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:This article is about an aircraft. See The Spirit of St. Louis (disambiguation) for similarly named things. The Spirit of St. Louis was a custom airplane used by Charles Lindbergh to make the first solo, non-stop trans-Atlantic flight on May 20 and May 21, 1927. Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Airfield in Long Island, New York and made a successful touchdown at the Le Bourget Aerodrome in Paris, France. The flight lasted for 33 hours, 30 minutes and 29.8 seconds.
History Officially known as the Ryan NYP, the aircraft was designed by Donald Hall of Ryan Airlines based on the Ryan M-2. Although designed for its successful New York to Paris flight and built in San Diego, it was named after St. Louis because of financial backing from that city. The flight was inspired by and won the $25,000 Orteig Prize for the first non-stop flight between New York and Paris. Hall and the Ryan Airlines staff worked closely with Lindbergh to design and build the single-seat, single-engine monoplane in just 60 days for a cost of just over $10,000. In the spring of 1927, several other pilots and aircrew were also preparing to make the Transatlantic flight to compete for the Orteig Prize. Lindbergh was convinced that a small airplane designed around the dependable Wright Whirlwind J-5C engine stood the best chance of completing the flight. However, the race to be first across the Atlantic required trade-offs. The wingspan of the Ryan M2 was increased by 10 feet to create a surface area large enough to lift 450 gallons (1,703 liters) of fuel along with a pilot and equipment. However, Lindbergh decided that the tail and control surfaces of the aircraft would remain relatively small to minimize drag and to reduce stress on the wing. This resulted in extremely unstable flight characteristics, with a tendency to curve, dip, and bank at random times. Lindbergh was said to have asked for the plane to be made unstable so he wouldn't fall asleep at the controls. The stiff wicker seat in the cockpit was also purposefully uncomfortable. Lindbergh also insisted that all extra weight be eliminated. For example, he carried no radio in order to save weight. Also, although he was an airmail pilot, he refused to carry souvenir letters on the Transatlantic journey, insisting that every extra ounce be devoted to fuel. The aircraft fuselage was made of fabric over a metal-tube frame. The wings were made of fabric over a wood frame. To increase fuel economy, the Spirit of St. Louis was one of the most streamlined aircraft of its era. Lindbergh insisted that the large main fuel tank be placed in the forward section of the fuselage, in front of the pilot. That way, in the event of a crash during takeoff, the pilot would be in a safer position behind the engine and fuel tanks. As a result, there was no front windshield. Lindbergh kept his bearings by looking out two side windows and using rudimentary navigation instruments. He also installed a small periscope to look out the front. This was mainly used as a precaution to avoid hitting ship masts while flying at low altitude over harbors and sea coasts. Lindbergh's Transatlantic flight made him an instant celebrity and media star. He flew the Spirit of St. Louis to Belgium and England before President Coolidge sent a Navy cruiser to bring Lindbergh and his airplane back to the United States. Lindbergh then flew the Spirit of St. Louis on promotional and goodwill tours across the United States and Latin America. The final flight of the Spirit of St. Louis was on April 30, 1928, when Lindbergh flew from St. Louis to Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., where he presented the historic airplane to the Smithsonian Institution. Museum display The original Spirit of St. Louis is currently on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC, in the main atrium on the same side as the Bell X-1 and SpaceShipOne. The aircraft was presented to the Smithsonian Institution by Lindbergh in 1928. A large number of replicas have been made — both static and flying. The Experimental Aircraft Association, for instance, owns two such replicas, both of which were registered under the original's NX211. Other examples are found at the Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, San Diego Aerospace Museum, and San Diego International Airport. Specifications General characteristics Crew: 1 Length: 27 ft, 7 in (8.4 m) Wingspan: 46 ft (14 m) Height: 9 ft 10 in (3 m) Wing area: 320 ft² (29.7 m²) Empty weight: 2,150 lb (975 kg) Loaded weight: 5,135 lb (2,330 kg) Maximum gross takeoff weight: 2888 lb (1,310 kg) Powerplant: 1× Wright Whirlwind J-5C, 223 hp (166 kW) Fuel Capacity: 450 gal. (1703 l) Number of tanks: 5 (Left wing, right wing, mid wing, nose, payload-space) Performance Maximum speed: 130 mph (210 km/h) Cruising speed: 100-110 mph (160-175 km/h) Range: 4,100 mi (6,600 km) Maximum Ceiling: 16, 400 ft (5,000 m) Wing loading: 9 lb/ft² (44 kg/m²) Power/mass: 23 lb/hp (10.4 kg/hp) Related content | ||||||||
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