Wednesday 9 November 2011

Pitts S2 Specials of New Zealand - Homegrown

The Pitts S 2 was Curtis Pitts' development of the S 1, bigger with more power and 2 seats, although quite similar to the original design. It can also be flown as a single seater with a cover over the front cockpit.

The S 2 has a wingspan of 20 feet (6.10 metres) and is 18 feet 9 inches (5.71 metres) long. It features engines from 200Hp to 260 HP - and with this engine it climbs at 2,700 feet per minute!

The various models have included the S 2A which was built by Aerotek with a 200 HP engine, the S 2B also built by Aerotek with a 260 HP engine, the S 2C built by Aviat, and the S 2E which is an amateur built S 2A from a factory built kit.

The photos are from the Keith Morris collection.

We have had only one amateur built Pitts S 2 in New Zealand - ZK-ELI (c/n NZ 201) which was built by Hank J Courtenay of Lower Hutt from a kit, making it an S 2E model. It was first registered on 13/1/81 and it was bought by John Luff of Wanganui on 29/9/82. It is photo'd here at the 1983 AACA flyin at Paraparaumu.
It was sold to The Special Syndicate (Brian Langley and others) of Auckland on 17/3/88 and it is photo'd here at the 1988 AACA flyin at North Shore. Around this time there were several Pitts Specials painted up with advertising.
By 2000 it had been repainted in this scheme as photo'd at the 2000 AACA flyin at Matamata, in single seater configuration. It was sold to Vincent and Alison D'Ath of Motueka trading as Tasman Bay Aviation on 2/4/03 and it is still owned by them and operated out of Motueka on tourist flights with the original 2 open cockpits.

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