All the current talk about N37J and I started wondering about other early S-1's, especially those built before the official S-1C plans were released in 1962.
Dean Case of Wichita, Kansas was a prolific early builder whose airplanes were all over Sport Aviation back in the day. Here a summary of his airplanes, pulled from FAA and NTSB records. The pics were mostly stolen from the Vintage Pitts thread and re-posted.
Number one: N11JC "Joy's Toy", serial #11, registered in the summer of 1960. Dean Case began building the airplane in Kansas in the mid 1950's and for a time there was a video online showing him finish painting it. Dean applied to have the n-number for serial #11 changed to N818N in the summer of 1961 and the airplane was sold to Don Pittman that fall. Don Pittman competed successfully in N818N/serial #11 before selling it in July 1964. The airplane was destroyed six months later after spinning into the ground not far from Curtis' grass strip in Homestead, killing the pilot. Pilot incapacitation was suspected in the NTSB report, heart attack or similar.
Number two: re-used the number N11JC but carried serial #11DC, registered in the summer of 1961. It only wore "N11JC" for a couple months as Case sold it in February 1962 and the n-number changed to N117Q. In August 1964 Don Pittman bought N117Q/serial #11DC, (right after selling Case's first Pitts, N818N). Don Pittman had a serious crash in N117Q in November 1964. The aircraft was initially listed as "destroyed", but N117Q was reinstated by March 1966 and resold. It has remained active since, and is currently registered in Wisconsin.
Number three: N11J, serial #111, registered in February of 1963. Dean sold the airplane two months later in April 1963. The owner died in March 1964 and the airplane was destroyed in a fatal crash the following month, killing a 48 year old commercial pilot. Case bought the wreckage back from the family in October 1964, then sold it to Don Pittman in April 1967. Don wrote a letter to the FAA stating that he wanted to transfer the n-number N11J to a new build, and that he would retire the former airplane. There are no FAA records for N11J after 1967, but there are later pictures online of the "new build" N11J with Don Pittman's name painted on the side and a 1970 newspaper article showing N11J as Don Pittman's airplane, serial # unknown. The NTSB has a ground loop incident for Pitts N11J in 1969 with "substantial" damage. Current disposition of Pittman's N11J is unknown.
Number four: N12JJ "Black Jack”, serial #1112, an S-1C registered in September 1964. His son-in-law Jack Funsch submitted the paperwork as the owner/ builder. Dean bought the airplane from Jack in November 1966. In March 1968 Dean changed the n-number to N1229 and sold it. The airplane is currently registered in Virginia as N1229, serial #1112, with John Funsch as the builder.
Number five: N12J "Joy's Toy Too", serial #12222, an S-1C built in the spring of 1968. Case sold this airplane in 1971 and it went through several owners before the n-number was changed to N59VE in 1986. The airplane is currently registered in Georgia as N59VE.
Dean Case of Wichita, Kansas was a prolific early builder whose airplanes were all over Sport Aviation back in the day. Here a summary of his airplanes, pulled from FAA and NTSB records. The pics were mostly stolen from the Vintage Pitts thread and re-posted.
Number one: N11JC "Joy's Toy", serial #11, registered in the summer of 1960. Dean Case began building the airplane in Kansas in the mid 1950's and for a time there was a video online showing him finish painting it. Dean applied to have the n-number for serial #11 changed to N818N in the summer of 1961 and the airplane was sold to Don Pittman that fall. Don Pittman competed successfully in N818N/serial #11 before selling it in July 1964. The airplane was destroyed six months later after spinning into the ground not far from Curtis' grass strip in Homestead, killing the pilot. Pilot incapacitation was suspected in the NTSB report, heart attack or similar.
Number two: re-used the number N11JC but carried serial #11DC, registered in the summer of 1961. It only wore "N11JC" for a couple months as Case sold it in February 1962 and the n-number changed to N117Q. In August 1964 Don Pittman bought N117Q/serial #11DC, (right after selling Case's first Pitts, N818N). Don Pittman had a serious crash in N117Q in November 1964. The aircraft was initially listed as "destroyed", but N117Q was reinstated by March 1966 and resold. It has remained active since, and is currently registered in Wisconsin.
Number three: N11J, serial #111, registered in February of 1963. Dean sold the airplane two months later in April 1963. The owner died in March 1964 and the airplane was destroyed in a fatal crash the following month, killing a 48 year old commercial pilot. Case bought the wreckage back from the family in October 1964, then sold it to Don Pittman in April 1967. Don wrote a letter to the FAA stating that he wanted to transfer the n-number N11J to a new build, and that he would retire the former airplane. There are no FAA records for N11J after 1967, but there are later pictures online of the "new build" N11J with Don Pittman's name painted on the side and a 1970 newspaper article showing N11J as Don Pittman's airplane, serial # unknown. The NTSB has a ground loop incident for Pitts N11J in 1969 with "substantial" damage. Current disposition of Pittman's N11J is unknown.
Number four: N12JJ "Black Jack”, serial #1112, an S-1C registered in September 1964. His son-in-law Jack Funsch submitted the paperwork as the owner/ builder. Dean bought the airplane from Jack in November 1966. In March 1968 Dean changed the n-number to N1229 and sold it. The airplane is currently registered in Virginia as N1229, serial #1112, with John Funsch as the builder.
Number five: N12J "Joy's Toy Too", serial #12222, an S-1C built in the spring of 1968. Case sold this airplane in 1971 and it went through several owners before the n-number was changed to N59VE in 1986. The airplane is currently registered in Georgia as N59VE.
