60 MODEL AVIATION
RAY JUSCHKUS
Park View: BP Hobbies Pitts Special EP ARF
Try some
aerobatics
in the park
Top: With its light wing loading, this BP Hobbies
model is a joy to fly.
Left: Landings are predictable. Carry roughly a
quarter throttle on approach because biplanes slow
faster than monoplanes.
Above: The Pitts is an aerobatic sport flier that can
handle loop, roll, and snap maneuvers.
MY FIRST ENCOUNTER with a Pitts
Special was in Missouri in the 1970s. I was
there to attend a photojournalism course, and
we were told to take a topic with us that we
could do a story about.
I landed in Springfield and rented a car.
As I was driving to a town called Cassville, I
passed a small airport and thought it would
be a good subject for my story. I walked into
the hangar and a man asked if he could help
me. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a
tiny Pitts Special. I asked if he minded if I
did a story about his operation, and he said he
would be delighted.
He ran the place single-handed. There
was a twin Cessna parked up front that he
used for a taxi service. On weekends he
would fly the Pitts at nearby air shows. I left
feeling that I had my topic wrapped up, but
when I presented it to the faculty members
they said aviation topics were overdone and
refused it.
In 1989, when I was doing reviews for
Flying Models, then-editor Bob Hunt
assigned me to cover the Sailplane
Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin. We
visited the Experimental Aircraft Association
Museum in Oshkosh, and upon entering the
lobby my eyes almost popped out of my
head; there was a display of three Pitts
Specials suspended from the ceiling in a
fleur-de-lis pattern. It took my breath away.
Curtis Pitts built the first Pitts Special in
1945 and sold the second one to Betty
Skelton; she called it the “Little Stinker.”
Betty went on to win the 1949 Feminine
International Aerobatic Championship in
Miami, Florida.
This past winter, while attending the
WRAM Show in White Plains, New York, I
was strolling past the BP Hobbies booth, and
sitting on top of a pole was this Pitts Special.
I inquired about the model but was told that
it was not in stock at the time.
As I left the booth I kept looking over my
shoulder at this airplane. If you are a
modeler, you probably know the feeling. It
stuck in my mind for quite awhile.
On the main floor I ran into my old and
very dear friend Bob Hunt, MA’s thenaeromodeling
editor, and he asked me if I
wanted to do some reviews for him again.
The wheels started to turn. I asked him if I
could review the BP Pitts Special, thinking
he could get me one, but they were out of
stock and there were none to be had.
Roughly a month later I got an E-mail
from Michael Ramsey: MA’s then-associate
editor. He had been in touch with BP
Hobbies, and the company wanted MA to
01sig2.QXD 11/19/07 2:44 PM January 2008 61
Photos by the author
The model comes out of the box fully covered in a three-color, lightweight film trim
scheme. The one-piece wings help construction go quickly.
Inside the lower wing is a pull string to
help fish the aileron-servo-wire leads to
the center-section.
The clear canopy can be glued
or screwed on, as the author
did. Cockpit detail can be
added later.
The center cabane struts are painted
aluminum. Their mounting location is easy
to find on the fuselage if they are first
attached to the top wing.
The little BP 8Y motor is all the Pitts
needs for good sport-flying performance.
The ESC and separate BEC are located
behind the firewall.
The aluminum landing gear is robust. The lightweight wheel
pants are a nice touch but are somewhat delicate.
A built-in
compartment
on the left side of the
fuselage provides easy
access to the battery. The
elevator and rudder servos are
mounted in the tail.
Attach the stabilizer using
the wing as a guide for
alignment. The horizontal
and vertical stabilizer
can be secured with
thin cyanoacrylate.
01sig2.QXD 11/19/07 2:31 PM Page 61
62 MODEL AVIATION
Pluses and Minuses
+
• Outstanding appearance and color
scheme
• Light wing loading
• Well constructed, fast to assemble
-• Plastic wheel pants don’t match the
scale looks
• Some instructions were missing or
unclear
Test-Model Details
Specifications
Type: Sport-scale park flyer ARF
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 31 inches
Wing area: 273 square inches
Length: 30 inches
Weight: 22-23 ounces
Average wing loading: 11.8 ounces/
square foot
Recommended power: 110- to 150-
watt system
Radio: Four channels (minimum), three
microservos
Construction: Laser-cut balsa, light
plywood
Covering/finish: Heat-shrink film,
painted accessories
Price: $80.67
Motor: BP 8Y brushless outrunner
Battery: 11.1-volt, 1250 mAh, 10-
14C Li-Poly
Propeller: APC 10 x 5E
Motor current: 11.1 amps, 125
watts
Radio system: Hitec Optic 6 sport
transmitter, Hitec Electron 6 receiver,
three Blue Bird BMS-306
microservos, two 6-inch extensions,
one Y harness, BP 15-amp ESC,
ParkBEC Switching BEC
Ready-to-fly weight: 24 ounces
Flight duration: Six to eight minutes
review the Pitts Special when it became
available. I had been flying electrics for the
last four years and I love biplanes, so I guess
I was the right fit for this model.
Assembly: The kit arrived one evening via
UPS, and on one side of the box was a nice
hole. Luckily it missed the fuselage by a hair.
As I carefully took everything out of the
box, the red, white, and blue color scheme
really pumped me up. It was extremely well
done, and I was extraordinarily pleased with
the kit. But then I saw the wheel pants that
were just plastic drawn over a plug and
painted red.
I was under the impression that the model
had four ailerons, but only the lower wing
had them. I decided I could live with that.
(Editor’s note: The Pitts ARF now has
ailerons on all four wings.)
The motor was a BP 8Y brushless
outrunner, and it was cleverly mounted on a
stick with a heat sink. Using a BP 15-amp
ESC and a ParkBEC Switching BEC, which I
had never used, I followed the hookup
diagram and it worked like a charm.
I used a Hitec Electron 6 receiver because
I was going to fly at an exceptionally active
field. A single conversion would have been
adequate If I had wanted to fly at a park.
I noticed that there was no mention of the
CG. The next day I called BP Hobbies and
was told that it was 20mm in front of the
lower wing LE. The problem was solved—
quickly! And the correction was made on the
Web site the next day. How’s that for
interactive customer service?
You do not build this model; you
assemble it. I started with the wings. I looked
for an indication of where to put the
aluminum cabanes on the top of the fuselage,
but I could not find any.
The top wing had plywood tabs with
holes in them. I fastened the cabanes to the
top wing and the struts to the lower wing
with the bolts provided. Then I attached the
struts to the upper wing. This gave me the
exact location for the cabanes on the fuselage.
Everything lined up perfectly.
This kit had some nice features. The
rudder and elevator servos were neatly
recessed into the rear of the fuselage so only
the arms stuck out. The battery compartment
had a clever little door on the side of the
fuselage and was held on with magnets. My
magnets were not glued in and popped out
when I went to open the door. A little epoxy
took care of that.
The cowl was made from fiberglass and
was beautifully done. The landing gear was
made from aluminum and was incredibly
sturdy. At first I did not like the wheel pants,
but they held up wonderfully—even on grass.
I was installing the wing servos and, to
my surprise, there were strings in the wing to
pull the wires through. That saved a heck of a
lot of work when trying to snake them
through the wing. Pushrods were provided
and made to size with Z bends on one end.
All surfaces were prehinged but needed to be
glued in.
I used Blue Bird BMS 306 microservos,
which I found to have excellent centering
qualities. They fit into their respective
openings with no alterations. You will need
to get servo extensions; the wires on the
servos were short.
The only glue you will need is for the tail
surfaces and hinges. Everything else was
secured with screws.
My model weighed 20 ounces; with the
battery it weighed 24 ounces. I ran up the
motor, and with the 10 x 4.7 propeller I got a
reading of 11.1 amps and 125 watts at full
throttle.
Flying: It was a Saturday morning. I was up
at 6:30 a.m., and the wind was blowing at
approximately 5 mph. I had a quick breakfast
and loaded the car as quickly as I could, and
then I was off to the field. It was a hazy day,
but as long as the wind was down I knew I’d
be fine.
I am a member of SEFLI: the Silent
Electric Flyers of Long Island. The field was
crowded when I arrived; I got the last
parking space. I took out the Pitts and
immediately drew a crowd. Its color scheme
was super, and it was applied outstandingly.
Tom Hunt, the club president, was at the
field flying his large Messerschmitt Bf 109.
He has been flying my models for reviews,
and no one can do a better job. He gets the
airplanes in precisely the right attitude for the
photos. I asked Tom to fly the Pitts, and he
told me to get it ready. After a quick range
check we were ready to go.
The Pitts took to the air cleanly and flew
at a nice speed. I thought it was going to fly
much slower. By this time the wind was
roughly 8 mph. The model handled well, but
it appeared that the verticals could use a
slight boost.
The sky became overcast, and I took
pictures but was not pleased with them. I
wanted to wait for a sunny day.
It was suggested that I try a different
propeller, such as an APC 10 x 5. I decided
that when we got a better day I would take
better pictures and, I hoped, get improved
performance with another propeller.
The sunny day arrived and the wind was
flyable. We got the Pitts ready, and I had my
camera in hand as Tom took off with it once
again. The APC 10 x 5 made a significant
improvement in performance. After I was
sure I got good flying shots, Tom put the
model through its paces. He did loops and
rolls, flew inverted, and performed a Split
“S.”
The BP Hobbies Pitts Special EP ARF
flies exactly the way you would expect a
Pitts to fly. The company has offered a
nice-flying model, and it fulfilled all my
expectations. MA
Ray Juschkus
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
BP Hobbies
140 Ethel Rd. Suite J
Piscataway NJ 08854
(732) 287-3933
www.bphobbies.com
Other Review Sources:
None
01sig2.QXD 11/19/07 2:45 PM Page 62
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/01
Page Numbers: 60,61,62
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/01
Page Numbers: 60,61,62
60 MODEL AVIATION
RAY JUSCHKUS
Park View: BP Hobbies Pitts Special EP ARF
Try some
aerobatics
in the park
Top: With its light wing loading, this BP Hobbies
model is a joy to fly.
Left: Landings are predictable. Carry roughly a
quarter throttle on approach because biplanes slow
faster than monoplanes.
Above: The Pitts is an aerobatic sport flier that can
handle loop, roll, and snap maneuvers.
MY FIRST ENCOUNTER with a Pitts
Special was in Missouri in the 1970s. I was
there to attend a photojournalism course, and
we were told to take a topic with us that we
could do a story about.
I landed in Springfield and rented a car.
As I was driving to a town called Cassville, I
passed a small airport and thought it would
be a good subject for my story. I walked into
the hangar and a man asked if he could help
me. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a
tiny Pitts Special. I asked if he minded if I
did a story about his operation, and he said he
would be delighted.
He ran the place single-handed. There
was a twin Cessna parked up front that he
used for a taxi service. On weekends he
would fly the Pitts at nearby air shows. I left
feeling that I had my topic wrapped up, but
when I presented it to the faculty members
they said aviation topics were overdone and
refused it.
In 1989, when I was doing reviews for
Flying Models, then-editor Bob Hunt
assigned me to cover the Sailplane
Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin. We
visited the Experimental Aircraft Association
Museum in Oshkosh, and upon entering the
lobby my eyes almost popped out of my
head; there was a display of three Pitts
Specials suspended from the ceiling in a
fleur-de-lis pattern. It took my breath away.
Curtis Pitts built the first Pitts Special in
1945 and sold the second one to Betty
Skelton; she called it the “Little Stinker.”
Betty went on to win the 1949 Feminine
International Aerobatic Championship in
Miami, Florida.
This past winter, while attending the
WRAM Show in White Plains, New York, I
was strolling past the BP Hobbies booth, and
sitting on top of a pole was this Pitts Special.
I inquired about the model but was told that
it was not in stock at the time.
As I left the booth I kept looking over my
shoulder at this airplane. If you are a
modeler, you probably know the feeling. It
stuck in my mind for quite awhile.
On the main floor I ran into my old and
very dear friend Bob Hunt, MA’s thenaeromodeling
editor, and he asked me if I
wanted to do some reviews for him again.
The wheels started to turn. I asked him if I
could review the BP Pitts Special, thinking
he could get me one, but they were out of
stock and there were none to be had.
Roughly a month later I got an E-mail
from Michael Ramsey: MA’s then-associate
editor. He had been in touch with BP
Hobbies, and the company wanted MA to
01sig2.QXD 11/19/07 2:44 PM January 2008 61
Photos by the author
The model comes out of the box fully covered in a three-color, lightweight film trim
scheme. The one-piece wings help construction go quickly.
Inside the lower wing is a pull string to
help fish the aileron-servo-wire leads to
the center-section.
The clear canopy can be glued
or screwed on, as the author
did. Cockpit detail can be
added later.
The center cabane struts are painted
aluminum. Their mounting location is easy
to find on the fuselage if they are first
attached to the top wing.
The little BP 8Y motor is all the Pitts
needs for good sport-flying performance.
The ESC and separate BEC are located
behind the firewall.
The aluminum landing gear is robust. The lightweight wheel
pants are a nice touch but are somewhat delicate.
A built-in
compartment
on the left side of the
fuselage provides easy
access to the battery. The
elevator and rudder servos are
mounted in the tail.
Attach the stabilizer using
the wing as a guide for
alignment. The horizontal
and vertical stabilizer
can be secured with
thin cyanoacrylate.
01sig2.QXD 11/19/07 2:31 PM Page 61
62 MODEL AVIATION
Pluses and Minuses
+
• Outstanding appearance and color
scheme
• Light wing loading
• Well constructed, fast to assemble
-• Plastic wheel pants don’t match the
scale looks
• Some instructions were missing or
unclear
Test-Model Details
Specifications
Type: Sport-scale park flyer ARF
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 31 inches
Wing area: 273 square inches
Length: 30 inches
Weight: 22-23 ounces
Average wing loading: 11.8 ounces/
square foot
Recommended power: 110- to 150-
watt system
Radio: Four channels (minimum), three
microservos
Construction: Laser-cut balsa, light
plywood
Covering/finish: Heat-shrink film,
painted accessories
Price: $80.67
Motor: BP 8Y brushless outrunner
Battery: 11.1-volt, 1250 mAh, 10-
14C Li-Poly
Propeller: APC 10 x 5E
Motor current: 11.1 amps, 125
watts
Radio system: Hitec Optic 6 sport
transmitter, Hitec Electron 6 receiver,
three Blue Bird BMS-306
microservos, two 6-inch extensions,
one Y harness, BP 15-amp ESC,
ParkBEC Switching BEC
Ready-to-fly weight: 24 ounces
Flight duration: Six to eight minutes
review the Pitts Special when it became
available. I had been flying electrics for the
last four years and I love biplanes, so I guess
I was the right fit for this model.
Assembly: The kit arrived one evening via
UPS, and on one side of the box was a nice
hole. Luckily it missed the fuselage by a hair.
As I carefully took everything out of the
box, the red, white, and blue color scheme
really pumped me up. It was extremely well
done, and I was extraordinarily pleased with
the kit. But then I saw the wheel pants that
were just plastic drawn over a plug and
painted red.
I was under the impression that the model
had four ailerons, but only the lower wing
had them. I decided I could live with that.
(Editor’s note: The Pitts ARF now has
ailerons on all four wings.)
The motor was a BP 8Y brushless
outrunner, and it was cleverly mounted on a
stick with a heat sink. Using a BP 15-amp
ESC and a ParkBEC Switching BEC, which I
had never used, I followed the hookup
diagram and it worked like a charm.
I used a Hitec Electron 6 receiver because
I was going to fly at an exceptionally active
field. A single conversion would have been
adequate If I had wanted to fly at a park.
I noticed that there was no mention of the
CG. The next day I called BP Hobbies and
was told that it was 20mm in front of the
lower wing LE. The problem was solved—
quickly! And the correction was made on the
Web site the next day. How’s that for
interactive customer service?
You do not build this model; you
assemble it. I started with the wings. I looked
for an indication of where to put the
aluminum cabanes on the top of the fuselage,
but I could not find any.
The top wing had plywood tabs with
holes in them. I fastened the cabanes to the
top wing and the struts to the lower wing
with the bolts provided. Then I attached the
struts to the upper wing. This gave me the
exact location for the cabanes on the fuselage.
Everything lined up perfectly.
This kit had some nice features. The
rudder and elevator servos were neatly
recessed into the rear of the fuselage so only
the arms stuck out. The battery compartment
had a clever little door on the side of the
fuselage and was held on with magnets. My
magnets were not glued in and popped out
when I went to open the door. A little epoxy
took care of that.
The cowl was made from fiberglass and
was beautifully done. The landing gear was
made from aluminum and was incredibly
sturdy. At first I did not like the wheel pants,
but they held up wonderfully—even on grass.
I was installing the wing servos and, to
my surprise, there were strings in the wing to
pull the wires through. That saved a heck of a
lot of work when trying to snake them
through the wing. Pushrods were provided
and made to size with Z bends on one end.
All surfaces were prehinged but needed to be
glued in.
I used Blue Bird BMS 306 microservos,
which I found to have excellent centering
qualities. They fit into their respective
openings with no alterations. You will need
to get servo extensions; the wires on the
servos were short.
The only glue you will need is for the tail
surfaces and hinges. Everything else was
secured with screws.
My model weighed 20 ounces; with the
battery it weighed 24 ounces. I ran up the
motor, and with the 10 x 4.7 propeller I got a
reading of 11.1 amps and 125 watts at full
throttle.
Flying: It was a Saturday morning. I was up
at 6:30 a.m., and the wind was blowing at
approximately 5 mph. I had a quick breakfast
and loaded the car as quickly as I could, and
then I was off to the field. It was a hazy day,
but as long as the wind was down I knew I’d
be fine.
I am a member of SEFLI: the Silent
Electric Flyers of Long Island. The field was
crowded when I arrived; I got the last
parking space. I took out the Pitts and
immediately drew a crowd. Its color scheme
was super, and it was applied outstandingly.
Tom Hunt, the club president, was at the
field flying his large Messerschmitt Bf 109.
He has been flying my models for reviews,
and no one can do a better job. He gets the
airplanes in precisely the right attitude for the
photos. I asked Tom to fly the Pitts, and he
told me to get it ready. After a quick range
check we were ready to go.
The Pitts took to the air cleanly and flew
at a nice speed. I thought it was going to fly
much slower. By this time the wind was
roughly 8 mph. The model handled well, but
it appeared that the verticals could use a
slight boost.
The sky became overcast, and I took
pictures but was not pleased with them. I
wanted to wait for a sunny day.
It was suggested that I try a different
propeller, such as an APC 10 x 5. I decided
that when we got a better day I would take
better pictures and, I hoped, get improved
performance with another propeller.
The sunny day arrived and the wind was
flyable. We got the Pitts ready, and I had my
camera in hand as Tom took off with it once
again. The APC 10 x 5 made a significant
improvement in performance. After I was
sure I got good flying shots, Tom put the
model through its paces. He did loops and
rolls, flew inverted, and performed a Split
“S.”
The BP Hobbies Pitts Special EP ARF
flies exactly the way you would expect a
Pitts to fly. The company has offered a
nice-flying model, and it fulfilled all my
expectations. MA
Ray Juschkus
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
BP Hobbies
140 Ethel Rd. Suite J
Piscataway NJ 08854
(732) 287-3933
www.bphobbies.com
Other Review Sources:
None
01sig2.QXD 11/19/07 2:45 PM Page 62
Edition: Model Aviation - 2008/01
Page Numbers: 60,61,62
60 MODEL AVIATION
RAY JUSCHKUS
Park View: BP Hobbies Pitts Special EP ARF
Try some
aerobatics
in the park
Top: With its light wing loading, this BP Hobbies
model is a joy to fly.
Left: Landings are predictable. Carry roughly a
quarter throttle on approach because biplanes slow
faster than monoplanes.
Above: The Pitts is an aerobatic sport flier that can
handle loop, roll, and snap maneuvers.
MY FIRST ENCOUNTER with a Pitts
Special was in Missouri in the 1970s. I was
there to attend a photojournalism course, and
we were told to take a topic with us that we
could do a story about.
I landed in Springfield and rented a car.
As I was driving to a town called Cassville, I
passed a small airport and thought it would
be a good subject for my story. I walked into
the hangar and a man asked if he could help
me. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a
tiny Pitts Special. I asked if he minded if I
did a story about his operation, and he said he
would be delighted.
He ran the place single-handed. There
was a twin Cessna parked up front that he
used for a taxi service. On weekends he
would fly the Pitts at nearby air shows. I left
feeling that I had my topic wrapped up, but
when I presented it to the faculty members
they said aviation topics were overdone and
refused it.
In 1989, when I was doing reviews for
Flying Models, then-editor Bob Hunt
assigned me to cover the Sailplane
Symposium in Madison, Wisconsin. We
visited the Experimental Aircraft Association
Museum in Oshkosh, and upon entering the
lobby my eyes almost popped out of my
head; there was a display of three Pitts
Specials suspended from the ceiling in a
fleur-de-lis pattern. It took my breath away.
Curtis Pitts built the first Pitts Special in
1945 and sold the second one to Betty
Skelton; she called it the “Little Stinker.”
Betty went on to win the 1949 Feminine
International Aerobatic Championship in
Miami, Florida.
This past winter, while attending the
WRAM Show in White Plains, New York, I
was strolling past the BP Hobbies booth, and
sitting on top of a pole was this Pitts Special.
I inquired about the model but was told that
it was not in stock at the time.
As I left the booth I kept looking over my
shoulder at this airplane. If you are a
modeler, you probably know the feeling. It
stuck in my mind for quite awhile.
On the main floor I ran into my old and
very dear friend Bob Hunt, MA’s thenaeromodeling
editor, and he asked me if I
wanted to do some reviews for him again.
The wheels started to turn. I asked him if I
could review the BP Pitts Special, thinking
he could get me one, but they were out of
stock and there were none to be had.
Roughly a month later I got an E-mail
from Michael Ramsey: MA’s then-associate
editor. He had been in touch with BP
Hobbies, and the company wanted MA to
01sig2.QXD 11/19/07 2:44 PM January 2008 61
Photos by the author
The model comes out of the box fully covered in a three-color, lightweight film trim
scheme. The one-piece wings help construction go quickly.
Inside the lower wing is a pull string to
help fish the aileron-servo-wire leads to
the center-section.
The clear canopy can be glued
or screwed on, as the author
did. Cockpit detail can be
added later.
The center cabane struts are painted
aluminum. Their mounting location is easy
to find on the fuselage if they are first
attached to the top wing.
The little BP 8Y motor is all the Pitts
needs for good sport-flying performance.
The ESC and separate BEC are located
behind the firewall.
The aluminum landing gear is robust. The lightweight wheel
pants are a nice touch but are somewhat delicate.
A built-in
compartment
on the left side of the
fuselage provides easy
access to the battery. The
elevator and rudder servos are
mounted in the tail.
Attach the stabilizer using
the wing as a guide for
alignment. The horizontal
and vertical stabilizer
can be secured with
thin cyanoacrylate.
01sig2.QXD 11/19/07 2:31 PM Page 61
62 MODEL AVIATION
Pluses and Minuses
+
• Outstanding appearance and color
scheme
• Light wing loading
• Well constructed, fast to assemble
-• Plastic wheel pants don’t match the
scale looks
• Some instructions were missing or
unclear
Test-Model Details
Specifications
Type: Sport-scale park flyer ARF
Pilot skill level: Intermediate
Wingspan: 31 inches
Wing area: 273 square inches
Length: 30 inches
Weight: 22-23 ounces
Average wing loading: 11.8 ounces/
square foot
Recommended power: 110- to 150-
watt system
Radio: Four channels (minimum), three
microservos
Construction: Laser-cut balsa, light
plywood
Covering/finish: Heat-shrink film,
painted accessories
Price: $80.67
Motor: BP 8Y brushless outrunner
Battery: 11.1-volt, 1250 mAh, 10-
14C Li-Poly
Propeller: APC 10 x 5E
Motor current: 11.1 amps, 125
watts
Radio system: Hitec Optic 6 sport
transmitter, Hitec Electron 6 receiver,
three Blue Bird BMS-306
microservos, two 6-inch extensions,
one Y harness, BP 15-amp ESC,
ParkBEC Switching BEC
Ready-to-fly weight: 24 ounces
Flight duration: Six to eight minutes
review the Pitts Special when it became
available. I had been flying electrics for the
last four years and I love biplanes, so I guess
I was the right fit for this model.
Assembly: The kit arrived one evening via
UPS, and on one side of the box was a nice
hole. Luckily it missed the fuselage by a hair.
As I carefully took everything out of the
box, the red, white, and blue color scheme
really pumped me up. It was extremely well
done, and I was extraordinarily pleased with
the kit. But then I saw the wheel pants that
were just plastic drawn over a plug and
painted red.
I was under the impression that the model
had four ailerons, but only the lower wing
had them. I decided I could live with that.
(Editor’s note: The Pitts ARF now has
ailerons on all four wings.)
The motor was a BP 8Y brushless
outrunner, and it was cleverly mounted on a
stick with a heat sink. Using a BP 15-amp
ESC and a ParkBEC Switching BEC, which I
had never used, I followed the hookup
diagram and it worked like a charm.
I used a Hitec Electron 6 receiver because
I was going to fly at an exceptionally active
field. A single conversion would have been
adequate If I had wanted to fly at a park.
I noticed that there was no mention of the
CG. The next day I called BP Hobbies and
was told that it was 20mm in front of the
lower wing LE. The problem was solved—
quickly! And the correction was made on the
Web site the next day. How’s that for
interactive customer service?
You do not build this model; you
assemble it. I started with the wings. I looked
for an indication of where to put the
aluminum cabanes on the top of the fuselage,
but I could not find any.
The top wing had plywood tabs with
holes in them. I fastened the cabanes to the
top wing and the struts to the lower wing
with the bolts provided. Then I attached the
struts to the upper wing. This gave me the
exact location for the cabanes on the fuselage.
Everything lined up perfectly.
This kit had some nice features. The
rudder and elevator servos were neatly
recessed into the rear of the fuselage so only
the arms stuck out. The battery compartment
had a clever little door on the side of the
fuselage and was held on with magnets. My
magnets were not glued in and popped out
when I went to open the door. A little epoxy
took care of that.
The cowl was made from fiberglass and
was beautifully done. The landing gear was
made from aluminum and was incredibly
sturdy. At first I did not like the wheel pants,
but they held up wonderfully—even on grass.
I was installing the wing servos and, to
my surprise, there were strings in the wing to
pull the wires through. That saved a heck of a
lot of work when trying to snake them
through the wing. Pushrods were provided
and made to size with Z bends on one end.
All surfaces were prehinged but needed to be
glued in.
I used Blue Bird BMS 306 microservos,
which I found to have excellent centering
qualities. They fit into their respective
openings with no alterations. You will need
to get servo extensions; the wires on the
servos were short.
The only glue you will need is for the tail
surfaces and hinges. Everything else was
secured with screws.
My model weighed 20 ounces; with the
battery it weighed 24 ounces. I ran up the
motor, and with the 10 x 4.7 propeller I got a
reading of 11.1 amps and 125 watts at full
throttle.
Flying: It was a Saturday morning. I was up
at 6:30 a.m., and the wind was blowing at
approximately 5 mph. I had a quick breakfast
and loaded the car as quickly as I could, and
then I was off to the field. It was a hazy day,
but as long as the wind was down I knew I’d
be fine.
I am a member of SEFLI: the Silent
Electric Flyers of Long Island. The field was
crowded when I arrived; I got the last
parking space. I took out the Pitts and
immediately drew a crowd. Its color scheme
was super, and it was applied outstandingly.
Tom Hunt, the club president, was at the
field flying his large Messerschmitt Bf 109.
He has been flying my models for reviews,
and no one can do a better job. He gets the
airplanes in precisely the right attitude for the
photos. I asked Tom to fly the Pitts, and he
told me to get it ready. After a quick range
check we were ready to go.
The Pitts took to the air cleanly and flew
at a nice speed. I thought it was going to fly
much slower. By this time the wind was
roughly 8 mph. The model handled well, but
it appeared that the verticals could use a
slight boost.
The sky became overcast, and I took
pictures but was not pleased with them. I
wanted to wait for a sunny day.
It was suggested that I try a different
propeller, such as an APC 10 x 5. I decided
that when we got a better day I would take
better pictures and, I hoped, get improved
performance with another propeller.
The sunny day arrived and the wind was
flyable. We got the Pitts ready, and I had my
camera in hand as Tom took off with it once
again. The APC 10 x 5 made a significant
improvement in performance. After I was
sure I got good flying shots, Tom put the
model through its paces. He did loops and
rolls, flew inverted, and performed a Split
“S.”
The BP Hobbies Pitts Special EP ARF
flies exactly the way you would expect a
Pitts to fly. The company has offered a
nice-flying model, and it fulfilled all my
expectations. MA
Ray Juschkus
[email protected]
Manufacturer/Distributor:
BP Hobbies
140 Ethel Rd. Suite J
Piscataway NJ 08854
(732) 287-3933
www.bphobbies.com
Other Review Sources:
None
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