American aerobatic aircraft
Pitts Model 12
Factory-built Pitts 12S
Role
Biplane Type of aircraft
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
92nd West Aviation
Designer
Curtis Pitts
First flight
March 1996
Number built
59 (2011)[ 1]
"The Beast" Model 12
The Pitts Model 12 (also known by its nicknames "Bolshoi," "Macho Stinker," and "Pitts Monster"[1]) is a high-performance[ 2] ) aerobatic biplane designed around the Vedeneyev M14P/PF Russian engine. The aircraft can be built from plans or as a kit plane , or bought ready-to-fly from the factory.[ 3]
Design and development
The Pitts Model 12 was designed by Curtis Pitts starting in 1993. Pitts presented his completed design on his 80th birthday in December 1995.[ 4]
The Pitts Model 12 is a biplane built using fabric covered welded steel tubing for the fuselage , and fabric covered wings with wood spars . The leading edge is made of formed plywood . The landing gear is solid aluminum .
Operational history
As of December 2011[update] , 59 examples had been completed and flown.[ 1]
Variants
There are several model variants:
Plans built
HP model - kit
Model 12S - factory built
A single-place variant called "The Beast" constructed by Jim Kimball[ 5]
Specifications (Pitts Model 12)
Data from Pitts model 12.com
General characteristics
Capacity: 2
Length: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
Wingspan: 23 ft (7.0 m)
Empty weight: 1,550 lb (703 kg)
Gross weight: 2,250 lb (1,021 kg)
Fuel capacity: 54 gal
Powerplant: 1 × Vedeneyev M14P/PF , 360 hp (270 kW)
Propellers: 3-bladed MT Propeller
Performance
Cruise speed: 150 kn (170 mph, 270 km/h)
Stall speed: 56 kn (64 mph, 103 km/h)
Range: 430 nmi (500 mi, 800 km)
Rate of climb: 2,900 ft/min (15 m/s)
References
^ a b Vandermeullen, Richard (December 2011). "2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide". Kitplanes . Vol. 28, no. 12. Belvoir Publications. p. 58. ISSN 0891-1851 .
^ Purdy, Don, ed. (1998). AeroCrafter: Homebuilt Aircraft Sourcebook (5th ed.). BAI Communications. p. 207. ISBN 0963640941 .
^ Kitplanes . Belvoir Publications. June 2004. ISSN 0891-1851 .
^ "History" . Pitts Model 12 . Jim Kimball Enterprises. Archived from the original on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011 .
^ "The Biplane" . The Beast . Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 23 August 2011 .
External links
Media related to Pitts Model 12 at Wikimedia Commons