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.

NASM.2019.0024

Intitial description by Patti Williams, 2019. Processed and revised by Paul Silbermann, 2021.

Stits, Ray

1945s-1960s

Donald R. and Loretta D. Stits, Gift, 2019, NASM.2019.0024

20.6 Cubic feet (4 boxes, 6 map case drawers, and 23 map folders)

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.

No restrictions on access

Collection descriptions

Archival materials

Engineering drawings

Technical reports

Photographic prints

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.

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).

Engineering drawings

Technical reports

Photographic prints

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.

Stits Aircraft Corp

Stits Aircraft Collection, NASM.2019.0024, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

National Air and Space Museum Archives