new freeware Wedell Type 44

[heywooood]

https://youtu.be/_YgpBFISlW8

available at flightsim.to
Wedell-Williams Model 44 - 1.00 » Microsoft Flight Simulator

[YoYo]

Looks really nice, thanks for the link and info.

[DennyA]

It's really, really well done. At least as solid as some of the simpler payware planes I've bought. Well worth your time to download and check out!

[DennyA]

Jankees, a fantasy US Navy (prewar or three-tone blue) or RAAF WW2 paint scheme would look fantastic on this. Just hinting.

[K5083]

Agree with all above. This is amazingly good for freeware, clearly a labor of love and better than pro products in many respects. Really an awesome surprise to start my morning today.

August

[Priller]

Jankees, a fantasy US Navy (prewar or three-tone blue) or RAAF WW2 paint scheme would look fantastic on this. Just hinting.

I concur!! But with a "pretty please"

Question: is this as difficult to fly as a Gee Bee?

Priller

[Bomber_12th]

The Wedell-Williams Model 44s, of which four were built, dominated the Bendix races in the early 1930s, winning it in 1932 (Capt. Jasper Haizlip), 1933 (Roscoe Turner), and 1934 (Doug Davis). They also won the Thompson Trophy races in 1933 and 1934, with James Wedell and Roscoe Turner respectively. Initially they were fitted with the same engine as that which powered the Gee Bee R-2, the Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Jr., but later the larger P&W R-1340 Wasp (as installed in the Gee Bee R-1) and P&W R-1690 Hornet engines were also used. According to the developer, the example depicted here is fitted with the R-985. (It's interesting that the R-985 modeled in this freeware model is incorrectly mounted upside down.)

I don't know anything about how the real Model 44s flew (I will have to do some reading). Looking at the design of the airframe, with the location of the engine/landing gear/pilot and center of gravity, as well as the size of the wings, I would believe it would handle rather conventionally, though I don't know if there has ever been a purpose-built racer that was easy to fly. The ailerons and tail surfaces seem quite small.

Like flying the Gee Bees, it would be important to get the power up and tail up off the ground as early as possible on takeoff, to get the tail skid out of the ground, to get more air crossing over the rudder, and to be able to see down the runway. This sim model handles that really well - I get the power up to 30-in MP quickly but smoothly, as I put some forward pressure on the stick until the tail is up (all happening in a matter of two-three seconds). With the wind straight down the runway, there is little rudder input needed. I've been flying off at around 85 knots - it's a real rocket ship/like a slingshot on takeoff. In the air it is quite docile but locks up as you approach 200 knots. It doesn't like going below about 65 knots and has a hard stall at around 50-55 knots. Landings should of course be done with a curved approach. I made my first landing flying quite fast, flying final at 95 knots and a wheel landing touching down at 85 knots (then using brakes, while holding the tail up, until slowed down to 25 knots or so). My second landing I was able to fly final at around 85 knots and did a tail-low, near three-point landing, at around 65 knots. It only side-slips marginally well before running out of rudder, and a low approach is required as it doesn't like to bleed off speed in a descent.



Seen here are a couple of the replicas which once flew, back in the 1990s (since retired to museum display):

[jankees]

I have the same problem, but only in the hangar, they do show up in the sim. No idea yet what causes this.

edit: the plot thickens...after removing my 'model.JK' folder, I now have both the originals and mine, except for Roscoe Turners aircraft....go figure..

edit2: found it! It was the title in the aircraft.cfg that was wrong, just downlaod again and you should be right.

edit3: and started on a XP-34 paint:
jk4178 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

[jankees]

Jankees, a fantasy US Navy (prewar or three-tone blue) or RAAF WW2 paint scheme would look fantastic on this. Just hinting.

A bit like this you mean?
HGGH1 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

HGGH3 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

HGGH8 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

HGGH9 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

[heywooood]

She looks happy in those clothes - nicely done!

[jankees]

and how's this?

3d by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

3e by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

3g by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

btw, isn't the pilot sitting a bit too far back in the cockpit? Especially when compared with John's pics?

[Priller]

Both are brilliant Jankees!

Priller

[DennyA]

Jankees, both of those are awesome! Thanks for doing those -- can't wait to try them!

As I look at it in military garb, I realize the P-26 Peashooter would also be an excellent template for a paint job. (Not necessarily asking, you've already done cool stuff, just tossing it out there since I noticed!) Just a very similar overall design. They're both wearing the same pants.

[YoYo]

It looks quite similar like Skylark plane (LC for FSX):



The same fashion .

[Brytskiva]

Yes this was a good one

[Deacon211]

Very cool looking plane and love those AAC repaints Jankees!

[heywooood]

btw, isn't the pilot sitting a bit too far back in the cockpit? Especially when compared with John's pics?

yes - the pilot is not only seated too far back but the scaling might be off a bit as well. This was not a large airplane. The pilot should be much larger in the cockpit than what we see here.
The airfoil shape, prop blade shape and rotation, the rigging attachment points, and needing some additional cockpit controls notwithstanding, this is still a terrific bit of work. Hopefully we'll see not
only some updates to the Type 44 by Sal1800 but maybe some new additional aircrafts as well - I sure hope so.
Specifications (Model 44)[edit]

Wedel Williams 44 3-view drawing from L'Aerophile Salon 1932

Data from Race With the Wind: How Air Racing Advanced Aviation^[12]
General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 23 ft 0 in (7.01 m)
• Wingspan: 26 ft 3 in (8.0 m)
• Height: 8 ft 1 in (2.46 m)
• Wing area: 107.9 sq ft (10.02 m²)
• Airfoil: M-10 (modified)
• Empty weight: 1,702 lb (772 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,677 lb (1,214 kg)
• Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1690-S1C3G 9-cyl. air-cooled radial piston engine, 1,020 hp (760 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Hamilton Standard ground adjustable, Curtiss adjustable or Smith adjustable propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 325 mph (523 km/h, 282 kn) ^[13]
• Range: 900 mi (1,400 km, 780 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 14,000 ft (4,300 m)
• Wing loading: 24.83 lb/sq ft (121.2 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0.38hp/lb (0.63 kW/kg)

scale model of the Type 44 I built a while back - note the size of the pilot in the cockpit..

[dvj]

That's a great looking model build.

[jankees]

I just uploaded both Navy paints to .to
1d by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

1l1 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

HGGH4 by JanKees Blom, on Flickr

have fun!

[DennyA]

Thanks, Jan Kees! I’m looking forward to flying around in my new F2W-1 and F2W-1D!

(In my fantasy universe, the XFW-1 was based on the Model 22, but the Navy passed on that design.)

[DennyA]

Brilliant, Jan Kees!

[DennyA]

I had no idea, but the but the idea of this being a prototype fighter was not that far-fetched. Just picked the wrong service!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedell-Williams_XP-34

[heywooood]

There is an update to this aircraft at flightsim.to that fixes the prop animations and addresses the engine sounds quite well - however - I have lost all aircraft textures (there isn't even a Gilmore folder anymore) except the cockpit - it's the only thing visible in the aircraft selection hangar.
The only liveries that show up properly are the Navy ones from JanKees

Can others please verify?