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.