View source for Pitts Special

{{Aircraft infobox
| name = Pitts Special
| image = Pitts Specials ‘G-SWON’ & ‘G-STUI’ (51547688785).jpg
| caption = Pitts Special. Photo: Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via [[commons:File:Pitts Specials ‘G-SWON’ & ‘G-STUI’ (51547688785).jpg|Wikimedia Commons]]
| make = Pitts
| type = Aerobatic biplane
| origin = United States
| first_flight = September 1944
| status = In production
| faa_registered = 1,095 (FAA register, October 30, 2026)
| seats = one
| engine = Lycoming IO-360-B4A, 180-200 hp
| cruise = 140 mph
| range = 350 nmi
| gross_weight = 1100-1950 lb
| category = Light-sport and kit aircraft
}}

The '''Pitts Special''' (models S-1 and S-2) is a series of light aerobatic biplanes designed by Curtis Pitts. Since its first flight in 1944 it has won many competitions: Pitts biplanes dominated world aerobatic competition in the 1960s and 1970s and are still strong in the lower categories.<ref name="wp"/> In the U.S. there are 1,095 with a valid registration, factory-built and homebuilt together.<ref name="faa"/>

== History ==
Curtis Pitts began designing a single-seat aerobatic biplane in 1943 and 1944, and the prototype flew in September 1944. The design has been refined ever since, yet today's S-2 is still close to the original. Several of Pitts' airplanes wore a picture of a skunk and were called "Stinkers": aerobatic performer Betty Skelton called the second one, which she bought, "Little Stinker", and the first two-seat S-2 prototype was "Big Stinker".<ref name="wp"/>

In 1962 Curtis Pitts set up Pitts Enterprises to sell plans of the single-seat S-1C to homebuilders. Certified Pitts biplanes are now built by Aviat Aircraft in Afton, Wyoming.<ref name="wp"/> The two-seat S-2B is the most common on the U.S. register.<ref name="faa"/>

== Registered in the United States ==
The FAA register lists '''1,095''' of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.<ref name="faa"/>
<div class="aw-wide">
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! FAA model name !! Registered
|-
| PITTS S-2B || 165
|-
| PITTS S-2A || 82
|-
| S-1A || 66
|-
| S-2C || 58
|-
| PITTS SPECIAL S-1S || 53
|-
| PITTS S1S || 40
|-
| PITTS SPECIAL S-1 || 40
|-
| S-1C || 37
|-
| PITTS MODEL 12 || 36
|-
| PITTS S-1 || 34
|-
| PITTS S-1T || 34
|-
| PITTS SPECIAL || 33
|-
| S-2B || 31
|-
| PITTS S-1S || 28
|-
| PITTS S-1C || 19
|-
| PITTS SPECIAL S-1C || 17
|-
| PITTS S1C || 17
|-
| S-1T || 13
|-
| PITTS S2S || 12
|-
| PITTS S1 || 10
|-
| ''122 other model names'' || 270
|}
</div>

== Specifications ==
<div class="aw-wide">
{| class="wikitable"
! Item !! Pitts Special
|-
| Crew || one
|-
| Length || 15 ft 6 in
|-
| Height || 5 ft 6 in
|-
| Wing area || 125.0 sq ft
|-
| Empty weight || 710-720 lb
|-
| Maximum takeoff weight || 1100-1950 lb
|-
| Fuel || 19 USgal
|-
| Engine || Lycoming IO-360-B4A, 180-200 hp (air-cooled four-cylinder engine)
|-
| Maximum speed || 156 mph
|-
| Cruise speed || 140 mph
|-
| Stall speed || 57 mph
|-
| Range || 350 nmi
|-
| Rate of climb || 2,600 ft/min
|}
</div>
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.<ref name="wp"/>

{{Owner notes}}

== Photos ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="170">
File:Pitts.s-2a.n74dc.arp.jpg|Pitts Special. Photo: see the file page on Commons, Public domain
File:Pitts.s-1e.g-okay.arp.jpg|Pitts S-1E (G-OKAY) at Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire, England. Photo: Arpingstone, Public domain
File:Pitts.s-2a.n74dc.cockpit.arp.jpg|Pitts Special. Photo: see the file page on Commons, Public domain
File:PITTS -S2B.jpg|PITTS -S2B at Dobova (Slovenia) air race. Photo: 5erK, Public domain
File:Pitts Special S-1T C-GZRO 02.JPG|Pitts Special S-1T at Arnprior Airport. Photo: Ahunt, Public domain
File:Modified Pitts S-1.jpg|Modified Pitts S-1S. Photo: Pittss1pilot, Public domain
File:Pitts-S-2C-BBA.jpg|2001 Aviat Pitts S-2C (N126BB). Photo: PHSchmidt at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5
File:ChristenIndustriesS-2BPittsSpecialC-GRPS01.jpg|Christen Industries S-2B Pitts Special belonging to the Pitts Specials Formation Aerobatic Team. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain
</gallery>
All photos are from [[commons:Main Page|Wikimedia Commons]]; click a photo for its full credit and license.

== Buying a Pitts Special ==
{{For sale soon}}

== Sources ==
<references>
<ref name="wp">Wikipedia, "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitts_Special Pitts Special]", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.</ref>
<ref name="faa">Federal Aviation Administration, [https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/releasable_aircraft_download Releasable Aircraft Database], file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.</ref>
</references>