On Fri, 02 Dec 2005 17:03:34 -0600, Big John
wrote:

Ted

Try looking for the following Museum in LA if Katrina didn't demolish
it? They might have some plans but probably most of the birds of that
era were hand built, one each cut to fit.
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Wedell-Williams "Red Lion"

Jimmie Wedell and Harry Williams formed an air service in
Patterson, Louisiana in 1928, but went on to become nationally
prominent during what was known as the Golden Age of Aviation. They
won numerous races, but both eventually perished in plane crashes.
The Red Lion was one of their most famous planes. The Wedell-Williams
Museum was established by the Louisiana state legislature as the
state's official aviation museum.
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Big John

I got a note from Jim Kimbell in Florida, who informed me that the one
they built was basically a "napkin" airplane. So it seems the ones
that have been built since the golden age had to be designed all over
again to look like the original. A daunting task indeed. A set of
plans would be nice to get a hold of, but there are those out in the
field that can self-engineer a plane like that. But the cost is
astronomical. Us do-it-yourselfers are stuck tyring to settle on the
structure design independently. From the research I've done, the
Weddell-Williams racers weren't as dangerous as the Gee Bees.
But they are no short field airplanes either.