I just thought I would put this out there because you never know who might see it!

I have been looking for an S2B for some time now. I understand that there is probably no perfect example but this is basically what I'm hoping to find. (I continue to check all the regular sites daily)

Pitts S2B
Certified
Off Market
East of the Mississippi (Will definitely travel for right airplane!)
Prefer under 800 hours airframe and engine
Privately owned (Not used for training/teaching landings)
3 Blade propeller
No major damage history
Smoke system
Recent Bungee replacement
ADSB

Again, this is what I would like to find.
If you happen to have one you are considering selling or know someone that wants to sell theirs, please email me at rjwich1@cox.net or call me at 757-535-8399.

Thanks,

Rob Wich

I sold my S2A because I wanted better vertical penetration (honest, folks this is an acro term).
So I went looking for either an S2S, or an S2B, exactly as you've described.
I looked and looked, and the ideal one never materialized. While in my search, a friend offered me a beautiful Great Lakes, which I bought, thinking I would flip when I found my S2B.
What you will invariably find are airplanes that have high-time airframes and engines, with owners that cannot afford to do the restoration and overhaul, and place the airplanes on the market at unrealistic prices. There, they languish.
In the meantime, I've become quite fond of the GL. While nowhere as brilliant as a Pitts in the aerobatic box, it still does quite a respectable job at the Sportsman level.
I wish you luck in your search.

TN

Tom, your post could not be more accurate! It summarizes exactly what I’ve experienced in my search.

I believe the right airplane is out there. If it comes down to a “project”, I will do it, but I would prefer not to go down that road. I don’t want an airplane that has had one or both gear ripped off in a landing accident, a prop strike, or off airport landing. (I say all of this knowing full well any day I am capable of having the same things happen to me)

I plan on keeping what I buy long term but if I ultimately decide to sell it, I know any prospective buyer will have the same concerns when reading about significant damage in the logs.

Again, I appreciate your response and will certainly stay open to the idea of a different airframe.

Rob

Robert -

It’s not a direct answer to your question but perhaps something to consider.

I have a Model 12. And ours has been a joy to fly and also very easy to fly. The engine freaks a lot of people out. And I understand that. But it’s a great plane to fly. I have not flown the S2 series so you’ll have to find someone else to provide a contrast. But I have heard anecdotally that the -12 is easier to fly. The ground handling is fantastic on the -12. Wide gear, superb control effectiveness at all speeds. It goes exactly where you ask it to go at all times. And it will handle 20 knots of crosswind component during landing with confidence. And on take-off (also known as launch) you’re not on the ground long enough for crosswind to matter. As I said, it intimidates people but it really shouldn’t.

Also finding a -12 that has been fully sorted out is rare. We recently had an instructor here for three days of flying with my partner in the plane. The instructor said he has flown in lots of different -12s (I think at least 10) and his visits with us (two times so far) were the only times he has gone to a client and there haven’t been little maintenance issues that have interrupted the planned lessons. That surprised me - and made me feel better about our plane. But, to be fair, our plane was professionally built and the guy who did it was meticulous. Aside from two cracked blocks on the ignition lead blocks, there has not been a single maintenance discrepcancy on our plane since we got it in 2019. I thought that was nice but nothing special. Apparently that’s pretty rare.

Anyway, you might consider looking at these, too. They’re surprisingly competitive on pricing. And you could take delivery and then give it to someone excellent to go through head to tail and preemptively fix all the little stupid stuff.

Best wishes,

Zeke

I bought one with the most severe damage history possible; a spin crash fatal. Airplane was rebuilt around the data plate. It was great for me until I went to sell it, and everyone was spooked by the fatal.

I still miss that plane.

I think the challenge is finding a balance between the extent of damage and how the repairs were completed vs perceived value.

I’m probably more open to a properly repaired damage history airplane than I was previously, it would need to be priced accordingly.

Have you checked with your local and/or national IAC folks? Lots of peeps make a big purchase such as this and then loose interest down the road. Seems like it would be a good word of mouth possibility. Good luck.

( I write this after having just pushed my Acroduster SA750 back in the hangar so I’m excited for you! )

I have not considered that, I appreciate the suggestion!

And BTW Tom Navar…you look like an Akro Stud in front of that Great Lakes. Beautiful airplane! I don’t think I’ve seen one with a canopy before.

Thank you for the unmerited compliment.
That picture is of my S2A. A wonderful airplane that I sold to a gentleman in Florida. It is nearly complete in a stunning total restoration.
There is only one Great Lakes that I know of that has a canopy, and was recently on the market.
Sir, I don't want to dissuade you from your S2B search, as I fully understand and concur on what a brilliant acro mount it is. However, I would respectfully forward the following impressions:
Flying a Great Lakes is like dancing with your spinster aunt at a wedding: She is noticeably rounder, not as fast on the floor, but knows all the steps quite well. In addition, she will tell you when you are about to make a mistake, and if you blunder on, she will help you out of the embarrassing situation. And at the end of the dance, she will make you look like a pro when you "land" her back at her table.
Flying a Pitts Special is like rocking out with a smoking-hot stripper downtown. She will do everything exactly as you tell her, but if you tell her the wrong thing, she will be glad to kill you, or hit you hard below the belt, at least. "Landing" her back at the bar will always be an event sort of like an orgasm mixed with a near-death experience.

Best regards,


Tom

Bear in mind any B will be >25 years old (newer than that would be an S-2C) so you would definitely want to look closely at a sub-800 hour engine with that many years on it. Don't be too afraid of a higher time airplane with a fresher engine.

Get a good pre-buy because contrary to the old saying, you absolutely can break a Pitts. The top wing leading edge is particularly flimsy if you do a lot of snap rolls, for example.

If you find a non-ADS-B bird with a Mode C transponder the Garmin GDL 82 is a straightforward way to add the "out" capability.

Good luck. It's a magical airplane.

One minor difference: my wife's OK with me flying a Pitts

Thanks Martin! Your reference to having a good pre-buy is exactly why I’m hoping to find something relatively close to my part of the world. I have been fortunate to connect with the Floods outside of Philadelphia. It would make it easier for them to get eyes on an airplane that is on the East Coast.
Additionally, having ADS-B is just one of those things, in my opinion, is a must have item. I will keep your suggestion in mind if what I end up with does not have it installed.

Rob

Can’t help showing off. Here’s mine

Sweet! That’s worth showing off, Mark. Is that a 4 blade prop? Can’t tell if 3 or 4 from the angle.