Okie_Pilot's Pitts S1S Build Thread

Okie_Pilot

Okie_Pilot

Pitts Builder
So we've been working on the Pitts S1S for a couple of months now and the progress is finally starting to show some. I thought some of you guys and gals might enjoy watching the progress and work that's required to take a bare fuselage and turn it into a flying airplane.

Here's some pictures with what we started out with and the progress thus far.

The fuselage at the hangar:
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After moving it home and putting it on the work table:
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The new vertical stabilizer and custom squared-off rudder:
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Showing where we're going to cut the vertical stab and attach to the rudder as an "aerodynamic boost" or "counter-balance".
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It's sitting on it's legs for the first time today!! We're going with Grove sprung gear instead of the regular Pitts gear.
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We fabricated and welded the rudder/brake pedals per the plans. Also shown is some new tubing that's required for the Grove gear.
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Here's the pedal/cable adjustment "brackets" that I fabricated today:
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Here's some other parts that are still waiting to be attached to the Pitts. Hopefully they'll be put in their correct spots here shortly!

Our AEIO-360
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The beautiful 4-into-1 exhaust:
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The carbon fiber "cool-face" cowling:
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Two sets of wings. S1C wings which are covered and the S1T wings which are not. We'll be using the S1T wings.
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One S1T bottom wing. Plywood leading edges instead of aluminum.
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That's all for now folks! Tomorrow we'll be researching more on the current tailwheel assembly we have now and will be working that problem out. Possibly welding the rudder ribs in and cutting the aerodynamic boost for the rudder out of the vertical stab.


I hope you guys and gals enjoy!

:beer:
 
Wow dude, that's awesome! I'd love to build an airplane some day. How/when did you learn to weld? That's one thing I can't do that I wish I could.
 
Roger said:
Wow dude, that's awesome! I'd love to build an airplane some day. How/when did you learn to weld? That's one thing I can't do that I wish I could.
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Thanks! The airplane is in my boss's shop with all the machinery like the CNC, lathe, press, break, and welding equipment. His previous profession before flying was welding, so he's got YEARS of experience of welding behind him. I can weld two fence posts together with a stick welder and that's about it for me.

He's sat down and showed me how Tig/Heliarc welding works and has had me try it on scrap pieces. Most people really might not think as welding as any big deal, but after trying to get two little pieces of metal to stick together with a somewhat recognizable weld, it's hard. It truly is a profession and science to it. So he's doing all the welding on the parts and fuselage while I watch and try to learn as much as possible.

Thanks for following along guys!
 
Roger said:
Wow dude, that's awesome! I'd love to build an airplane some day. How/when did you learn to weld? That's one thing I can't do that I wish I could.
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You can see what classes are available at your local Community College. That's what I did. Wish I spent more time learning to TIG however.
 
Awesome!!

Great build. I've restored old Z cars with my dad and would love to build an airplane from scratch someday.

Keep the pics coming.
 
Hey guys,

We got some more work done on the Pitts. Didn't quite get to work on it as much as I would have liked to over the weekend due to other obligations but we got some stuff done today. I'd say that 90% of the welding is done. Today we put on the windscreen and the sliding canopy to see how that fit up. The panels/windscreen/canopy are used and came off this airplane before it had the accident. We'll be making new panels and a rail for the canopy and fitting it up better than what it was.

Here's some pics:


Right after we cut the tubing and could finally move the rudder and aerodynamic boost.
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Showing the aerodynamic boost
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Since this we have capped the end of the tubes and completed the welding
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Showing one of the rudder ribs. We fabricated all of these ourselves. We're really happy how they turned out and have fit up. It was just tack welded to hold it in place at the time, it's now fully welded.
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Showing the gap between the ribs. That gap will get quite a bit smaller when you add the layers of fabric, and the paint on top of that.
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The vertical stab without the rudder
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I personally think this is an absolutely gorgeous rudder. :D Maybe it's because we made it, but I think it just looks dang good. Lol
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Well that's all for now folks. Thanks for following along!
 
Just a couple questions. First is that cowling your using a steve wolf product? Also have you considering making a tip up canopy similar to sean tuckers?
 
Inverted25 said:
Just a couple questions. First is that cowling your using a steve wolf product? Also have you considering making a tip up canopy similar to sean tuckers?
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Yes, that's the Wolf C.F. cowling.

No, haven't really thought about it. I've seen the mods where the canopy tilts to the side like an Extra and they've started doing them on the new S1-11B's. We'll probably stick to the sliding canopy since that's what we have. Plus, here in the Oklahoma heat you can have it slid back while taxiing.

I haven't been a real fan of the side tilt canopy on single seaters. You definitely have to watch what your doing when getting in and out, can't taxi with it open, and I don't see it being the best choice when it comes to having to egress the aircraft in flight.
 
Steve Wolf makes some badd ass stuff for pitts. I love the side open canopy only because I think it makes the airplane look more sleek when closed with how they mated the canopy and the carbon fiber bib around it. I would love to get a set of steve wolf wings as well.
 
Inverted25 said:
Steve Wolf makes some badd ass stuff for pitts. I love the side open canopy only because I think it makes the airplane look more sleek when closed with how they mated the canopy and the carbon fiber bib around it. I would love to get a set of steve wolf wings as well.
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Yeah, he sure does have some nice things for the Pitts. Ahh, yes I sure do love the look and performance of those WolfPro Wings and would love to put a set on the plane. Unfortunately I don't have the financial luxury to get them at the moment. I'd like to buy the kit and build them sometime down the road. Besides a highly-modified engine and 3-bladed prop, those wings are the best modification available for the S1's.
 
Okie_Pilot said:
Yeah, he sure does have some nice things for the Pitts. Ahh, yes I sure do love the look and performance of those WolfPro Wings and would love to put a set on the plane. Unfortunately I don't have the financial luxury to get them at the moment. I'd like to buy the kit and build them sometime down the road. Besides a highly-modified engine and 3-bladed prop, those wings are the best modification available for the S1's.
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I didn't think that he sold plans for the wing. Thought you had to buy them already built from steve.
 
Inverted25 said:
I didn't think that he sold plans for the wing. Thought you had to buy them already built from steve.
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He sells them also as a kit where you build them. Complete wing and aileron kit for $9,750. That's a heck of a deal... As opposed to $28,500 for him to build them.
 
Okie_Pilot said:
He sells them also as a kit where you build them. Complete wing and aileron kit for $9,750. That's a heck of a deal... As opposed to $28,500 for him to build them.
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That is awesome man! I gotta say, I would love to build an S1-11 but don't think I would have the patience. I guess its wait until I have enough money and just buy a factory built s2c or what ever the new one is at the time. Does Steve offer kits for the S2C as well?
 
I'm sure if you contacted Steve he would do mods for any airplane. Hes the king when it comes to performance mods for aeriobatic airplanes. But his mass produced stuff is just for the single seat pitts line as far as what I have seen. Okie what mods did you do to your 360?
 
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