Chester Swee' Pea
The Swee' Pea was a series of three midget aircraft racers designed by Art Chester.
Design and development
The Swee' Pea was a racing aircraft to compete in the new midget racing class championed by race pilot Art Chester. The aircraft was the third design from Chester with a Popeye comic name.The midget racer was required to have an engine less than 190 cubic inches in displacement at the time. The Swee' Pea shared a similar short, mid-wing taildragger configuration with other midget racers. The aircraft was unique in that it used a V tail configuration and a single cooling air intake through a large hole in the center of the spinner. The Fuselage is welded tube steel with plywood covered wings.
Operational history
The Swee' Pea was introduced at the 1947 National Air Races, but the V-Tail performed poorly at takeoff speed, and was replaced by a conventional tail for the 1948 Miami races. The top speed was reduced with a conventional tail, so the V-Tail was re-installed.The Swee' Pea was acquired by the Spirit of Flight Foundation museum in Nampa, ID and is currently on display with other Art Chester artifacts and photos.
Variants
;Swee' Pea;Swee' Pea II
;Wimpy