-8 and -8M Super Mailwing (ATC 364) were built, including prototype NX10056, and NC10750/10754. They were priced at $12,500
The Pitcairn PA-7S sport biplane was generally similar to the PA-7M Mailwing single-seat mailplane designed in 1927 and produced in some numbers in the 1930s.
The 1929 PA-7 Super Mailwing received ATC 196. Two were built: NR213M and NC684E.
The 1929 PA-7M Super Mailwing (ATC 196) was a single place PA-7 as a mailplane.
Ten PA-7M Super Mailwing were built; NC94W, NC351V, NC378V, NC545K, NC825N/826N, NC876M/877M, and NC7967.
The 1929 PA-7S Super Sport Mailwing (ATC 196) three-place sport version of the PA-7 sold for $8,500. Sixteen were built; NS53W, NC54W, NC68M/71M, NC95W/97W, NR213M prototype, NC824N, NC10375/10377, NC10379, and NC13158.
Pitcairn PA-7S N95W
The PA-7S crop-dusting version had a modified metal fuselage.
PA-7 Super Mailwing Engine: 225hp Wright J-6 Wingspan: 33’0″ Length: 23’9″ Useful load: 1129 lb Max speed: 135 mph Cruise: 155 mph Stall: 57 mph Range: 520 mi Seats: 3
PA-7M Super Mailwing Engine: 225hp Wright J-6 Wingspan: 33’0″ Length: 23’9″ Max speed: 135 mph Cruise: 155 mph Stall: 57 mph Range: 520 mi Seats: 1
PA-5S Engine: 220 hp Wright Whirlwind J-6 Wingspan: 33 ft Wing area: 243.5 sq.ft Length: 23 ft 9 in Height: 9 ft 6.5 in Empty weight: 1820 lb Loaded weight: 3050 lb Max speed: 150 mph Cruise: 128 mph Service ceiling: 16,000 ft Seats: 3
The single-place PA-6 and 6B Super Mailwing of 1928 (ATC 92) were similar to the PA-5 but with a larger cargo hold. 51 were built; NC19/20, NC26, NC36E/38E, NC93W, NC127/129E, NC210H/214H, NC215E, NC298E, NC338E, NC353E/355E, NC377V, NC482E/483E, NC557E, NC585, NC643E/644E, NC680E/683E, NC800H/804H, NC875M, NC878M, C2896, NC7152, NC7557, NC7866/7868, NC7965/7966, NC10378, NC13912/13913, and NC15307.
The 1928 PA-6S Super Mailwing (ATC 2-22) was a three-place sport version of the PA-6 mail plane. ATC 2-22 was replaced by ATC 92.
