Thank You, Mr. Pitts

(From Sport Aviation, 05/1973, Page 26)

By Tom Poberezny

 

LATE IN MARCH, I had the opportunity to attend an EAA Chapter Council Meeting at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa. At the evening banquet, I showed the film “We Came To Win”, which is a documentary on the United States victory at the 7th World Aerobatic Championships in Salon de Provence, France.

As many of you know, the U. S. Team had the good fortune of winning the lion’s share of gold medals in addition to the Team and Individual Championships. I can attest to the fact that the U.S. Team practiced hard and was well prepared to defend its World Title. But while watching the film, I couldn’t help but think that the United States had two additional weapons on its side. One was a tiny biplane capable of performing aerobatic maneuvers better than any other airplane of its type in existence. The other was a slow-talking, easy going gentleman with the wit and common sense of a Will Rogers and the tenacity of a bulldog.

Throughout the film, you could see the tiny Pitts Specials and Pitts S-2A climbing, diving and twisting through the air… demonstrating the maneuvers that earned them championship grades. Midway through the film a taped interview with their famous designer went something like this:

“It’s an old fashioned airplane, using the engineering knowledge that we’ve had since back in the mid 20’s. We’ve tried to keep it light, and in doing this we’ve tried to keep it small. We’ve tried to keep a good horsepower-to-weight ratio. We’ve tried to keep it clean enough to where it didn’t completely poop-out on the up-lines. And that’s just about the substance of making a good aerobatic airplane.”

Aviation has been an integral part of the history of Americus, Georgia, for it was the home of a primary training base in both WW I and WW II. Also, famous aviator Charles Lindbergh bought his first Jenny in Americus. But possibly its greatest claim to aviation fame is that it is the home of one of the most famous aircraft designers in the world today… Curtis Pitts.

Curtis, whose international recognition has grown by leaps and bounds, built his first airplane back in 1932. Guided by an old flying manual, he designed and built a parasol that was powered by a Model-T Ford engine, but, unfortunately, he never got to fly his first creation. (One reason was that he didn’t have a pilots license!) While taxiing it on a gusty day, the wind caught the wing and caused it to cartwheel. After this incident, he sold the airplane for $6.00… “Cheapest plane sale I ever made, I reckon…”

After his “big sale”, Curtis left Americus for Ocala, Florida where he took a job as a railroad carpenter. It was here that he learned to fly, soloing an E-2 Cub in 1933.

From Ocala, Curtis shifted over to Jacksonville, Florida where he worked for the railroad for 8 years. Jacksonville holds special memories for Curtis for two reasons. One was that it was in Jacksonville that he built his second airplane. It was another parasol, built from some old Heath parts he had collected. Powered by a 3 cylinder Szekely, it was “built up enough to make it fly”.

Secondly, and most important of all, it was in Jacksonville that Curtis met his wife, Willie Mae. “Ma” Pitts has been the true driving force behind Curtis in his quest to design one of the world’s finest aerobatic aircraft. When times were rough, she provided that extra “something” needed to make it through to brighter days. The saying goes, “Behind every successful man there is a good woman” — how true that is in Curtis’ case.

In 1940, Curtis left the railroad to work for a Navy aircraft repair shop. At the same time he took over the operation of the St. Augustine airport. Curtis loved to fly and he loved aerobatics, but the airplanes available were too big, too heavy and most important of all, too costly. All these factors combined got Curtis thinking about designing his own aerobatic airplane. With the help of a correspondence course and on-the-job training, he felt that he could develop an airplane that would fit his needs and desires.

It was at the Jacksonville Naval Air Station that Curtis met a man who was to have a lasting impression on him… Phil Quigley. Curtis, who was Assistant Inspector in the Aircraft and Repair Shop, had found a set of exhaust stacks on which all the cracks were not welded to his satisfaction. He promptly sent them back to the Weld Shop to have them redone. This brought about prompt action by a large Swede who, with the stacks slung over his shoulder, came to see Curtis to find out what the problem was. After a brief explanation, the Swede returned to the Weld Shop and commenced to “chew out” a young, thin welder by the name of Phil Quigley. This was the start of one of Curtis’ longest and most lasting friendships.

Phil, who was in the Navy when Curtis met him, had a strong interest in flying. Learning of Curtis’ flying activities brought them close together. Using various aircraft, such as the J-3 Cub, Taylorcraft and Interstate, Curtis taught Phil to fly. I asked Curtis what kind of a pilot Phil was:

“Phil was an excellent pilot. Of all the people I instructed, he was probably the fastest learned I had.”

The original design of the Pitts Special was actually started in 1942 with the intent of building a good performing, low powered aircraft, for use in aerobatics exclusively. Powered by a 55-hp Lycoming engine — “because the engine was handy and money wasn’t” — the original Pitts Special made its maiden flight in 1945 with Curtis at the controls. The airplane, weighing just under 500 pounds, flew good with the little Lycoming powerplant.

Although this combination performed well by the light aircraft standards of that time, the Lycoming was replaced with a 90-hp Franklin with a homebrewed inverted system.

“We had inverted fuel problems coming out of our ears. You just never knew when it was going to work or not. You had to roll over, hold your breath, and pray.”

All things considered, the change to the Franklin produced excellent performance in the little midget biplane. (Can you imagine what he would have thought if he had had a 180 hp engine to hang on the nose!)

The airplane was eventually sold to a cropduster who was practically deaf.

“He was so deaf that he couldn’t hear a car engine running while standing next to it.”

His hearing problem, combined with the unpredictable inverted system, led to the demise of the original Pitts.

“One day, about 2 weeks after he bought it, he was showing off down low. After making a dive he pulled it up to about a 45 line and rolled on his back. All of a sudden the engine quit, but he didn’t immediately realize it. He pulled back and as he came around it mushed. He hit the ground nose high but fortunately walked away from it.”

In 1945 Curtis and Willie Mae moved to Gainesville, Florida with the understanding that he was to build 10 Pitts Specials for Carl Stengel. But as luck would have it, Stengels Flying Service ran into financial problems before the first airplane was completed. On May 1, 1947, Curtis bought Stengel’s operation and became the new owner and operator of a Mechanic School and Repair Shop. Included in the deal was one uncompleted Pitts which would soon gain fame under the name of “Li’l Stinker”.

Curtis completed “Li’l Stinker” (which was the 2nd Pitts Special built) and put a fuel injected 85-hp Continental engine in it. Phil Quigley, who had also moved to Gainesville, started flying it in various air shows. Phil’s initial flight experience in a Pitts occurred when Curtis still had the prototype. As usual, Curtis was working on that “darn” inverted system. He put Phil in the cockpit for a run-up while he was making adjustments.

“I went into the shop for a minute and about that time Phil figured he wanted to fly that airplane, so off he went.”

Under Curtis’ coaching, Phil became a top-notch aerobatic pilot.

Curtis feels that Phil Quigley was a true “master” of the Pitts. He related one incident that truly demonstrates Phil’s ability to handle the airplane. Phil was on a cross-country flight when the crankshaft broke and he had to make a forced landing. He dead-sticked the airplane down on top of a narrow levy in the Everglades that was about half as wide as a road. In fact, it was so narrow that the game warden who came to his rescue couldn’t get by the airplane! Somehow they got the airplane turned around and towed it away.

Eventually, Curtis sold the airplane to Jess Bristow who was the head of World Air Shows in Miami. Jess then hired Phil to fly the airplane in shows for him. Jess had it for about two seasons before a disagreement between Phil and himself led to its purchase by a young woman who was to gain international aerobatic fame for both herself and the Pitts.

Betty Skelton learned her aerobatics in a PT-19 under the direction of Clem Whittenbeck, a well-known aerobatic pilot in the 30’s. From the PT, she graduated into a Great Lakes powered by a 165 Kinner. I asked Betty what her reaction was when she saw the Pitts for the first time:

“It was at the All American Air Maneuvers in Miami in 1947. I was entering the pattern in my Great Lakes when I noticed it on the ground. It was noticeable be cause of all the people around it. As soon as I landed, I rushed over to it. Right then and there, I knew it was for me.”

Betty bought the airplane in 1947, changed the registration number from NX86401 to N22E and christened it “Li’l Stinker”. From 1947 to 1951, she gained national and international recognition, performing at many of the major air displays in North America and Europe. She was the reigning National Women’s Champion during this period of time.

In the late 40’s, Betty participated in the International Air Pageant at Gatwick Airport in London, England. The London Daily Express (a very active backer of aviation, sponsoring this event as well as many others) invited Betty, along with representatives from various countries, to participate in the Pageant.

Participating in the Pageant was one thing… getting there was another. She flew “Li’l Stinker” to Newark, New Jersey, where she enlisted the help of a mechanic, and dismantled it.

“It was quite a job. There were no drawings, so we had to count each nut and bolt and the number of turns on each wire. When the job was completed, we boxed it up… it looked like a large coffin.”

From Newark, the airplane was trucked to the coast where it was loaded on the Queen Mary for its long voyage to London.

“The reaction to ‘Li’l Stinker’ was astounding. I think it was about the smallest airplane flying at that time. In England, sport flying was expensive at this time… gas was especially costly. They just fell in love with it.”

Betty had also been asked to participate in the Royal Air Derby in Belfast, Ireland following the International Air Pageant. The trip to Belfast included a re-fueling stop at Liverpool where she picked up an escort for her flight across the Irish Sea.

“My escort was flying an RAF Anson, which was a landplane. He was equipped with life jackets and a life raft, but he was the only person on board. If I would have set down in the sea, there is nothing he could have done to help me.”

The day of the big show arrived and it rained and rained. Yet the people stayed — standing in that miserable weather, waiting for some type of aerial performance.

“Their enthusiasm was amazing. I was the only one who flew that day. The ceiling was low, so all I was able to do were a few rolls and so forth. When I landed, the people started to mob the airplane. If it wasn’t for the fact that we rushed the airplane inside the firehouse, it might have been torn up.”

Betty then sold “Li’l Stinker” to Bob Davis who was one of a long line of owners. George Young bought it next and replaced the 85-hp Continental with a 135 Lycoming. Eventually, he hung a 170-hp Lycoming on the nose. Finally, the airplane was sold to Drexell Scott, who completely rebuilt it to “like-new condition”.

Almost 20 years later, “Li’l Stinker” returned home when Betty Skelton Frankman bought it back. Betty and “Stinker” now call Winter Haven, Florida their home where the airplane is still actively flown.

While “Li’l Stinker” was making a name for itself in the aerobatic world, Curtis unknowingly found himself about to enter into the cropdusting business. Jim Holland, nationally known aerobatic performer, was in the dusting business back in 1947. Curtis did some maintenance work for Jim, including the conversion of a couple of 220 Stearmans for dusting use. About 3 months after Curtis completed the airplanes, Jim left for England and Curtis bought the operation from him. This was the start of a career that he stayed in for almost 20 years.

Though the dusting business required a great deal of his time, Curtis still continued his aircraft building activities upon the request and with some prodding by a pretty girl. Caro Bayley worked for Jess Bristow, flying a Clipped-Wing Cub in air shows for him. But Caro’s interests turned from air shows to competition, and after seeing Betty Skelton and “Li’l Stinker”, she decided that a Pitts was what she wanted. Caro went directly to Curtis and before you knew it, he was building again.

Caro’s airplane was the 3rd Pitts built and the first equipped with a 125-hp engine. Horsepower requirements kept rising. Today many Pitts Specials are equipped with 200-hp Lycomings… a far cry from the original 55-hp powerplant used in 1945. Curtis built a fuel injection system “which was the first one that ever worked without any problems. We used an old Excello system and reworked it to make it fit the Lycoming.”

The wings and forward portion of the fuselage were re-engineered to compensate for the increased power and gross weight. After Caro flew it at various shows and competitions, she sold it to Frank Gibson. Frank lost the airplane when an injection line broke in mid-air causing a fire. He landed the airplane safely, but had to helplessly stand by as the airplane burned.

While at Gainesville, the evolution of “Samson” took place. Jess Bristow had owned the ex-Howard Hughes Boeing 100, but sold that and bought a Ford Tri-Motor. But he felt the Ford burned too much gas. One day he flew the Tri-Motor to Curtis’ operation in Gainesville, got him on the side, and asked him to design a special airplane for him.

Jess wanted an airplane that was smaller than the Great Lakes, but one with a lot more power. Curtis went to the drawing board (it should be remembered that Curtis did not go to a formal engineering school but was a self-taught designer who used common sense and an innate feeling for aerodynamics) and designed a small biplane that was to be built around a 450-hp Pratt and Whitney.

Curtis showed his design to Jess, and everything was fine except that he wanted the airplane to meet the following specifications:

— It was to be capable of carrying

1. 50 gallons of smoke oil
2. 12 gallons of fuel in the auxillary tank which was to be used for aerobatic flights
3. 120 gallons of fuel in the main fuselage tank
4. 12 gallons of lube oil

— It was to have room to carry a large steamer trunk since Jess spent a great deal of time on the road.

With some redesigning, “Samson” met all of the above standards. To meet the requirement of the steamer trunk, a removable stick was put in the airplane. Jess would stand the trunk on end, strap it to the fuel tank and put the stick back in place. “Samson” had an aerobatic gross weight of 2,200 pounds and an empty weight of 1,595 pounds.

Eventually, Jess sold “Samson” to air show pilot, Ben Huntley of Charlotte, North Carolina who campaigned the plane for a time and, in turn, sold it to the legendary “Johnny Skyrocket”, a flamboyant air show star of the 1950s. The “big” Pitts came to a fiery end at a Bill Sweet air show in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Being flown by Buddy Rogers, “Samson” was put through its paces and on the approach to landing at the conclusion of the act, collided with an unlicensed Ercoupe. Both aircraft went in and caught fire on impact. Rogers was able to escape from the wreckage, but “Samson” was totally destroyed.

About this time, Curtis developed the racing bug. Jimmy DeSanto wanted Curtis to modify an unlimited airplane for racing. Curtis did not want to take on the project, but Jimmy’s efforts got him interested in racing. Curtis built his first midget racer, No. 21, in 1947. The ever-present Phil Quigley and Bud Heisel were called upon to fly it in some of the races across the country.

Curtis started another racer, No. 8 (N97M), but the untimely death of Bud in No. 21 caused this project to be shelved for almost a year. Finally, Curtis built up enough enthusiasm to finish it and again Phil flew it in a few races. After Phil quit flying No. 8, famed racing pilot Bill Brennand from Oshkosh, Wisconsin took over the controls. Bill called Curtis one winter and inquired about the possibility of flying it. He previously had been flying for the nationally renowned Steve Wittman. Bill came down to Gainesville on a vacation and stopped to see Curtis. An agreement was made on the spot and Bill flew the airplane home. No. 8 never really enjoyed a glorious racing career for it was plagued by continuous engine troubles. In time Curtis sold No. 8.

This was the last racer Curtis built. It was last known to be owned by Jim Dulin of Paoli, Oklahoma. Curtis lost interest in racing and concentrated his efforts on his dusting business and aerobatics.

Up to this point in time, Curtis’ design and building activities had been quite extensive. His two initial parasol designs were followed by the prototype Pitts Special which was built in Jacksonville. Upon moving to Gainesville, he built two Pitts Specials (“Li’1 Stinker” and Caro Bayley’s), two racers (No. 21 and No. 8) and “Samson”.

“AT 3000 FEET that aerobatic zone sure looks small. Let’s see, the wind is a quartering crosswind front my left. O.K., let’s fly slowly into the area just left of the X-axis and put that inverted spin upwind of the Y-axis. Slow it up… oh, it’s breaking. Establish a good downline. Push inverted. You’re moving downwind fast… better push up for the family 9. Center the half-roll. Push over the top. Come on, Tom… set a good down-line. Push out inverted. Watch the wind. FLY!”

Vertical rolls… snap rolls… spins… hammerheads. The list of competition maneuvers goes on and on and so does the Pitts Special. This midget biplane, designed in 1942 by Curtis Pitts, has undergone a number of refinements that has made it the top aerobatic airplane in the world today.

Some may argue with that statement, but a close look at the facts speaks for itself:

 

• 1970 – 4 of the 6 U.S. Aerobatic Team members flew Pitts Specials. The U. S. Team won the World Aerobatic Championship.
• 1972 – All 7 U. S. Aerobatic Team members flew aircraft designed by Pitts. The U.S. Team won the World Aerobatic Title for the 2nd consecutive year. In addition, Mary Gaffaney and Charlie Hillard garnered the Women’s and Men’s Individual Titles respectively.
• 1969-70-71-72 – The last four U. S. National Championships (Men’s and Women’s Division) have been won by pilots flying Pitts Specials.

 

But, I am getting too far ahead of myself in talking about the recent accomplishments of the airplane and its designer. In last month’s issue of SPORT AVIATION, we followed Curtis’ early design and building activities, which included such notables as “Li’l Stinker”, “Samson”, and his two midget racers, No. 21 and No. 8.

In the 1950’s, air show activity was at a low point which, in part, was responsible for Curtis doing little designing and no building during that period.

“As air shows were becoming fewer and fewer, I felt that I better put my efforts into something that would make grits and gravy for the children.”

With that in mind he concentrated heavily on his crop-dusting business. Crop-dusting is a tough business, one that calls for long hours and physical exhaustion at the day’s end. For over 15 years, Curtis saw the sun rise early in the morning and set late at night, but thoughts of building and designing were always in the back of his mind.

It was during this period of time that Curtis started developing ideas for a two-place design. Spending his summers in Mississippi working the cotton crop, Curtis could be found evenings in his trailer sketching and drawing. This work was to pay dividends later when the popular Pitts S-2A became a reality.

Though Curtis “didn’t build a thing in the ’50s”, a couple of Pitts Specials were being built. One day, a gentleman by the name of Billy Williams from Tulsa, Oklahoma paid Curtis a visit. He asked if he could obtain a set of the shop plans for the Pitts. Drawings in hand, Williams headed back home and started the airplane. Subsequently, he left Tulsa and somebody else took over the project. Eventualiy, it ended up in the hands of Dean Case of Wichita, Kansas, who completed it. Under the name of “Joy’s Toy”, the airplane was flown at numerous air shows by Dean’s lovely daughter, Joyce.

About this time, another Pitts project was started by Jim Meeks, who was a duster pilot working for Curtis. One of the instigators behind this project was Phil Quigley, along with Perry Boswell of Delray Beach, Florida. Meeks scrounged around Curtis’ shop and found some of his very early drawings. From these drawings and information extracted from Curtis, “Mr. Muscles” was built.

Using a 170-hp Lycoming, “Mr. Muscles” was the highest powered Pitts to date. The airplane was actually a muscular brother to Betty Skelton’s famous Pitts, “Li’l Stinker”. Weighing only 689 lbs., this high powered aerobatic mount was an indication of things to come. Today a 180-hp Pitts is the rule rather than the exception. Last heard of, “Mr. Muscles” was somewhere in Ohio and going strong! (Ed. note: U.S. Civil Aircraft Registry, 1968 shows Mr. Kenneth Bixler of Alliance, Ohio as the last owner of “Mr. Muscles”, N37J).

After staying in Gainesville for 10 years, Curtis moved to Homestead, Florida in 1955. Though he moved to Homestead with the intention of concentrating on his cropdusting business, “lots of people began to pester me for plans”. Bill Dodd of Lake Zurich, Illinois worked continually on Curtis to make drawings available.

“He would come see me two or three times every winter and push like the devil to get me to put those drawings out.”

Enter Pat Ledford into the picture! Pat also agreed that drawings should be made available. He told Curtis that if someone could do the drawings, he would like to build the airplane. Pat’s airplane, N8L, was more or less the guinea pig for the rebirth of the Pitts Special.

“We had most of my old shop drawings which were not detailed at all, just a mess. They were not something you could build an airplane from. With Phil helping Pat, the airplane was built. We really didn’t change anything in it. I did hire a draftsman who came along and filled in the loose parts and redrew a lot. We really didn’t improve the drawings a heck of a lot, but we got them out anyway.”

Having proved the drawings through the construction of N8L, they were made available in 1962. Today, over 300 Pitts Specials have been completed with an untold number under construction. Little did anyone realize at the time the impact these drawings were to have on the sport aviation and aerobatic movements in the United States and throughout the world.

Today, competition aerobatics has become an exacting science with even the smallest bobble or mistake proving costly. The quality of flying improves year after year even though the sequences become progressively more difficult. More and more negative (outside) maneuvers are being flown, necessitating excellent inverted characteristics on the part of the airplane. This means that a symmetrical airfoil is a must!

Back in 1948, Curtis was already thinking about using a symmetrical airfoil in his design.

“Phil Quigley and I used to argue about this in the late 40’s. We had all kinds of ideas for inverted performance. We got a lot of discouragement from the aeronautical section of the University of Florida, so we never did build any.”

During the period when Curtis and Phil were developing these ideas, aerobatic competition was not as we now know it. The complexities of aerobatic competition did not exist. The concept of the symmetrical wing on a Pitts was strictly for air show work.

“We felt we would have a little edge on everybody if we designed the symmetrical wing, and it would also make life a little easier for the pilot!”

The symmetrical wing concept was dropped until around 1960 or 1961 when Curtis realized the need for this type of wing if the airplane’s flying characteristics were to improve appreciably. The first set of symmetrical wings appeared on Pat Ledford’s N8L. As you can see, Pat’s airplane was used in a great deal of Curtis’ initial test work.

“We didn’t like the first wings worth a hoot. We tore them down and modified them, put them back on again, but were still unhappy. We improved them a second time and they were pretty good.”

Curtis was asking various aerobatic pilots, such as Don Pittman, to fly the airplane with the symmetrical wings. Their comments were invaluable in making the necessary modifications.

This first set of symmetrical wings had only a single set of ailerons on the lower wings. It wasn’t until 1967 that the 4-aileron, symmetrical wing as we know it today was built. It look long hours of research and testing, rebuilding and modifying, plus a great deal of effort and expense for Curtis to develop these wings. It is a real shame that only a minority (not a majority) of those who enjoy the fruits of Curtis’ efforts will ever realize the magnitude of the work involved in the development of these wings!

Curtis put the first set of 4-aileron, symmetrical wings on a Pitts that he had built. The first pilot to use a set of these wings in actual competition was Bob Herendeen of Torrance, California. He actually had the number 2 set of wings. Bob was looking for ways to modify and improve his Pitts, so he began corresponding with Curtis. Before long, he showed up one weekend at Curtis’ shop in Homestead. One thing led to another and soon he was flying with the new wing!

In talking with Curtis about his friendship with Bob, I asked him if there was one particular person who really did the most for the Pitts’ national and international recognition.

He answered, “I’ve got to say Bob Herendeen, naturally. But Betty Skelton was the first one really. Betty got real famous before air shows began going downhill.”

Bob was a big factor in the rapid growth in popularity of the Pitts as we know it today. He proved beyond a doubt that the Pitts had all the characteristics of a top-notch competition machine. For the past few years, “Herendeen” and “Pitts Special” have been names to be respected and watched closely at national and world aerobatic meets.

Curtis also credits Don Pittman for help in developing interest in the Pitts. Don flew “Joy’s Toy” at a number of air shows throughout the country. His freelance style in the air has thrilled many a spectator.

While all this activity was taking place, Curtis was still operating his dusting business under the name of Pitts Aero Service. In 1964, he decided that his design and plan sale activities were going to start taking on major proportions… thus the evolution of Pitts Aviation Enterprises.

In 1966, he sold his dusting business to devote all of his time to the development of his designs. And develop they have!! As Curtis so aptly put it:

“I’ve been working on this little airplane everyday and night ever since I left the dusting business!”

In July of 1967, Pitts Aviation moved to its present location, which is about 3 miles south of the Homestead, Florida airport. Working out of a cluster of small quonset-type hangars, the first 2-place Pitts, “Big Stinker”, (Pitts S-2A) was completed just in time to make its debut at the 1967 EAA International Fly-In at Rockford, Illinois.

It took Curtis about a year to build “Big Stinker”, which was the culmination of some of his early design efforts back in Mississippi. The performance of “Big Stinker” with its 4-aileron, symmetrical wings thoroughly convinced Curtis to use this wing on the Pitts Special.

There have not been too many changes from the original “Big Stinker”, except those needed to comply with certification, to the Pitts S-2A as we know it today.

“The big change was installing the 200-hp engine. We added additional rudder area along the way and we changed the weight and balance considerably.”

Curtis had started the 2-place certification project back in 1967, with the idea of producing the airplane in Homestead. But a gentleman by the name of Herb Anderson wanted to change these plans. Herb worked for the Callair production facility in Afton, Wyoming. In 1966, Callair sold out to Rockwell Standard and Herb moved to Albany, Georgia to set up a production facility there. Herb has been a production man all his life, having also worked for Mooney and Piper. There is no doubt… Herb knows his business!

After the aircraft contract for the Albany plant had expired, Herb went back to Afton. Herb knew of Curtis’ production plans and tried to get him to come out and view the facility in Afton, hoping he would set up production there. But Curtis wasn’t interested initially.

Herb was persistent. One day in 1969, he called and offered to pay expenses, if only Curtis would come to Afton. He explained that he had an empty production facility with trained people ready to work. Finally Curtis flew out there and what he saw amazed him. He viewed an excellent facility with a wealth of trained people who had been building steel tube aircraft since 1945. He was convinced… Afton, Wyoming was to be the future home for the production facility of Pitts Aviation Enterprises.

Arrangements were made and preparations were begun. The actual certification and testing of the Pitts S-2A was done at the Homestead facility, but upon completion of this work, the Afton plant was ready to produce. The first S-2A (N14CB) was delivered to Marion Cole in the summer of 1971. Since that time, they have been turned out at the rate of two a month. As of May 1, 1973, 48 Pitts S-2A’s have been produced and delivered, with future delivery dates up to June 13, 1974 already sold!

The pilot and customer response to the S-2A has been excellent. In fact, I am sure it has exceeded the expectations of many who have watched it since the certification process was started back in the 60s. Let’s take a close look at some of the factors contributing to its success:

• An FAA certificated, unlimited competition machine with aerobatic capabilities exceeding those of any other certified airplane on today’s market.
• A 2-place aerobatic trainer for all classes of aerobatics from Sportsman to Unlimited. Many top aerobatic training schools across the country are using this airplane.
• A good dependable airplane for air show use.
• A uniqueness and early-day, fun flying mystique that seems to accompany all biplanes.

These factors, combined with many others, have brought a large number of customers to the doors of Pitts Aviation Enterprises. Among these customers has been the Rothman Tobacco Company in England. Curtis sold 5 S-2A’s to the Rothmans for use by their company sponsored aerobatic team, which appears at numerous air shows throughout Great Britain and Europe. Previously the Rothmans were using Stampe Biplanes, but after seeing the performance of the Pitts at the 6th World Aerobatic Championships in Hullavington, England, a change was in order.

Manx Kelly, leader of the Rothman’s Team, visited Homestead to test fly the airplane. Manx’s enthusiasm for the airplane must have been tremendous as indicated by the Rothman’s purchase! (See the June, 1973 issue of Air Progress for some excellent in-flight photos of the Rothmans in their new Pitts S-2A’s.)

Curtis has also sold a number of Pitts S-2A’s in Australia and Canada with interest being expressed by many other people throughout the world. The reputation of this airplane and its designer is truly international.

As if certifying one airplane wasn’t enough for Curtis, he turned his efforts to the Pitts Special, completing type certification on this airplane on February 6 of this year. The basic airplane will have no electrical system or any other additions that would detract from its performance. An electrical system, radio and so forth is available for those who request it.

The first production model will come off the line on August 8 with 15 airplanes already ordered. I asked Curtis if he felt that the “Special” will generate the same type of interest as the S-2A. He thought it would, but that it would not sell like the two-place airplane.

Granted, the single place is more of a true “sport” airplane, since it does not offer the training capabilities that the S-2A does, but its tremendous flight characteristics speak for themselves. As it racks up victory after victory in national and international competition, the demand for this airplane seems to spiral upward.

Curtis has geared production at his Afton facility so that he will be producing four airplanes a month… 2 S-2A’s and 2 Pitts Specials. Curtis has planned his production schedules wisely. It would be easy to meet the tremendous demands and increase production. But he does not feel this is best over the long run and I agree.

By keeping production limited, the market does not become saturated with Pitts airplanes. Therefore, the airplane will continue to hold its value well, plus the fact there will be very few for resale to compete with those coming off the production line. These are custom airplanes that appeal to a limited market. The best way to over extend yourself is to saturate this market. Do this and it will soon disappear!

I have spent most of my time talking about Curtis’ certificated offsprings. You may ask: “Can I still buy plans? Will I still be able to build a Pitts Special?”

The answer to these questions are — yes and yes. Actually, Curtis is offering a number of options to the man or woman who still wants to build his or her own airplane.

One option that eventually will be available is the type-certificated airplane in a kit form.

“Apparently, in my negotiations with FAA, what I’m going to have to do is to complete all the individual parts of the airplane. Essentially, it will then be a final assembly project. The kit will include everything except the store bought items that you just bolt on, such as the engine, propeller and instruments. We will furnish these things separately, but they won’t be part of the kit.”

Two kits per month will be offered, their production being part of the operation at the Afton plant. Various individual parts for the Pitts Special will also be made available.

In addition, drawings for the Pitts Special (not the S-2A) will still be marketed.

“I’m going to offer an M-6 airfoil, 4-aileron version. We have an excellent set of drawings which consists of 47 sheets. There will be a ‘How to Build’ manual, inspection flight test forms and a flight manual accompanying the drawings.”

The airplane completed by the homebuilder will not be exactly the same as the certificated model.

The Pitts Special has worked its way to the top winning every major aerobatic title. Being on top makes it the primary target for the many new designs that are being developed to take its place. I asked Curtis point blank how the Pitts will stack up a few years from now against some of the designs now appearing such as the Stephens Akro and the Acro Star. He paused momentarily and answered:

“I’m not too concerned about it. I’ve heard this kind of stuff all my life. I feel that if that kind of airplane will have any advantages over the Pitts, there will have to be some changes in the rules. As long as the rules and the box are not changed, we’ve got an advantage over all of them. High performance is not going to win the contest. It’s going to be the man driving the airplane that’s going to be the World Champion.”

Some may not agree with Curtis, but you can’t argue with success. He has developed an airplane that was vitally instrumental in the U. S. victories in the 1970 and 1972 World meets. He has developed an airplane that has completely dominated aerobatics in the United States for the past five years. He has developed an airplane that has brought the United States from last to the recognized world-leader in competition aerobatics. He has developed an airplane that is just plain “fun” to fly.

For this, we must all say…

THANK YOU, MR. PITTS!

Author’s Note: Throughout his career, Curtis has experienced many thrills and highlights. I am sure it would be difficult for him to choose one that would stand out among all the rest, but this is what he said:

“There were lots of times when I felt pretty good, but I would say that the first time I flew the first little airplane was the biggest thrill for me. It was like a ride in a sky-rocket after flying those other airplanes.”

If he thought that was a sky-rocket, today’s Pitts is nothing short of a moon-ship!