Pitts S-2B

As part of the Museum’s Adopt-a-Plane program, the Pitts S-2B is respectfully adopted by Ross Perot, Jr. in honor of his friend and Museum co-founder, Jan Collmer.

Designed by Curtis Pitts in the early 1940s as a high-performance aerobatic biplane, the Pitts Special came in two variants - the S-1 single seat or S-2 two seat. First flown in 1944, the Pitts dominated aerobatic competitions in the 1960-70s and continues to be a popular aircraft for airshow pilots and spectators due to its outstanding maneuverability and performance. 

Late Museum co-founder, Jan Collmer, flew the FINA Sponsored Pitts S-2B on display in the Museum on the North American Airshow Circuit for many years. Collmer first learned to turn, roll, and spin when training to be a fighter pilot in the US Navy. He described his Pitts as being his “flying suit.” According to Collmer, “When a stunt pilot performs maneuvers, it’s no longer a matter of a pilot flying a plane, it’s more like a man strapping on a plane and willing it to do whatever he wants.”

Betty Skelton, the “First Lady of Firsts,” won the International Feminine Aerobatics Competition in 1949 and 1950 while flying her famous red and white Pitts Special nicknamed “Little Stinker.” This aircraft is on display in the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum. About her beloved plane, Skelton said, “I didn’t just sit in that little airplane, I wore it. If I sneezed, it sneezed with me.” 

The red and white Pitts S-2B hanging in the Museum is on loan from the late Mr. Jan Collmer of Dallas, Texas, Museum co-founder and beloved friend of the Museum.