Pitss S-1S related questions

ODB wrote:
you mean you couldnt do 200nm in one from penn to boston and back ?

You could, but it wasn't much fun. Why, well...
- The one I had a share in had a range of about 160nm, plus fuel
reserve
(cruised about 105knots @ 9gph and had a 16gal tank), so you'd
do a fuel stop enroute, each way. (A coarse pitch prop might
have allowed a 200nm non-stop. This one had a 56" pitch prop
and did 120mph @ 2500RPM with the throttle about 1/3 open.)
- It was fun to gas up. The tank opening was such that the big
nossles on the fuel trucks didn't fit it. So, we carried this
funky chunk of clear hose and had to convince the fuel truck
guy to let us do it. (sometimes they refused and ended up
spilling gas all over the place)
- Then it had to be re-started. Ours didn't have a full electrical
system, so that meant a hand prop (great fun when it's a hot
fuel injected 180hp lyc) or a booster cable for 12 volt.
(We had one with jumper clips, but I remember one guy getting
hit with a $100 charge for the boost start.) You can avoid
this with a full electrical system, but if you're serious about
aeros, you don't want to be carrying a generator and battery
around all the time.
- You travel alone, with your head poking out a golpher hole.
- Oh, and by the time you put the booster cable and gas hose
in the baggage cubby hole behind your head, well, you were
travelling with the clothes on your back. (Clean undies are
way overrated:-)

A great way to travel, so long as it's daylight and good weather.

rick
ps: So I almost never left the aerobatic box right on the
airport. Lots of 0.3hr flights in my logbook.