James Wedell was principal of Wedell-Williams Air Service Corp., Patterson, Louisiana, fixed-base operator. Built succession of low-wing braced monoplane racers 1928-33, notably 1930 Cirrus Racer, NR-54Y (Wasp) for Roscoe Turner 1932 and 2 Model 44 (Menasco) 1933. Leaped to fame with 3 monoplanes (supercharged P&W Wasp Junior) which won 1932 Bendix and set coast-to-coast records. Wedell himself set world landplane record (305 mph/491 km/h) September 1933. Many more wins and records with larger engines, but Wedell killed 1934 instructing in trainer, and racer-derived XP-34 fighter cancelled 1936 before completion.