Absolutely! The huge, lumbering model 12 does an ok airshow,S1S is probably better competition mount
but for a contest, I'd pick a single seat Pitts (or Yak-55) over
the model 12 any day.
I would dare anyone to actually fly a model 12, thenNot even close to unlimited monoplanes
an MX2, then try to equate the two.
The model 12 is so huge, I don't even think of it as
a Pitts. It dwarfs the S-2A/S-2S/S-2B/S-2C which
in turn are enormous trucks compared to the tiny,
original single seat Pitts.
Think of the model 12 as a baby Stearman. There's
a guy in the northeast, Guenther Eichorn, he's been
flying contests for years. His regular mount is an S-2A
and sometimes, for comic relief, he will try to struggle
through Sportsman in a Stearman.
P.S. I still don't understand all the hype about the P-51 -
the prices have been skyrocketing, ever since Tom Cruise
bought one. I must wonder if Scientology has experienced
a similar surge in popularity.
I would much rather fly this, than any of the V-12 fighters:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-47_Thunderbolt
I'd take a Jug or a Corsair over one of those girlyThe Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug," was the largest single-engined fighter of its day, and a vast improvement over the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, its predecessor. It was one of the main United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighters of World War II, and also served with other Allied air forces. The P-47 was effective in air combat but proved especially adept at ground attack. It had eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded the P-47 could weigh up to eight tons. A modern-day counterpart in that role, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, takes its name from the P-47
The P-47's initial success in combat was primarily due to tactics, using rolls (the P-47 had an excellent roll rate) and energy-saving dive and zoom climbs from high altitude to outmaneuver German fighters. No German piston-engined plane could out-dive the Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt was the fastest-diving American aircraft of the war — it could reach speeds of 480 knots (550 mph, 885 km/h). Major Robert S. "Bob" Johnson described the experience of diving the big fighter by writing, "the Thunderbolt howled and ran for the earth".[14] Some P-47 pilots claimed to have broken the sound barrier, but later research revealed that due to the pressure buildup inside the pitot tube at high speeds, airspeed readings became unpredictably exaggerated.
The arrival of the new Curtiss paddle-blade propeller significantly increased climb rate at lower altitudes, and came as a shock to German pilots who had resorted to steep climbs to evade pursuit by the P-47.[12] Other positive attributes included the P-47's ruggedness; it could sustain a large amount of damage and still be able to get its pilot back to base.[15] With eight .50-caliber machine guns, the P-47 did not lack for firepower. German aircraft caught in a well-aimed burst tended to fly apart from the impact of so many armor-piercing projectiles.
liquid-cooled V-12's any day - they can be brought
down by a single .22
Hey EngineGuy, since you don't have "budgetary constraints"
are you interested in an ex-Canadian F-5? Low time, they
start at one million USD.