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Breathtaking aerobatic thoroughbred
HALF-SCALE |
Pitts Challenger
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by Bill Hempel
PHOTOS BY RICK ADAMS
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 ill Hempel is a four-time IMAC National Champion and TOC competitor from Tucson, Arizona. When he decided to build the Exclusiv-Modelbau Pitts Challenger, his competitive nature ensured he would spare no expense building the best airplane possible. As you will see, Bill Hempel's 50% Pitts is one of the most sophisticated and impressive aerobatic models in the world. We’ll let Bill take the story from here.
“When it comes time for a new aerobatic airplane, I look for any edge that will help me stand out from the crowd. I knew I had found something special as soon as I saw the Exclusiv-Modelbau Pitts Challenger! The size of this plane really grabbed me! At half the size of the full-scale prototype, it is a real attention getter! Another appealing aspect was that there are very few of these planes flying. This 50% Pitts is the only one flying in the United States. The size and rarity of this bird made the Pitts Challenger exactly what I was looking for.
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SPECS
PLANE: 50% Pitts Challenger
MANUFACTURER: Exclusiv-Modelbau
DISTRIBUTOR: Desert Aircraft
TYPE: Scale Aerobatic
FOR: IMAC, TOC, Freestyle
WINGSPAN: 105 in.
WING AREA: 4,008 sq. in.
WEIGHT: 52 lbs.
WING LOADING: 29.89 oz./sq. ft.
LENGTH: 111 in.
RADIO: 5 channels required; flown with 16 servos. Futaba 9-channel WC 2 series
ENGINE RANGE: 150 cc; flown with 212cc 3W 4-cylinder
PROPELLER/SPINNER: 3W 34x14 2-blade propeller; spinner provided in kit
TOP RPM: 5,400
FUEL: 92 Octane Gasoline
ONBOARD BATTERY: Powerflite 4400mAh 2ea.; 2200mAh ignition 2ea.
PRICE: $2,150 for kit; about $10,000 as flown
COMPONENTS NEEDED TO
COMPLETE: Radio with 16 servos and one receiver, one engine, two fuel tanks, 125 feet of covering material, paint, wheels, propeller, batteries, push rods, lots of glue, etc.
Summary
This airplane is not easy to build. Any model of this size is a significant commitment and should only be tackled by experienced builders and pilots who can ensure its safe operation. Once completed, this airplane is a dream to fly. It will do any maneuver that you need to become a freestyle champion and astonish spectators.
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AIRBORNE
If you’re one of the millions worldwide who have seen Sean D. Tucker fly his full-scale Pitts Challenger at an air show, you already know this design’s flight performance is absolutely incredible. With even more relative power in the model, there isn’t anything this plane can’t do!
Full-scale rigging practices are used throughout the Pitts Challenger. Just as on the prototype, dual streamlined rod bracing is used to ensure that the stabilizer and fin are securely afixed to the fuselage. Two servos are mounted in tandem to drive each elevator. Short direct linkages are a must for maximum control.
A neat and methodical equipment installation helps ensure reliability and makes future maintenance much easier. The three servos are ganged for the pull-pull rudder cables, while two Powerflite 4400mAh Lithium Ion batteries provide redundant power for the receiver and servos.
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The 50% Pitts Challenger is the most awesome airplane I have flown. When I fly low and perform 3D maneuvers, the plane performs like none I have ever seen before. Waterfalls, harrier passes, rollers, pop-ups and flat upright climbing spins can be performed with precision and accuracy just inches off the ground. It is very stable in all 3D maneuvers and the the model torque rolls and harriers more easily than any other model I have flown. Many aerobatic planes will waterfall and spin better inverted than upright. The Pitts Challenger is the opposite. Waterfalls and flat spins are best done upright. While the Pitts will spin inverted, it will not go flat. It is really neat to enter an upright flat spin and descend towards the ground. About 20 feet up, I kick the rudder back to neutral to stop the rotation and pitch nose up into a harrier or even higher into a torque roll, depending on when I bring the elevator back to center. This is a great crowd pleaser.
From any distance the 50% Challenger looks as if it is a full-scale airplane. It is very big and the color scheme shows up well in the air. With the smoke on, I am sure many people can be fooled into thinking it is the real thing. When you see some of the maneuvers being performed, though, you know right away that the pilot could not possibly be at the controls inside the airplane. The gut-wrenching G-forces of 3D aerobatics would be too much for anyone to survive.
The 3W 212 has tremendous pulling power for precision aerobatics. The top speed and thrust of this plane allow me to fly vertical maneuvers as tall as desired. Smooth precision flying and IMAC sequences are no problem on low rates. The abundant fuselage side area also makes harrier rollers and knife edge loops a breeze! The 2:1 power-to-weight ratio lets me perform torque rolls at about half power. Vertical penetration is unlimited even while rolling! High alpha maneuvers are very easy to control with this plane.
I believe the wing area and large diameter propeller combine to make the slow speed maneuvers very controllable. Airflow from the large propeller keeps positive control at all times, even when the airplane is not moving. The 3W-212 four-cylinder engine pulls the 52 pound, 105 inch span model effortlessly through the air. Despite the size of the engine, the 3W exhaust system really performs well, making the plane quieter than most IMAC planes flown today.
When it is time to land, the huge wings of the Pitts Challenger slow it like a trainer. It lightly touches down in the 3-point position. Rollout is not more than about 100 feet. (continued)
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