The Pitts S-2B has been and still is a wonderful airplane. Aviat Aircraft, Inc. has produced the S-2B faithfully since the early 1980's. As the sport of aerobatics advanced the S-2B didn't.
Stu Horn confident that the Pitts could be brought up to the demands of today's aerobatics, combined Curtis Pitts and his team at Aviat Aircraft, Inc. to produce the new Pitts S-2C. Don't let the seemingly subtle changes fool you, this is a new breed of Pitts Specials. New wings, inside and out, sporting balanced ailerons that have no spades, but more importantly, "constant speed ailerons", meaning that the rate of roll in the S-2C is essentially as fast at 100 mph as it is at 200 mph. Maximum stick force pressure at full aileron deflection is a mere 15 pounds. Stick centering is world class, and hammering out precision point rolls at any speed is a piece of cake. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the rate of roll is 300+ degrees per second.
New vertical and horizontal tails that are aerodynamically counter-balanced, no more boost tabs on the elevators, this makes the airplane truly symmetrical. "What do you mean", you say? The S-2B requires a lot more forward stick pressure in outside maneuvers than aft stick pressures in positive maneuvers. In the S-2C the elevator stick pressures are only 15 pounds at 4 g's both directions. Therefore outside maneuvers are a snap in the S-2C. Speaking of snaps, the S-2C snap rolls as crisp outside as it does inside snaps, thanks to the new tail. What we're talking about is a "squared stick", an airplane that's willing to go any direction you desire, without kicking or screaming. The rudder pedal forces are also lighter and well harmonized with the stick forces, making the new S-2C a true extension of one's self. Spins in the S-2C are awesome, mild or wild, you decide. Hammerheads are a absolute joy in the S-2C. The pivot is definitely a "10", the problem of torqueing off the top in a S-2B is gone. Keep the rudder in and you'll get a double hammerhead. This isn't your daddy's Pitts Special. The S-2C takes a lot of the work out of Rollers, and no longer require hard pushes because of the new balanced elevators. Roll rate control is easy due to the new ailerons, and keeping the nose coming around when transitioning from one roll to the next is no problem with the lighter rudder forces. Vertical performance is fantastic, hang time at the top is great with the "Claw" aerobatic propeller, by Hartzell. Vertical 4 point, 8 point, multiple vertical rolls, vertical snap rolls, multiple vertical snaps, both inside and outside, are all possible. Better vertical performance meaning better climb performance as well. The Pitts S-2C climbs 2900 fpm. This increase is mostly due to the increased wing area, drag reduction, and the "Claw" aerobatic propeller, by Hartzell. Tumbles, and gyroscopic type maneuvers are sensational, you won't find a better tumbling airplane at any price. On the milder side of life the S-2C is aerodynamically cleaner, improved wing tip shape, straighten fuselage belly, improved engine cowling, and new sloped windshield, improves cruise speed over the S-2B by approximately 10 to 15 mph. The trim tab is now only on the right elevator and acts purely as a trim tab, not a boost / trim tab. This makes the elevator more effective during maneuvering. Trim the S-2C for level flight, roll inverted and you'll be surprised that the forward stick pressure required for inverted flight is minimal, totally unlike the S-2B which requires healthy forward stick pressure to maintain proper nose position.
There's no more need to worry half way through your flight about landings, the Pitts S-2C and the runway now meet on friendly terms, The S-2C with it's added wing area, improved wing tips, new tail surfaces, new landing gear, new windshield, and flat fuselage belly, crosses the numbers slower, "locks in the groove" while in ground effect, and touches down slower than the S-2B , roll outs are straight and require only normal tail wheel proficiency. All this sounds to good to be true? Well, strap it on for yourself, the Pitts S-2C will be at a IAC meeting near you. Stay tuned for details.
Specifications:
Powerplant Lycoming AEIO-540,260 HP Recommended TBO 1,200 hr
Propeller: The "Claw" three-blade aerobatic composite constant speed, by Hartzell
Length: 17 ft 9 in
Height: 6 ft 5 in
Wingspan: 20 ft
Wing area sq ft: 127.5
Wing Loading Normal 13.3 lbs 12.7 lbs aerobatic
Power Loading Normal 6.59 lbs 6.25 lbs aerobatic
Seats: 2 in tandem
Cabin length 6 ft 11 in
Cabin width 2 ft 4 in
Empty Weight as tested 1155
Maximum gross weight 1700 lbs
Useful load, as tested
Aerobatic 470 lbs.
Normal 545 lbs.
Payload w/full fuel, as tested 371 lbs.
Max takeoff weight 1700 lbs
Max landing weight 1700 lbs
Fuel capacity
(w/5-gal wing tank) 29 gal (28 gal usable)
Aerobatic flight, 24 gal (23 gal usable)
Performance
Aerobatic flight load limits +6 G, -5 G
Rate of climb 2900 ft/min
Takeoff distance, ground roll 554
Takeoff distance over 50-ft obstacle 860
Max demonstrated crosswind component 17 kt
Rate of climb, sea level fpm 2900 Min fly weight
Max level speed 168 kts
Cruise speed w/30 min rsv:
55% power 147 kts
65% power 150 kts
75% power 157 kts
Range w/ 30 min rsv:
55% power 346 st. miles
65% power 316 st. miles
75% power 284 st. miles
Max operating altitude N/A
Service ceiling N/A
Landing distance over 50-ft obstacle 1200 ft.
Landing distance, ground roll 750 ft.
Limiting and Recommended airspeeds
VX (best angle of climb) KIAS N/A at this time
VY (best rate of climb) KIAS 82
VA (Design maneuvering) KIAS 134
VNO (max structural cruising) KIAS 134
VNE (never exceed) KIAS 185
VS1 (Stall, clean) KIAS 56
All specifications are based on manufacturer's calculations. All performance figures are based on standard day, standard atmosphere, sea level, gross weight conditions unless otherwise noted.
Legal Stuff:
Do not make anykind of changes to the plane or the documentation without the original authors permission and acceptance. Also do not include this package on any commercial add-on CD without a permission to do that. You can upload this plane on every site at Internet as long as this file (s-2cfs2k.zip) is not changed and my name is mentioned there as a designer.
Install:
Unzip plane to your aircraft directory and gauges to your gauges directory...
