Photograph:
Pitts S-1S Super Stinker VH-IPB4 (c/n 2104362536) at Cowra, NSW in September 2010 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Single-seat high-performance aerobatic biplane
Power Plant:
One 224 kw (300 hp) Lycoming IO-540 six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 5.48 m (18 ft)
- Length: 5.54 m (18 ft 2 in)
- Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 10.24 m² (110.3 sq ft)
- Max speed: 335 km/h (208 mph)
- Stalling speed: 103 km/h (64 mph)
- Rate of climb: 1,219 m/min (4,000 ft/min)
- Rate of roll: 400 degrees per second
- Fuel capacity: 132 litres (29 Imp gals)
- Wing loading: (12.2 lbs/sq ft)
- Power loading: (4.5 lbs/hp)
- Empty weight: 494 kg (1,090 lb)
- Max loaded weight: 680 kg (1,500 lb)
- Competition weight: 612 kg (1,350 lb)
History:
The Super Stinker was introduced to the unlimited aerobatic competition world in the early 1990s and is an upgraded variant of the Pitts S-1, being described as a ground-up re-design of the S-1, with increased manoeuvrability and more power. It initially became available as a factory-built aircraft, the prototype having the Lycoming IO-540 engine driving a Hartzell propeller. Undercarriage is tailwheel, comprising spring aluminium main legs with a steerable tailwheel. The first production aircraft was delivered to the United States Aerobatic Team. It is of similar construction to the whole range of Pitts aerobatic biplanes. It is produced by the factory in low volume as-required form but may be built by the amateur constructor from sets of plans, many constructors using components built by Aviat Aircraft in order to reduce the amount of work necessary.
Nearly all of those built have the IO-540 engine and variants of this engine have ranged in power from 179 kw (240 hp) to 228 kw (305 hp). One variant became known as the Pitts/Aviat S-1-11B Texas Predator. Another was marketed by Super Stinker Inc of Wichita, Kansas. Curtis Pitts died at the age of 89, and at that time he was working on the Model 14, a new two-seat aerobatic variant with the Russian-designed, Romanian-built, Vedeneyev radial engine. The Model 13 was known as the Coupe, a monoplane variant which was never built.
The Super Stinker has been popular with pilots interested in unlimited aerobatics and the first two registered in Australia became VH-PJP (c/n PJ-002) operated by well-known aerobatic pilot, Chris Sperou from Fullarton, SA, being first registered in May 2005, this aircraft being fitted with a three-blade composite propeller; and VH-XPS (c/n 1013) operated by Rob Poynton of Canning Bridge, WA. A further example was being built at Serpentine, WA in early 2015.