FEATURES

• Stand off scale design
• Removable wing construction
• Wing alignment is built into design
• Scale dihedral with ailerons
• Scale rib placement
• Lightweight front balsa sheeted former, stringer and keel fuselage construction, Improved over early versions.
• Built up tapered cowl included
• Built up wheel pant design
• Balsa and Plywood dummy engine
• Canopy not included
  

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Jimmy Wedell built airplanes by eye, as the untrained musician plays by ear, but they flew and they were fast. He desired to build the fastest, safest fighting and mail planes in the world. He also wanted them safe enough for the average pilot to fly at a top speeds over 400 mph. Jimmy began with drawing some chalk lines on the hanger floor which roughed out the size and shape of the Wedell Williams Special. Walter Wedell, Charles (Frenchy) Fortune, Eddie Robertson and Jimmy started welding using this outline. "Seat of the pants" style adjustments were made and when the racer was finished, the final measurements were written. So it was this style of the construction with all the Wedell-Williams racers. The Gilmore Oil Company sponsored the building of a racer for Roscoe Turner and it was completed in time for the National Air Races in 1932. Three big Wedell-Williams racers chalked up two firsts, five seconds, three thirds and two fourths that year. Included were a first, second and third in the Bendix Race, a second, third and fourth in both the Thompson Trophy Race and the Shell Speed Dashes.