Re: Herr Pitts Special
Posted: Sun Feb 19, 2017 9:59 am
Me with an ear to ear grin in 1982:
That is a 180 hp S1S Pitts. Before your first flight the local Pitts expert will tell you "climb at 90, glide at 90". Climbing at 90 results in a 45º up angle. Gliding at 90 means you can see the runway. Until you flare. At that point your view of the runway is reduced to a triangle on either side bounded by the trailing edge of the lower wing, the fuselage sides and the edges of the runway. Between the climb and the glide the airplane is an absolute delight to fly with a roll rate of about 300º per second, 9G pull and push and light balanced control forces.
That is a 180 hp S1S Pitts. Before your first flight the local Pitts expert will tell you "climb at 90, glide at 90". Climbing at 90 results in a 45º up angle. Gliding at 90 means you can see the runway. Until you flare. At that point your view of the runway is reduced to a triangle on either side bounded by the trailing edge of the lower wing, the fuselage sides and the edges of the runway. Between the climb and the glide the airplane is an absolute delight to fly with a roll rate of about 300º per second, 9G pull and push and light balanced control forces.
