As many know from my other thread I have been wanting to build a biplane for a while. Given the little difference in build cost I was really planning on building a 2 seater. I've been researching and reading for months now. Started to do the math, price materials, and put a plan together only to be shocked at the cost and lack of availability of wood and other products one needs to build such planes. I changed paths a little and put a wanted ad out for biplane projects. To my surprise I got quite a few replies for biplanes not on the market. Some were just too far away, or not what I was looking for even though the price was right. The lure of a Pitts has always spoken to me so when a gent from VA called and said he had one at a fair price I was all in. But wait, he had two... an S1C and an S1S and he really wanted them both gone. I mean really! So now I have a pair.
They both had landing mishaps that damaged the gear and lower cowling. The S1S has a scrape on the lower wing but nothing that couldn't be sanded out. The C has a new gear under it that needs to be finished, the S is just cobbled together so it can be moved. They both need a recover, paint, engine and prop. The S appears to have sparcraft wings.
My plan is to tackle the C first. Overall it's in better shape. I've been toying with the idea of trying to make it super light and relatively lower powered. Make it a good sport plane that can hang out with my buddies in their 140's and frequent grass strips. Maybe try the Franklin 4A-235 in it, inverted systems, no electrical, no smoke. Maybe get it down to under 700 lbs, the data plate said it weighted 750 with the O-360 so it's possible.
The S I will set aside for now. It appears to have Sparcraft wings which I need to research, I remember seeing some negative reviews on this site. My plans for it will likely be to make it more of a hot rod. RV/wolf gear, 180hp Titan engine, and either keep the wings or ditch them for some wolf ones. It will need a full tear down and fuselage sandblasted.
Needless to say I will be busy for the time to come, Wish me luck!
They both had landing mishaps that damaged the gear and lower cowling. The S1S has a scrape on the lower wing but nothing that couldn't be sanded out. The C has a new gear under it that needs to be finished, the S is just cobbled together so it can be moved. They both need a recover, paint, engine and prop. The S appears to have sparcraft wings.
My plan is to tackle the C first. Overall it's in better shape. I've been toying with the idea of trying to make it super light and relatively lower powered. Make it a good sport plane that can hang out with my buddies in their 140's and frequent grass strips. Maybe try the Franklin 4A-235 in it, inverted systems, no electrical, no smoke. Maybe get it down to under 700 lbs, the data plate said it weighted 750 with the O-360 so it's possible.
The S I will set aside for now. It appears to have Sparcraft wings which I need to research, I remember seeing some negative reviews on this site. My plans for it will likely be to make it more of a hot rod. RV/wolf gear, 180hp Titan engine, and either keep the wings or ditch them for some wolf ones. It will need a full tear down and fuselage sandblasted.
Needless to say I will be busy for the time to come, Wish me luck!
