Vintage Pitts Home Movies

[JimRice85]

I recently had some old 8mm home movies transferred to DVD recently and downloaded some clips to YouTube. I thought I'd share this with folks here given the vintage experimental aircraft involved.

My dad built three Pitts S-1Cs in early to mid-sixties. He sold his first to Bob Herendeen in 1963 or 64. Bob won the 1966 US Nations with it and competed in the World Competition in Moscow USSR that same year. The other two were both modified with stretched fuselages and lengthened wings which improve performance and helped ground handling both. At any rate, the video link is below.

I have several other old movies of Cubs and old "cropdusting" operations with Stearmans, Super Cubs and Pawnees on my YouTube account under the ID of wwiiabn.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNU4aNatJYM

[martymayes]

Thanks Jim. My wife is from Bernie. I'm amazed at the amount of aviation history from the Bootheel.
BTW, did you know an Ag Pilot in that area named Paul Cummings?

[Neil]

I noticed all these have a wide, Cub style gear. Tamed the ground handling down a bit I suspect.

[JimRice85]

Marty, I don't recognize the name but my dad probably knew him.

As for the gear, the Cub wheels/tires sure make for a different look. Later, when it had smaller wheel and tires it looked more normal. I did notice the difference and made a point of looking at my brother's Pitts and they looked about the same. N66Y was built pretty stock, I think. The other two were stretched and the wings lengthened and their ground handling was much improved according to dad.