We would like to introduce you to the aerobatic champion of our fleet, VH-TKV, a 1996 Pitts S-2B Special.

TKV is one of the best presented Pitts Special aircraft in Australia. If you think it looks familiar, that’s because you may have possibly seen it before in the Peter Rabbit movie. It’s a two seat aerobatic biplane, powered by a Textron Lycoming AEIO-540 flat-six engine which develops 260hp.  This enables it to climb at up to 2,700 feet per minute (823m/min) and travel at speeds of up to 182 knots. (338km/hr)  Typical cruising speed is 152 knots and the service ceiling is 21,000 feet (6,400m) although why you would want to fly that high in this aircraft is beyond us.  VH-TKV  is constructed from steel tube and wooden stringers covered with fabric and dacron, meaning it is both strong and lightweight, coming in at only 521kg dry weight.

Size wise, the S-2B has a 6.1m win span and is 5.71m in length and 2.02m in height.  The fuel tank is 110 litres which gives it a range of about 513km.  In non-aerobatic mode, it even has space for 9kg of baggage behind the rear seat; perfect for a weekend away although we don’t currently offer this aircraft for private charter.

The Pitts S-2B is a very capable aerobatic aircraft capable of rolling at 240 degrees per second and pulling 5G manoeuvres, yet it is reasonably friendly to fly for pilots entering the world of aerobatics.  As a tail-dragger aircraft, it requires quite a bit of rudder work to fly (ie take-offs and landings can be challenging at times) but it is a lot of fun and our pilots and passengers always come back with big grins after each flight.

Curtis Aviation purchased TKV in 2006  to be able to offer advanced aerobatic training to our students as well as adrenaline joy flights for adventure seekers in Sydney. If you’d like the opportunity to experience a flight in VH-TKV, please get in touch.