EAA Completes Buster Replica for Aviation Museum Display

The Experimental Aircraft Association has placed a detailed re-creation of the air racing aircraft Buster on permanent display in the Air Racing Gallery of the EAA Aviation Museum, completing the organization’s collection of Steve Wittman designs. ## Origins of the Original Aircraft Buster began life as Chief Oshkosh, one of Wittman’s early racers that suffered damage in a forced landing in 1939 and remained in storage through World War II. After the war, Wittman and protégé Bill Brennand rebuilt and modified the airframe for recreational and aerobatic use, giving it the new name because of its altered appearance. The pair later upgraded the aircraft to compete in a new class at the Cleveland Air Races. ## Racing Career and Donation Brennand secured a decisive victory in the 1947 Cleveland Air Races without prior practice on the course. Buster and Brennand continued competing through the late 1940s and early 1950s with additional modifications. Wittman eventually donated the aircraft to the National Air and Space Museum, where it remains on exhibit. In the 1980s, restorer Dave Broadfoot performed work on the original for NASM and received the 1947 wings and canopy from Wittman in appreciation. ## Replica Development Broadfoot recorded extensive measurements of the airframe with the intention of constructing a replica. He later approached members of EAA Chapter 252 in Oshkosh to pursue the project so the original wings would not simply hang on a wall. Jim Casper submitted a formal proposal to EAA in 2010. The effort gained momentum in 2019 when Mike Butler assumed leadership of the build. ## Team Contributions and Completion Butler converted Broadfoot’s measurements and drawings into airframe components over several years of preparation. Jim Cunningham conducted historical research on Wittman, Brennand, and the aircraft while assisting in the hangar. Casper fabricated parts such as the propeller spinner and coordinated early support. Additional assistance came from chapter members and EAA’s Charlie Becker, who helped secure supplies and arrange specialized painting and fabrication. The team worked three to five days per week during the final two years and finished the nonflyable re-creation in time for AirVenture Oshkosh 2025. Original wings were recovered and painted to 1947 configuration, while the canopy, flying wires, and portions of the cowling were retained in their existing condition. ## Speaker Series Presentation Casper, Butler, and Cunningham will discuss the project during the EAA Aviation Museum Speaker Series on Thursday, August 20, at 7 p.m. The completed replica now resides in the museum’s Air Racing Gallery. [Read the full EAA announcement](https://inspire.eaa.org/2026/06/24/the-re-creation-of-an-air-racing-legend-to-be-presented-at-museum-speaker-series/) Additional context on general aviation developments is available through [AOPA’s newsroom](https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media). ## Why it matters for AeroLink pilots The completed replica preserves a tangible link to mid-century air racing history at its Oshkosh origin and offers pilots and builders a reference point for studying Wittman-era construction techniques and restoration practices through museum visits and the upcoming speaker series.