The Mustang Aeronautics Midget Mustang MM-1 is a single-seat

aerobatic Aerobatics is the practice of flying maneuvers involving aircraft attitudes that are not used in conventional passenger-carrying flights. The term is a portmanteau of "aeroplane" and "acrobatics". Aerobatics are performed in aeroplanes and gl ...

sports airplane developed and marketed in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

for homebuilding.Vandermeullen, Richard: ''2012 Kit Aircraft Buyer's Guide'', Kitplanes, Volume 28, Number 12, December 2011, page 62. Belvoir Publications. ISSN 0891-1851 It was first known as the Long Midget. It was the predecessor to the

Mustang II The second-generation Ford Mustang, marketed as the Ford Mustang II, is a two- or three-door, four-passenger, front-engine/rear-drive pony car manufactured and marketed by Ford from 1973 until 1978. Introduced in September 1973 for the 1974 m ...

which is also known as the Bushby Mustang. Rights to both the Midget Mustang and the Mustang II were sold to Mustang Aeronautics in 1992.

Development

It is a low-wing

cantilever A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...

monoplane A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple wings. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing con ...

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

construction, primarily of 2024-T3 aluminum and most are fitted with fixed

tailwheel undercarriage Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft Landing gear, undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the Center of gravity of an aircraft, center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail ...

. Developed by

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engineer David Long in 1948, plans for production by Schweizer were underway at the time of Long's death two years later. All rights and tooling were purchased by Bert Wilcut in 1955 and he renamed the Long Midget to Midget Mustang. Wilcut tried to mass produce the airplane, but ran short of capital required. He then sold all rights to

Robert Bushby Robert Wesley Bushby (February 24, 1927 – October 14, 2018) was an American aircraft mechanic and aviator who designed the Bushby Mustang II, later called the Mustang Aeronautics Mustang II. He was born in Joliet, Illinois, and started t ...

in 1959, who built a 90 hp Continental-powered example and sold plans and kits until 1992 when the rights were sold to Mustang Aeronautics. The Midget Mustang design being marketed in 2016 is similar to the original, with the option of building it with a

bubble canopy A bubble canopy is an aircraft canopy constructed without bracing, for the purpose of providing a wider unobstructed field of view to the pilot, often providing 360° all-round visibility. The designs of bubble canopies can vary drastically; so ...

in place of the straight line of the upper tailcone and hinged canopy of Long's original design, making it an M-IA. Construction requires about 1000 hours of builder time.Bayerl, Robby; Martin Berkemeier; et al: ''World Directory of Leisure Aviation 2011-12'', page 112. WDLA UK, Lancaster UK, 2011. ISSN 1368-485XTacke, Willi; Marino Boric; et al: ''World Directory of Light Aviation 2015-16'', page 119. Flying Pages Europe SARL, 2015.

Operational history

The Midget Mustang was intended for air racing. David Long designed an aircraft for a friend to be used in the Cleveland Air Race in 1948. That aircraft was built by Long and was named "Pea Shooter". The Midget Mustang was only moderately successful as a race plane. However, its appearance and desirable flight characteristics made it an ideal sport plane. At the Cleveland Race, racers competed in aircraft with names like Mammy, Miss Fort Worth, and Slo Poke. Over time, air racers modified the aircraft to reach 181 mph (291 km/h) speeds in competition. Nowadays, the Midget Mustang can cruise at 240 mph.

Variants

;Midget Mustang ;"GG" :A tricycle gear modification ;Graham Super Midget :Features a manually retracted landing gear.

Specifications (MM-1-125)

References

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External links