Wittman Chief Oshkosh/Buster
The aircraft that enjoyed what was perhaps the longest and most successful career in air racing history was Steve Wittman’s Chief Oshkosh, known in the post-World War II era as Buster. From 1931 until its retirement in 1954, this midget racer set records and took numerous trophies in class races and free-for-alls.
Although Wittman was plagued with several problems in this, his first homebuilt racer, he placed high each year in major races in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Miami, and Chicago. In 1937 Chief Oshkosh set a new world’s speed record for its class over a 100-kilometer (60-mile) course at Detroit with a speed of 383 kilometers (238 miles) per hour. (Photo by Eric Long)
Wittman Chief Oshkosh/Buster
The aircraft that enjoyed what was perhaps the longest and most successful career in air racing history was Steve Wittman’s Chief Oshkosh, known in the post-World War II era as Buster. From 1931 until its retirement in 1954, this midget racer set records and took numerous trophies in class races and free-for-alls.
Although Wittman was plagued with several problems in this, his first homebuilt racer, he placed high each year in major races in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Miami, and Chicago. In 1937 Chief Oshkosh set a new world’s speed record for its class over a 100-kilometer (60-mile) course at Detroit with a speed of 383 kilometers (238 miles) per hour.
