Plane
The aircraft I fly is the awesome looking Black and Yellow factory built Pitts “Muscle” Bi-Plane.
To the left is my plane, the Pitts S-1-11B and there are only two factory built S-1-11B aircraft flying in the world today. With a 330+ H.P. six cylinder Lycoming (AEIO-540) motor, Cold Air Induction, 10-1 High Compression pistons, and 3 bladed Hartzell “Claw” Propeller, this aircraft has all the ingredients for a great performance. The S-1-11B has only a single seat and it is very light weight (1085 pounds dry), providing a perfect platform for flying high energy aerobatics! The Pitts bi-plane is made of metal tubing frame, wood spar/ribs, and mostly fabric covering. This helps keep the airplane light weight. However, fabric is sensitive and can quickly puncture if not careful!
My plane cruises at 195 MPH and can climb vertically from zero to 2,500 feet at sea level. During normal climbout, I climb at an amazing 4,000+ feet per minute!
Fuel capacity on this aircraft is 28 gallons in a single main tank and 15 gallons in a reserve tank. Fuel burn at cruise is approximately 14.5 gallons per hour. During my airshow routine, the S-1-11B is burning approximately 23+ gallons per hour.
The smoke you see behind my airplane is created with special oil which is the same consistency as salad oil. Usually using Canopus 13 or Dialys-ax. This is stored in a 6 gallon smoke tank located under the main fuel tank. The smoke oil is pumped to the aircraft exhaust via a standard automotive fuel pump. Once the oil hits the hot exhaust pipes, it turns into smoke! The oil does not catch on fire if the aircraft is moving. The burnt oil doesn’t smell great, especially in the cockpit.
For travel, I use two on-board GPS navigation systems, both providing a moving map display. One of the systems is a fixed mount and the secondary is a full color portable GPS with XM Weather radar and XM radio. I love the XM radio and weather, keeping me busy during some of the “long” flight legs.
With the speed, agility, and on-board navigation systems, I can fly my Pitts Bi-Plane to any show in North America!!
Jon,
I am really on the fence between a really nice S1S with Super Stinker Wings rigged by Steve Wolf, or an S-1-11B located in NC (for nearly twice the price). is it really THAt much better? This one has a Lycon anglevalve 540. Empty wt is almost 1200…
Any feedback on the plane would be great. There are only a handful of folks who have even flown these things. Thanks
jacobe@me.com
P.S. I plan to compete in IAC and see how far I can go. Airshows are probably not in the cards due to the time commitment…
Hi Jacobe,
As far as bi-planes go, this is the ticket. Put a big fat stripe on the top wing and side of the fuselage. It performs better than any other Pitts out there. With a pumped up motor and a “claw” propeller, you will climb like a banshee and cruise around 195 mph.
To answer your question, an S-1-11B will run circles around an S-1S. I’ve owned a highly modified S-1S and of course my S-1-11B and I love my current plane. I understand you want to use it for competition, so if the money issue is not a problem…buy the S-1-11B. I know it is the best choice.
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