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
Vedeneyev M14P
radial engine. The rights to
the Pitts name is currently
owned by Aviat which also
owns the similar model to
the Pitts in the Christen
Eagle.
Certified versions of the
compact Pitts are now
produced by Aviat in Afton,
Wyoming. It is available as
an S1 single-seater with up
to 200 hp (150 kW) flat-4
Lycoming engine and a 17 ft
4 in (5.28 m) wingspan, or
as an S2 two-seater variant
featuring a 260 hp (194 kW)
flat-6 Lycoming and a 20 ft
(6.1 m) wingspan. Pitts
Specials have been equipped
with engines of up to 450 hp
(338 kW).
The Pitts held sway over the
aerobatic world
championships until the rise
of the monoplane, though it
remains very competitive in
all levels of competition
and remains a favorite of
air show performers
worldwide. The first
monoplane to topple the
Pitts from the top of
unlimited aerobatic
competition was the Russian-
built and designed Yak-50.
Today, the single-seat Pitts
S1-S plans are available
from Aviat Aircraft. The
S1-C and derivative S1-SS
plans and kits are supplied
by Steen Aero Lab in Palm
Bay, Florida. The S1
continues to provide
extremely high performance
at a relatively low cost.
Many hundreds of
homebuilders have
successfully completed and
flown the Pitts since plans
became available in 1960.
Source:
Wikipedia
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