The L.O.O.T.M. Archive

Lust Object of the Month

May 2007

Steve Jone's little flying tiger--this is one of my favorite paint schemes and, according to the EAA article, came about as a lark.

  http://www.mustangaero.com

 
 

 

Another EAA star, this MM1 with an alternate canopy makes a very good "sport scale" replica of a P-51B or -C model.

George's gorgeous little hotrod boasted one of the first bubble canopies and a Lycoming O-320.  Yow!

This polished retractable-gear version was the subject of a Budd Davison article decades ago.  She's owned by a lady in Texas and, no, she won't sell the plane! 

 http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepMidgetMustang.html

 

This little guy is from New Zealand, and poses with a full-scale Mustang.  There is some resemblance . . . 

http://www.red1.orcon.net.nz/Red1DDC.html

Dan has built a great looking MM1 that he will race at Reno 2008--the Little Horse's 60 Anniversary of race history.  (Dan lives in Cleveland--where the first Midget Mustang raced in 1948--full circle, of sorts.)  Follow his progress at:  http://home.centurytel.net/midgetmustang51

After flying recently with Dan, I revisited the Midget Mustang and found it to be a very sweet little airplane.  This wonderful design turns 60 next year and, while not as numerous as some of the homebuilts since, it is a solid and pretty aircraft.

Aerobatic, and providing good performance on the modest horsepower of the little Continentals, it becomes a screamer with the midrange Lycomings.  Our friend, George, built on with a Lycoming 0-320 and canopy that was a real beauty.

The airplane I flew many years ago was one of a "squadron" with identical paint jobs that lived at a small airpark.  Very responsive and pleasant to fly, I found it possessed relatively easy ground handling and was a reasonably capable aerobat.

 The May LOOTM--The Midget Mustang 1.  Enjoy.