Stits Playboy

[joen6171b]

Hello folks,

I'd like to get your opinions on the Stits Playboy. I've been looking for something cost effective and fun to keep at my 1300' back yard strip for a few years now. I'm at 800' MSL. I've flown a few single seat experimentals before like the fly baby and baby ace. I know nothing at all about the stits playboy. I've considered an Ultralight and have owned one in the past, but I can apprciate the reliability of the A-65.

Any advice?

Are they decent short field airplanes?

Any good online resorces?


This one is local to me, I'm considering pulling the trigger.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Stits-Playboy/263302047809?hash=item3d4e066841:g:nJoAAOSwZr9ZqJ1 A&vxp=mtr

[martymayes]

Hello folks,

I'd like to get your opinions on the Stits Playboy. I've been looking for something cost effective and fun to keep at my 1300' back yard strip for a few years now. I'm at 800' MSL. I've flown a few single seat experimentals before like the fly baby and baby ace. I know nothing at all about the stits playboy. I've considered an Ultralight and have owned one in the past, but I can apprciate the reliability of the A-65.

Any advice?

Are they decent short field airplanes?

Any good online resorces?


This one is local to me, I'm considering pulling the trigger.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1964-Stits-Playboy/263302047809?hash=item3d4e066841:g:nJoAAOSwZr9ZqJ1 A&vxp=mtr


I've been watching that plane for about a month, only reason don't have it is the distance and I don't think has a current inspection. Same guy has an 11AC Chief for sale as well.

I'd go for it Joe!!!

[joen6171b]

It isnt currently registered to the owner. I talked to him on the phone and convinced him to mail in the forms to register it. A simple condition inspection from a friend should not be an issue. I'm going to wait until the seller is the registered owner before handing over any money. Going to look at it Monday.



I've been watching that plane for about a month, only reason don't have it is the distance and I don't think has a current inspection. Same guy has an 11AC Chief for sale as well.

I'd go for it Joe!!!

[martymayes]

It isnt currently registered to the owner. I talked to him on the phone and convinced him to mail in the forms to register it. A simple condition inspection from a friend should not be an issue. I'm going to wait until the seller is the registered owner before handing over any money. Going to look at it Monday.

Check out that Chief for me while you are there. Let me know how it looks.

[joen6171b]

Will do!

[iterk]

Joen Good Morning from Jacksonville, FL. I have a bit of experience with the S3B 1-2 place Playboy. I have resurrected the prototype not once but ..well....1 1/2 times LOL. I was handed a pile of parts back in the mid 80's. I was an early Stits dealer so when I found Ray's signature on the spars I looked at the N number and realized it was N38K. As it happened I had a copy of the current Stits brochure under the log book as I started to get excited. There was his collection of airplanes on the back cover and 38K was right there in the top rt corner. I did a very complete recover rebuild with new spars (there was some rot in the top of the spars where the struts attached and the fitting tended to hold water..). As I got orders to CG AirSta Kodiak toward the end of the build I finished and flew and sold it to a fellow helo pilot and went my way. A few years ago, w me now in JAX I jumped into a similar forum and from the sidelines came a remark from a guy right here in JAX that currently had 38K. I helped a student (Navy P3 crew that was getting his A&P) buy it. He and I pulled the cyls and cleaned up what needed attention. He then got himself into Navy Flight School and left for Pensacola. The airplane needs a couple of relatively minor things to put it back in the air. He has about $10k in it with the Cont O 300A that Ray last installed. It was a GREAT flier when I had it "back when". I think it will do your 1300' strip if the approaches are clear. Feel free to email me at iterk@aol.com and I'll send a couple pics from then and now. I know Mike is interested in selling it as he will be obligated for the next couple years.

[martymayes]

I've seen 38K advertised around various places over the last couple yrs. How close is this pic to the condition now?

[iterk]

Thats a pretty good shot of what it looks like. What you cant see is that Mike and I went through all the systems and OH’d the cyls. With a bit of tweaking we got the engine running sweetly it was pretty much ready to hang the wings and do a condition inspection and fly it when Mike got orders to Navy Flt school

I'm sorry that someone painted that metallic blue enamel over my lovely Stits paint job. It was school bus yellow at the request of the guy I sold it to but in the Stits finish it would have been easy to repaint it bacK to Rays original red over white. The enamel paint is solid but Im not a fan of enamel on fabric airplanes.

We currently have it tucked in the back of a hangar while Mike is away playing w the Navy but I do know he spoke of passing it to someone else since he will have bigger planes to fly for a while. Anyone interested reach out to me and I can show it here in St Augustine FL.

[joen6171b]

I looked at the stits today. It was in pretty good shape. Fabric looked nice, wood looked good, airframe looked good, engine looked good and had good compression when I pulled it through.

It bothers me a bit that the current owner, who's had it since 2007, never bothered to register it and says he has never flown it. It has not flown since 2006 when the wings were recovered and reinstalled. He says he runs it up and down his runway a few times a year.

Since my conversations with him, he has since mailed in the $10 to register it in his name, as the current expired registration gets expunged from the registry in May of 2018. I think I may have talked some sense into him by registering the airplane.

Im thinking I may put a deposit on it pending he becomes the registered owner.

Marty,

The chief shows pretty well with a decent interior and good paint. The rear tank is placarded inop as it needs to be replaced do to corrosion inside the rear tank. The engine will pick up oil pressure when you lift the tail after it has sat for a while, typical old A-65 stuff.

The guy is having heath issues and is selling his airplanes and airstrip.

[martymayes]

I looked at the stits today. It was in pretty good shape. Fabric looked nice, wood looked good, airframe looked good, engine looked good and had good compression when I pulled it through.

Thanks for looking the Chief over Joe. I'd like to go take a look at it.

Good luck with the Playboy - Hope there are no snags with it not being registered for that length of time.

[joen6171b]

He leaves Buffalo the 1st of January to Florida. He will knock a $1000 of the Chief and $500 off the Stits if I get them sold.

Email me, I'm planning on leaving a deposit on the Stits, and picking it up in the spring.

Joe
Joen6171b@aol.com

[iterk]

Hey Joe. I don't think there will be an issue with registering the Stits. My concerns are: 1) you will be hand propping that 65 and I think it sits in an awkward angle. 2) Operating out of your 1300' may depend on having very clear approaches and departure paths. I'm pretty sure it will get airborne in 6-800' (depending on your weight) but I don't know how well it will climb with the 65. I will take a look on my computer. Ray's son Don sent me a file after he had the drawings for the 3B digitized. Let me see if there is any flight data or info for the 3A. IF I find it I will use your email above to forward it. Good luck

[joen6171b]

Thank you. I did put a deposit on it today pending the registration. I'll operate it at the local airport for a bit and see if I like it.