Okie_Pilot's Pitts S1S Build Thread

Okie,

Who fabricated your engine mount? My project might come earlier than expected! Only problem is that it has Sparcraft wings, which I would not want to modify.
 
n57flyguy said:
Okie,

Who fabricated your engine mount? My project might come earlier than expected! Only problem is that it has Sparcraft wings, which I would not want to modify.
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Hey man, sorry for the late reply, haven't seen the thread in awhile.

We ordered the Dynafocal ring (the 4 mounts and the ring that holds them together) from a company, and we actually fabricated, sized, cut, grinded, and hand fit all the rest of the tubes on the mount. To say it is A LOT of work for someone who doesn't have a $250k laser-cutting CNC or any super duper machinery, is an understatement. It is a lot of work.

I contacted Devin York up in Canada (www.yorkaircraft.com) and at the time he quoted me a price of around $800 for an engine mount for my Pitts. I thought that was pretty steep at first. But after sitting for hours on end grinding with a hand-grinder and getting the right angles for the tubes to cope to one another, I'd gladly pay $800 in cold hard cash. We've done all the work ourselves on this Pitts, besides the certified S1T wings, and fabricating the engine mount took the most time, work, and patience.

If you think you'd like to fabricate your own, I can get you the contact info of Bruce who did our Dynafocal ring for us. But I'll highly suggest you just purchase a complete one.
 
KSCessnaDriver said:
Anyone else see that Pitts is going to factory build some S-1's again?
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n57flyguy said:
I did hear about that. Producing a few S1S...overpriced in my opinion.
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Eh, not real overpriced. $140k for a new certified airplane. Sounds cheap compared to $300k+ plastic airplanes. Then again, I don't have $140k. But I believe this market is most likely targeted to the European and other countries across the pond where they don't really like and/or allow "EXPERIMENTALS". They have the money for some reason.

I am disappointed that for $140k it'll be just like a 1973 Pitts S1S. Round wing-tips, standard cowling, bungee gear (AFAIK) and everything. I was hoping for an "updated" version with Wolf wings, Carbon Fiber cowling, Grove gear, better canopy, maybe a squared off rudder. But that's what the type certificate says, so a 1973 version it will be.
 
Okie_Pilot said:
Eh, not real overpriced. $140k for a new certified airplane. Sounds cheap compared to $300k+ plastic airplanes. Then again, I don't have $140k. But I believe this market is most likely targeted to the European and other countries across the pond where they don't really like and/or allow "EXPERIMENTALS". They have the money for some reason.

I am disappointed that for $140k it'll be just like a 1973 Pitts S1S. Round wing-tips, standard cowling, bungee gear (AFAIK) and everything. I was hoping for an "updated" version with Wolf wings, Carbon Fiber cowling, Grove gear, better canopy, maybe a squared off rudder. But that's what the type certificate says, so a 1973 version it will be.
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Are all of those mods STCd for certificated aircraft? If so, I could easily see them installing the STCs from the factory rather than going through all of the trouble of recertifying the airplane with all those mods.
 
Just want to say thanks. You inspire the guys who aren't completely mechanically inclined, but who have always wanted to undertake a project like this. Like Bob Odegaard said when I asked him how he rebuilt a Corsair from the ground up, "One bolt, and one rivet at a time".
 
Okie_Pilot said:
Hey man, sorry for the late reply, haven't seen the thread in awhile.

We ordered the Dynafocal ring (the 4 mounts and the ring that holds them together) from a company, and we actually fabricated, sized, cut, grinded, and hand fit all the rest of the tubes on the mount. To say it is A LOT of work for someone who doesn't have a $250k laser-cutting CNC or any super duper machinery, is an understatement. It is a lot of work.

I contacted Devin York up in Canada (www.yorkaircraft.com) and at the time he quoted me a price of around $800 for an engine mount for my Pitts. I thought that was pretty steep at first. But after sitting for hours on end grinding with a hand-grinder and getting the right angles for the tubes to cope to one another, I'd gladly pay $800 in cold hard cash. We've done all the work ourselves on this Pitts, besides the certified S1T wings, and fabricating the engine mount took the most time, work, and patience.

If you think you'd like to fabricate your own, I can get you the contact info of Bruce who did our Dynafocal ring for us. But I'll highly suggest you just purchase a complete one.
Click to expand...


Yeah, building one myself is something I am not interested in....at all.

I have actually talked to him before about the Laser parts he makes and the plans they sell. Nice guy, great work they do.
 
Roger Roger said:
Are all of those mods STCd for certificated aircraft? If so, I could easily see them installing the STCs from the factory rather than going through all of the trouble of recertifying the airplane with all those mods.
Click to expand...

I have never thought of that, but I don't believe they are as a guess.
 
Okie_Pilot said:
Eh, not real overpriced. $140k for a new certified airplane. Sounds cheap compared to $300k+ plastic airplanes. Then again, I don't have $140k. But I believe this market is most likely targeted to the European and other countries across the pond where they don't really like and/or allow "EXPERIMENTALS". They have the money for some reason.

I am disappointed that for $140k it'll be just like a 1973 Pitts S1S. Round wing-tips, standard cowling, bungee gear (AFAIK) and everything. I was hoping for an "updated" version with Wolf wings, Carbon Fiber cowling, Grove gear, better canopy, maybe a squared off rudder. But that's what the type certificate says, so a 1973 version it will be.
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Never saw this post...

I see your point, maybe it was the fact that its just a standard Pitts that makes me shake my head at the dollar figure. I am assuming it is still going to have Freise ailerons with the standard round tip wings...probably would have to gap seal it yourself to!

How is yours coming along?
 
I'm not sure which I'd rather have. A brand new factory build S1 or a Great Lakes. Either way, its good to see some factory produced biplanes being built again.
 
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