Curtis Pitts (December 9, 1915 – June 10, 2005) of Stillmore, Georgia, was an American designer of a series of popular aerobatic biplanes, known as the Pitts Special.[1]
Pitts grew up in Americus, Georgia and his first airplane was a Waco F.
He designed and built the S-1, specifically for aerobatics, in 1945.[2]
He also designed the Pitts Samson, built in 1948 for aerobatic pilot Jess Bristow. The Samson was destroyed in a mid-air collision around 1950.[3]
The Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space MuseuminWashington, DC has called Pitts' 1943 design "revolutionary because of its small size, light weight, short wingspan and extreme agility".[1]
Curtis Pitts died of complications from a heart valve replacement at his home in Homestead, Florida on June 10, 2005.[1][2]
Pitts was inducted into the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame in 1991,[4] and the Air Show Hall of Fame in 2002.[2]
In the 1980 aviation drama film Cloud Dancer Curtis Pitts appears in a brief scene, played by Woodrow Chambliss.
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Aircraft designed by Curtis Pitts
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