Need Help With a Pitts Special Giant Scale 70" wing span

jonminney · #1 02-22-2012, 06:45 PM

Hi to everybody out there. I just became the recipient of a Pitts Special Giant Scale biplane. It has a gas motor on it that resembles a weed whacker motor. I saw that Kyosho makes a model of the plane. Are they the only manufacturer? Were there others? I would like to purchase a bottom wing for the plane and would like it to be the right fit. Are the bottom and top wings identical? I have the top wing, if so would i be able to make the bottom wing myself? This is a really cool project that I would like to see get off the ground...literally!!! appreciate any help, tips, info on what is next. (p.s.,,as you all can probably already tell, im a bit of a newbie, but I am very enthused and have been getting in to flying lately.)

Thanks!
Jon

jonminney · #2 02-22-2012, 06:46 PM

Also...my email address is movement.jon@gmail.com if anybody needs to write me there.

Jon

fhhuber · #3 02-22-2012, 08:16 PM

Measure the wingspan of the upper wing.

There have been several large scale Pitts kits and ARFs.

jonminney · #4 02-22-2012, 09:32 PM

Top wing span is 70"

fhhuber · #5 02-23-2012, 01:25 AM

Great Planes's is 68 1/4 and is possible to measure as 70 depending how you do it.
http://www.greatplanes.com/discontinued/gpma1218.html

Aero-Works had a 70 inch span but their site appears to be down...
www.aero-works.net/store/detail.aspx?ID=300

There have been others I am sure...

You will note that there are several variants of the Pitts, some with the same wing top and bottom, others with a smaller straight wing on the bottom and a larger swept wing on top... rounded tips or square tips, and various cowls on the nose.

So its not unreasonable to build a lower wing identical to the top wing with or without ailerons. You may not match any full scale but it would take a Pitts expert to be able to say for sure.
Ensure the lower wing installs at +1 deg incidence relative to the upper (assuming the upper wing incidence locks in correctly with the center mount used on your plane)

CG is more dependent on the upper wing than the lower. You can normally have a flyable biplane just ignoring that you have the lower wing and setting initial balance point at 30% MAC of the upper wing.

Expect the plane to be very responsive... Definitely not for a beginner.