Hello again PPruner's. Have been lucky enough to be offered the chance to use an S1C on a regular basis, pretty standard set-up with 160hp up front. Nice tidy machine with low houred engine and a/f. Will be operating out of a nice flat grass a/f with plenty of room available.
I've read up quite a bit on the type and spoken to few but would be very interested to hear a cross-section of useful hints and tips from you guys and gals that have experience on-type.
A little less conversation, a little more aviation...
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Bracknell, UK
Posts: 414
Get a couple of flights under instruction in an S2. Your instructor should be able to judge whether your Cub/Moth time is proving a help or a hinderance. I'd recommend Alan Cassidy at White Waltham.
Good luck, great airframe, scratch that, fantastic airframe.
Presumably you have flown a Pitts before. If not Eds advice is sound. I could not believe the recommended approach technique the first time I flew one. A gobsmacking earth hurtling constant curving sideslip. They fall out of the sky like streamlined bricks
A cub and tiger moth will not get you ready for the mighty Pitts. Get someone to show you the secret. Paul Ambrose at Popham does Pitts therapy without the swingeing ego reduction.
With the S2/instructor scenario, spend as much time if possible flying the front pit. That will give you the best visual/feel for converting to the single pit. Have fun.
I was hoping for 'your' tips and tricks as checking out with one person leaves me with one persons opinion and technique, then obviously I form my own!
As we are all different, it may take something small that someone else has said that might prompt a different action or thought in a single situation.
Ok the environment is not the same here, I am not surrounded by knowledgeable Pitts pilots here (in Germany) as I used to be back home. There are not so many places to find real aviators either... (takes life in own hands with that comment), but I do apreciate the views and techniques vary, possibly greatly, thats why I'm asking for your one liners!
MF - send me another PM with an e-mail address and I'll fwd you a circuit diagram that gives a pretty decent understanding of speeds/position in the cct. I have found it valuable when helping folk convert onto type.
In the air the Pitts is a pussy cat to fly, but on and close to the ground it's more of a Tiger - and I don't mean Tiger Moth! Your Cub and previous tailwheel experience will stand you in good stead, but a few take off's and landings from the FRONT HOLE of an S2 will prepare you for the joys of taxiing, taking off and landing an S1.
Aerobatically, the Pitts is predictable, but your first attempts should be made with a lot of sky beneath you. Your first accidental flick will surprise you, especially if encountered while "pushing," and may lead to an unexpected loss of altitude while you figure out what has just happened. If you remember to close the throttle (especially if your model has a metal prop) all will be just fine.
One final thing. Whatever model Pitts you fly, it's rate of climb matches its rate of descent with power off. Bear in mind that if the engine stops it comes down REAL fast!
Gene Beggs in the US still sells (or did last I asked, 5 err 7 years ago) his excellent book on spin recovery. It is basically a volume that covers his and Eric Muller's best technique for spin egression in the Pitts.
Closing the throttle as Sooty 615 says is rather germane to the succesful outcome.
If I find that my thinking is not far ahead enough of my Pitts and I am unsure what I have already told it to do next, I close the throttle and centre the ball! It may not be pretty but with several hundred hours on type IT has consistently worked.
The aeroplane will immediately do exactly as you tell it - as long as the input is there, change the input and it will immediately conform to the new input.
Best glide is circa 100mph in the 1C - so be prepared to stretch it by flying in balance OR more likely picking something acheivable and slipping hard whilst S turning. As each airframe is different it really is worth climbing to 1500' in the o/head and practicing an engine failure.
MF - have yr e-addy, just need to find the scan for you.
Remember its a home built A/C !!!!!!!!. Check A/C ADs particularly for the tail plane support tube upgrade.
Check the Toe In / Toe out as the A/C is rolled forward. That's the cause of many a ground loop, Remember big engine Lycoming 160 /180 Hp IO320 / 360 weighs about 280 - 300 lbs plus the prop. Look up the definition of 'close coupled' (pprune test pilots ) as the A/C is only 19.5 feet long. Cover the brakes on landing, Best to Operate from big grass fields not narrow runways. Check the U/C Struts for corrosion and U/C bolts and brackets for damage Check U/C Bungee cords for correct type and tension. Make sure the tyres disks and brakes are in perfect condition Check that the tail wheel leaf spring is undamaged and that you have the ( maul ) anti-shimmy spring kit on the tail wheel. Check the tightness of the tail wheel swivel / centring / locking mechanism. Get yourself an Aircraft Spruce &Specialty Company catalogue. Join the UK BAA (Home page for the BAeA website) Chat up Alan Cassidy and get some time in GSTUA Practice PFLs
Buy a good crash helmet, ( Pm me and I will sell you mine), It saved my neck when i wrote my S1c Off in 1996.
Thanks guys. Some good stuff there and thanks stiknruda for the diagram.
Have a helmet already thanks orionsbelt. Wont fly open cockpit without one, value my bonce too much! Question, the canopy comes off the Pitts easy enough, is it still pleasant to fly with it off?
I am over 6' but the whole set-up in this S1 seems to be built around a tall pilot, ie. instrument panel is actually clear and my knees will go right to the sidewall withought being gouged on some strange piece of tubing, split-pin or locking wire. I've tried to get in some S1's and cant even get my shins under the panel!
I guess the hardest thing about take off and especially landing is to know when to do something and when just to leave it alone! That only comes with experience but my scariest ever S1 landing was my second. I now know that had I let it carry on doing what it wanted and hadn't tried to "influence" it with rudder that I would have been less scared.
Question, the canopy comes off the Pitts easy enough, is it still pleasant to fly with it off?
Surprisingly pleasant, especially if you have a helmet. I had to take the canopy off my S-1D as it no longer fit properly, and I expected it to be a lot slower and windier. I was told to expect 10 mph off my airspeed for most things due to the increased drag. The reality was no change at all, which makes me think my blown canopy was creating as much drag as the open cockpit does. If your S-1C has a streamlined canopy, I would guess the drag penalty would be more noticeable. And it's not only not much windier but it's great to be able to wipe dead bugs off the windscreen in flight! Keep your chart stowed, though!
I'm enjoying flying it open much more than I thought I would and, as I've suffered no performance penalty, I'm in no rush to put a new canopy back on until winter. It does make me just that little bit leary the first time I roll inverted on every flight, though, and the pre-flight is a bit different:
"Hatches and har....oh, right. no hatch. Check! Harness secure...cinch, cinch, cinch. Hope so!"
2112 => I find myself in canopy-heaven this week! I've just sent a replacement 2C frame and perspex off to the painter ('cos I'm too busy to prep and paint it!) to do the red o/side, grey inside. I then had a call saying that the other canopy for the same "jet" has been smashed so can I help out!
Last time we spoke, I thought that you wanted me to deliver the UNCUT bubble and front screen to RM next time anyone was in that direction in a vehicle? Is that not right?
You are very welcome to collect but would insist on you being in a car. Speed taping it over your head whislt yopu strap in is not recommended.
I tend to run mine at 30 psi as it bounces less! When I first started out I did my first 10 or so landings with 20psi in the tyres - it really does dampen out the desire to be twitchy.
Budd Davisson - Pitts guru in Arizona starts off newbies at 18psi and accepts the accelerated tyre wear as part of the trade off.
Finaly folks, after delay from the insurance company and delay from the German authorities and delay from the weather, I finally got the little Pitts in the air yesterday.
After 5 fast taxi's down the strip under the watchfull eyes of the owner who stood by the runway, those majic (and ever so slightly nerve racking) words came over the radio! 'Go fly her now'!
Wow, what a blast! Light, very responsive and reminds me of a winch launch in the climb! Tooled around out of the circuit for half an hour then braved the the enevitable and made 3 landings (not at the same time I must add)! the last was the icing on the cake! Sweeeeeeeeeeet!
Looking forward to the next flyable day.
Thanks to all for their help on here, another hooked pitts rookie.
Similar Threads 
Linear Mode
