Utah man buys the cheapest plane on marketplace for $3,000 and inspects the cockpit to reveal a major issue
Published on Dec 23, 2025 at 1:57 AM (UTC+4)
by Claire Reid
Last updated on Dec 23, 2025 at 1:57 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Claire Reid
A Utah YouTuber managed to buy his very own Pitts S1C plane for just $3,000, but it wasn’t long before he discovered a pretty big problem with his new purchase.
While some private jets can go for upwards of $100,000,000, YouTuber Ryan from the HeavyDSparks channel was able to snap one up for just $3,000.
But as you can imagine, it wasn’t exactly the sort of luxury jet you’d see celebrities and billionaires flying on.
And after taking a look around the cockpit, he noticed one major issue.
DISCOVER SBX CARS – The global premium auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
The $3,000 home-built plane had a big issue for its new owner
These days, $3,000 won’t get you much, but it did get Ryan a kit-built Pitts S1C aerobatic biplane.
The plane is powered by a Lycoming O-290 engine, which has an output of about 135 horsepower.
Unfortunately, the plane was missing some parts and pieces, most noticeably its wings, and that wasn’t the only problem.
After Dave – aka HeavyDSparks – tried to get into the cockpit and quickly realized he was too big.
“The bad news is I do not fit in this plane,” he said after attempting to squeeze himself inside.
“I tried to put my feet on the pedals, and they curled up to my chest.”
So, for the plane to take to the skies, Dave would either need to modify it or allow someone else into the cockpit to fly it instead.
Despite its issues, the plane was still a bargain buy.
Dave explained that the reason it was sold for so cheaply was that its previous owner was short on hangar space, so wanted to get rid.
The YouTuber thinks it will be worth a lot more than he paid
After taking a closer look at the Pitts S1C, the team found that it was actually in better condition than they had expected.
And they were able to get the engine running without an issue.
In fact, it actually wouldn’t stop running even after they disconnected the power and turned the fuel off.
In the end, they had to let it die off by starving it.
Still, Dave and his pals reckon that the excitable engine alone is worth around $15,000.
And with a bit of work, and maybe some modest modifications, they believe it could sell for up to $30,000 – so overall, not a bad investment.
DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie
Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
