Sport JTEC RADIOWAVE 26% Pitts Model 12

jtec/radiowave said:

Rob,

We are just back from NALL and was hoping to see if you had a chance to fly it. Congratulations on a great build and maiden. Plane looks awesome. I hope you enjoy it for a very long time. when you get a chance send some pictures and I will get Kevin to put them on the webpage.

Al

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Pictures? Lmao. Pictures he says. Boy he has no idea of the can of worms he is opening. I have more completed, pre maiden and post maiden photos of the Pitts than any other plane I have. Giggling....you got it. I'll send you some. Thank you both again for everything. It was quite the ride. But well worth it.

LOL!!!

jtec/radiowave said:

LOL!!!

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Where do you want them sent? Email?

A belated CONGRATS on the maiden!!!! Super job all the way around!

Pistolera said:

A belated CONGRATS on the maiden!!!! Super job all the way around!

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Thank you Earle.

So I have been doing some thinking. I know, I know...I shouldn't be doing that. Especially with all the irons I have in the fire at present. But here's the deal. The Pitts flies really really great. It took a little getting used to but am now able to land that girl as glass smooth as the big 260. I was actually quite please the last time I had her out. A bit of a head wind, I turned on final and kept a little power on. Slowly reducing it until I was about a foot off the deck. Just crossing over the apron of the runway, I pulled the Pitts back to idle and she set down so softly, I had to do a double take. But the thinking part. The 70 twin Dub up front is doing an amazing job. More power than that plane will ever need. But it is still quite nose heavy. And so, I am thinking...I have a BE 62cc single left over from my reviews last year. The reports from the pilots that have one say it will turn a 24x9 or 24x10 with incredible ease. If I swapped engines, I would lose an instant pound or so. Then I could remove the lead weight under the stabs to get it to "sort of" balance. Don't remember exactly how much is back there. But it is a ton for sure.
What do you guys think? Should I give it a go? The upsides are this. I could end up with a much lighter overall plane and it would balance quite a bit better. There is that. But the big bonus here would be that my 3w 70 twin would be without a home. Oh darn...guess I would just have to get another airframe to put it in. Now that would be a shame wouldn't it?

If you can trust the 62 and don't mind the extra vibration of a single, go for it

Lighter is better, so if you trust the 62 give it a try. I flew a 22 pound Extra with a GP61 and a 24 x 9 and the power was surprising. Knocking the extra weight off might offset any power loss, and add that to the better flight characteristics of less weight, you might like it.