National Air and Space Museum. Archives Division. Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Collection Restrictions:
The majority of the Archives Department's public reference requests can be answered using material in these files, which may be accessed through the Reading Room at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. More specific information can be requested by contacting the Archives Research Request.
20.6 Cubic feet (4 boxes, 6 map case drawers, and 23 map folders)
Type:
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Engineering drawings
Technical reports
Photographic prints
Date:
1945s-1960s
Summary:
This collection consists of 20.6 cubic feet of photographs (construction, static, and inflight), engineering and flight test reports, and engineering drawings for Stits aircraft.
Scope and Contents:
This collection consists of 20.6 cubic feet of photographs of various Stits aircraft; engineering reports, flight test data, and correpsondence related to the Type Certification of the SA-9A Sky-Coupe and the planned Certification of the SA-12-160 Air-Mate; and engineering drawings for the Stits SA-3A and SA-3B Playboy, SA-6B Flut-R-Bug, SA-7D Sky-Coupe, SA-9A Sky-Coupe, SA-10A Sky-Streak; SA-11A Playmate, SA-12-160 Air-Mate (planned), and SA-14A (planned).
Arrangement:
The material is organized into two series: Photographs and Documents, arranged by report number and date; and Engineering Drawings, arranged by size and drawing number.
Biographical / Historical:
Ray Stits (1921-2015) was a leader in the homebuilt aircraft movement. In 1948 Stits designed and built the SA-1A (monoplane) and SA-2A Skybaby (biplane) on a dare from another pilot to prove that he could build the world's smallest human-carrying airplane. Stits donated the SA-2A to the National Air and Space Museum in 1972 and this aircraft is currently on display at the Udvar-Hazy Center. Beginning the 1950s Stits designed a series of small monplanes as homebuilt aircraft, selling the plans and construction materials as Stits Aircraft Corp. Stits was the creator of the Stits Process, known today as the Poly-Fiber aircraft coating process, and a was founding member of Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Chapter One at historic Flabob Airport, Jurupa Valley, CA.
Provenance:
Donald R. and Loretta D. Stits, Gift, 2019, NASM.2019.0024
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests.
