INTRODUCTION ...............................................................2
PRECAUTIONS.................................................................3
DECISIONS YOU MUST MAKE........................................4
Radio equipment............................................................4
Engine recommendations ..............................................4
ADDITIONAL ITEMS REQUIRED ...................................4
Hardware and accessories ............................................4
Covering accessories.....................................................4
Adhesives and building supplies....................................4
OPTIONAL ITEMS ............................................................5
IMPORTANT BUILDING NOTES......................................5
MonoKote
®
information...................................................5
Metric conversions .........................................................5
Kit parts..........................................................................6
Ordering replacement parts ...........................................7
PREPARATIONS...............................................................8
ASSEMBLE THE WINGS..................................................8
Install the ailerons ..........................................................8
Join the bottom wing....................................................11
Join the top wing..........................................................12
ASSEMBLE THE FUSELAGE ........................................13
Mount the bottom wing ................................................13
Mount the top wing ......................................................14
Mount the stab and fin .................................................16
Install the servos ..........................................................18
Mount the landing gear ................................................20
Mount the engine .........................................................22
Assemble and install the fuel tank ...............................26
Mount the cowling ........................................................26
Assemble and install the spinner .................................27
Install the radio gear ....................................................28
Install the flying wires...................................................30
Finishing touches .........................................................32
GET THE MODEL READY TO FLY.................................33
Check the control directions ........................................33
Set the control throws ..................................................34
Balance the model (C.G.) ............................................34
Balance the model laterally..........................................35
PREFLIGHT ....................................................................35
Identify your model.......................................................35
Charge the batteries ....................................................35
Balance the propeller ...................................................35
Ground check...............................................................36
Range check ................................................................36
Engine safety precautions............................................36
AMA Safety Code ........................................................36
IMAA Safety Code .......................................................37
FLYING ............................................................................39
Fuel mixture adjustments.............................................39
Takeoff..........................................................................39
Flight ............................................................................39
Landing ...........................................................back cover
Identification tag..............................................back cover
Congratulations and thank you for purchasing the Great
Planes Pitts Special S-2S ARF. We at Great Planes R&D
were very pleased with the appearance and performance of
this amazing model aircraft. Please look it over carefully and
notice the quality with which this ARF has been built. It's
expertly engineered, to provide excellent aerobatic potential
AND a very stable and gentle flying R/C model at low speeds.
The full sized Pitts Special has won more unlimited class
championships than any other airplane. Curtis H. Pitts started to
design the Pitts Special in 1942 in Jacksonville, Florida. The
initial Pitts Special, powered by a Franklin 90 hp engine, flew for
the first time during 1944. Over the next 25 years, the Pitts
Special was available only as a homebuilt aircraft. Over this
period it was continuously refined to improve its aerobatic
performance. By 1962, the standard engine had grown to 180
hp, and in 1966 its wings adopted a symmetric profile to make
the inverted flight characteristics equal to those of normal flying.
The Pitts Special S-2S has a single seat in a fuselage that
is 12 inches longer than previous models. The aircraft is light
and strong. Built with steel tubes, wood, and canvas, the
aircraft's only fully metallic part is a Lycoming AE10-540-
D4A5 4 cylinder engine producing 260 hp. This allows the
Pitts to reach extremely high levels of performance for the
execution of the most demanding aerobatic maneuvers.
Aviat Aircraft Inc. purchased the manufacturing rights of the
Pitts Special in March 1991. The Pitts Special remains in
production in the original factory located in Afton, Wyoming.
For the latest technical updates or manual corrections to the
Great Planes Pitts Special S-2S ARF, visit the web site listed
below and select the Great Planes Pitts Special S-2S ARF. If
there is new technical information or changes to this model a
"tech notice" box will appear in the upper left corner of the page.
http://www.greatplanes.com/airplanes/index.html
The Great Planes Pitts Special S-2S ARF is an excellent
sport-scale model and is eligible to fly in IMAA events. The
IMAA (International Miniature Aircraft Association) is an
organization that promotes non-competitive flying of giant-
scale models. If you plan to attend an IMAA event, contact the
IMAA for a copy of the
IMAA Safety Code
at the address or
telephone number below.
IMAA
205 S. Hilldale Road
Salina, KS 67401
(866) 366-4622
Or via the Internet at: http://www.fly-imaa.org
IMAA INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
2
