Wedell-Williams Model 44
| Model 44 | |
|---|---|
| NR61Y, Roscoe Turner's Model 44 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Racing aircraft |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Wedell-Williams Air Service Corporation |
| Designer | |
| Status | One survivor, Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, Cleveland, Ohio |
| Primary users | Wedell-Williams Air Service Corp. |
| Number built | 4 |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1930-1931 |
| Introduction date | 13 June 1930, New Orleans Air Races |
| First flight | 12 January 1930 |
| Retired | 1939 National Air Races |
| Developed from | Wedell-Williams Model 22 |
The Wedell-Williams Model 44 is a racing aircraft, four examples of which were built in the United States in the early 1930s by the Wedell-Williams Air Service Corporation. It began as a rebuilding of the partnership's successful We-Will 1929 racer, but soon turned into a completely new racing monoplane aircraft, powered by a large radial engine. Model 44s became the dominant racers of the 1930s, setting innumerable records including setting a new world speed record in 1933.
The only surviving Model 44 is on display at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, Cleveland, Ohio. Three replica Model 44s are on display at the Wedell-Williams Aviation & Cypress Sawmill Museum, Patterson, Louisiana.