Pitts S-1 Special (single-seat)
3 models built 1962–1975 · 151 on the US register today
The single-seat Pitts Special, Curtis Pitts's competition biplane whose prototype first flew in September 1944 and which dominated world aerobatics in the 1960s and 1970s: a 17 ft 4 in upper span, a 1,150 lb gross weight and Lycomings from under 100 hp to 200 hp. Plans for the flat-wing S-1C have been sold to homebuilders since 1962 (now by Steen Aero Lab), and the S-1D, S-1E and S-1SS are further amateur-built variants; the factory versions were built at Afton, Wyoming on type certificate A8SO: the S-1S (Aerotek, acrobatic category, February 1973, 180 hp IO-360-B4A, symmetrical wings and four ailerons, 61 built) and the S-1T (approved July 1975, 200 hp AEIO-360-A1E with a constant-speed Hartzell and the upper wing moved forward, built by Christen Industries from 1982, 64 built). The registry files plans-built aircraft under their builders' names with PITTS S-1 spellings; those are the experimental record in this family.
The variants
| MODEL | YEARS | ACTIVE | TAILFAX SCORE | WHAT CHANGED |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitts S-1 single-seat (S-1S / S-1C / S-1T / S-1D / S-1E) | 1962 | 107 | Partial 12/30 | Plans- and kit-built S-1 (S-1C/S-1D/S-1E/S-1S/S-1T) under builders' names |
| Pitts Special S-1S | 1973 | 30 | Partial 8.4/30 | Factory-built S-1S: 180 hp IO-360-B4A, fixed-pitch propeller, acrobatic category (1973) |
| Pitts S-1T | 1975 | 14 | Partial 14/30 | 200 hp AEIO-360-A1E, constant-speed propeller, upper wing moved forward (1975; Christen-built from 1982) |
Data as of: FAA registry Sep 28 · NTSB Oct 2 · scores Sep 30