You can not effectively re-paint without recovering.

Re-covering at a rough guess will cost £5k

A three colour paint job (Pitts starburst a la Gene Soucey) £5k

Then you'll need to budget a few hundred for the inevitable repairs that will become apparent after the fabric is stripped off so figure somewhere around £12k and about 2 months out of commission.

Both Flick-off and I can highly recommend a man in the Midlands!

Alternatively you can probably do it all yourself (easier if the aircraft is on a permit) IF you have the time and determination.


So the question really is - which one have you been looking at?


Stik

Paulo

I have looked at a number of Pitts S1's which people have bought to me in response to an advert some while ago. IMHO, virtually everyone with an immaculate Pitts is deeply in love with their aeroplane and would sooner sell the kids than the a/c.

Most of the ones I have seen are dogs. They have been ******ed about with by DIY how can I save a few quid type owners, or are very tiered. Either way they need taking apart and rebuilding. The joy of a Pitts is that you can do this and come out with an immaculate a/c, but it is not cheap.

If you buy a shabby S1S (there are only three and a half T's in the UK) with an engine that is spray painted a whole batch of different colours (always worth avoiding), expect to pay very ball park 15 to 20K. Most owners want more but they are walter mitty types. Having the thing taken apart and put back together as per factory original will cost between 10 and 20k depending on what nightmares are uncovered, like for example, wing spa damage, broken wing ribs, broken tubes in the frame etc etc.

Once you have a really immaculate S1S expect 25 to 30K tops.

Remember, tho, a Pitts is not just for christmas it is for life and it will last a lifetime and cost next to nothing to run on a PFA Permit. I am biased as I have 2 which is greedy but hell you're a long time dead.

Some background reading
 

For anyone who wants to know what it's like to fly the Pitts, have a read of this account

(By the way, I have flown with Curt Langenhorst several times - unfortunately, never in the Pitts - and, as the author says, he is an exceptional pilot, and every bit as mad as the author makes him out to be!)

FFF
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Thanks Stik, Flik, FFF, Ludwig... seems like there's alot of help and advice out there from the Pitts community.

I'm out with Mark tomorrow afternoon. Lots more questions to come no doubt!

We really need an Aeros forum don't we guys. :)

We have an Aerobatic forum its here:



http://www.aerobatics.org.uk/

Ludwig - I do take a look there once in awhile, but haven't seen a discussion area. Am I missing something?

Paulo

You must be missing paying your membership! The forum is conducted via an e mail exploder accessible to all members of the Association. If you are serious about aero's it's a must join. I'm sure Alan Cassidy will sell you a membership if you ask him.

L:cool: