| Chester Goon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Role | Air racer |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Designer | Art Chester |
| Introduction | 1938 |
The Chester Goon aka The Chester Special #2 was a single-engine taildragger-configuration monoplane racer built for the 1938 National Air Races.
Art Chester followed on his successful air racer the "Jeep"" with the Goon. "Goon", like "Jeep" was named after characters in Popeye cartoons and comic strips.
The Goon was built with a conventional welded steel tube frame and fabric covering. The wings used spruce spars and plywood covering. The mid-wing taildragger aircraft featured short-legged retractable landing gear. The engine was prepared to turn clockwise (as normal for some British inlines of the era) in anticipation of mounting a custom French propeller, but the propeller was also customized for American engines, and the engine needed to be modified again to rotate normally. [1]
During the 1956 rebuild, a 190 hp Lycoming O-435-1 engine was installed in place of the Menasco, including a cut down Beech-Roby propeller and wheel brakes.
In 1939 20th Century Fox featured the Goon in the movie series Tailspin Tommy. By 1956, the Goon was purchased in unflyable condition. On December 23, 1957, the rebuilt Goon was test flown by Harvey Mace at Sacramento, California. [4]
The Goon was purchased in 1991 by the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum and was awaiting restoration in Macedonia, Ohio. [5]
Data from EAA
General characteristics
Related development
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