Throughout the WWII years, American soldiers became accustomed to the machinery of war. Whether assigned to tanks, trucks, boats or airplanes, the machinery they used often consisted of very powerful, very fast, high performance equipment. Soldiers also became accustomed to the constant danger they faced in war. At the close of WWII, these soldiers, who had for years known only this lifestyle, returned to the States with a new-found passion for all things fast, powerful, and exciting. This marked the beginning of Hot-Rod cars, chopped motorcycles, and many racing boat designs still in use today. It also ignited a resurgence of air racing, and the era of sport aviation as we know it today. The sleek, slippery Mustang M-1, also known as the Midget Mustang, was born of this era.

Originally designed as a Goodyear Class racer (max 190 ci engine), and as an affordable production sport plane to be built and sold by Schweitzer Aircraft, the appeal of this new plane was squarely aimed at fighter pilots returning from the war. The Mustang M-1, better known in its racing days as the Long Special, saw its share of action in the post-war heyday of the Cleveland Air Races. After the death of its designer in an early test flight accident, production plans were suspended. However, the lack of a production sponsor could not scuttle this enduring design. Over 300 Mustang M-1's have been custom built over the years by pilots desiring this level of speed and performance. MD-11 Capt Tom Ewing built this Mustang M-1 from plans, and currently flies it out of Naples, Florida.