Pitts Special

This article is about the aerobatic biplane series. For other uses, see Pitts Special (disambiguation).
Pitts Special
S-1 / S-2
A Pitts S-1S Special (left) and a modified S-2AE Special (right) in formation in 2021.
General information
TypeAerobatic biplane
National originUnited States
ManufacturerAviat (current)
Designer
StatusIn production
History
First flightSeptember 1944
Little Stinker in the Smithsonian
S-1S
Modified S-1S
Modified S-1S
Christen Industries S-2B Pitts Special belonging to the Pitts Specials Formation Aerobatic Team
2001 Aviat Pitts S-2C
S-1-11B Pitts Special
Pitts S-2A
Cockpit of Pitts S-2A
Pitts S-2B
Pitts S-1E
Pitts S-1T
Pitts Special in flight

The Pitts Special (company designations S-1 and S-2) is a series of light aerobatic biplanes designed by Curtis Pitts. It has accumulated many competition wins since its first flight in 1944. The Pitts biplanes dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and, even today, remain potent competition aircraft in the lower categories.[1][2]

  1. ^ Montgomery and Foster 1992, p. 92.
  2. ^ "Plane and Pilot" 1977, p. 84.