Planes: The Spirit of St. Louis The Spirit of St. Louis The plane that made Charles Lindbergh an instant hero by Gerry Brown Spirit of St. Louis Specs Length: 8.41 m (27 ft, 7 in.) Wingspan: 14.02 m (46 ft) Height: 2.99 m (9 ft, 10 in.) Engine: Wright Whirlwind J-5C, 223 horsepower Max weight: 2,330 kg (5,135 lbs) Empty weight: 975 kg (2,150 lbs) Manufacturer: Ryan Airlines Co., San Diego, Calif., 1927 Related Links National Aviation Hall of Fame Charles A. Lindbergh , perhaps the most famous pilot since the Wright Brothers , made the first nonstop solo transatlantic flight in the silver Ryan strut-braced monoplane The Spirit of St. Louis.

Early on May 20, 1927, Lindbergh began the 3,610-mile trip from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, to Le Bourget Field outside Paris, France, landing 33½ hours later to a mob of 100,000 ecstatic Parisians. Lucky Lindy instantly became an international hero for the daring and lucrative flight. Prize Money as Motivator Part of the reason for his daring was the $25,000 prize first offered in 1919 by French-American and New York hotelier Raymond Orteig to the first aviator to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean between New York and Paris. Others, usually in a multi-engine plane design, had either already attempted or were planning an attempt when Lindbergh, in his single-engine design, made his famous crossing. But the plane had already made history on its maiden voyage. Following several test flights, Lindbergh flew the aircraft from San Diego to New York, stopping only in St. Louis. The flight time of 21 hours and 40 minutes broke the transcontinental record.

Custom Design The plane itself was custom designed by Donald Hall under the direct supervision of Lindbergh but based on a standard Ryan M-2 aircraft. Due to the extended nature of the flight, the wingspan was lengthened by 10ft, and the fuselage was slightly enlarged and strengthened to bear the weight of a larger fuel load. The cockpit was moved toward the back of the plane a bit, and the Wright Whirlwind J-5C engine was moved forward. The fuel tanks were placed in front of the cockpit; in order to see forward Lindbergh used a periscope or turned the plane and looked out the side window. The plane, which was officially named Ryan NYP The Spirit of St. Louis, was named in honor of Lindbergh's financial backers, several men from St. Louis who paid for the building of the airplane. The NYP stands for New York–Paris. Museum Piece The plane now can be seen at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. Spirit of St. Louis Spirit of St. Louis You are here: Home | The Spirit of St. Louis The Spirit of St. Louis The Spirit of St. Louis is a wonderful plane.

It’s like a living creature, gliding along smoothly, happily, as though a successful flight means as much to it as to me, as though we shared our experiences together, each feeling beauty, life, and death as keenly, each dependent on the other’s loyalty. We have made this flight across the ocean, not I or it. - Charles Lindbergh, 1927 Spirit of St. Louis name "Spirit of St. Louis" was named in honor of Lindbergh's supporters in St. Louis, Missouri, who paid for the aircraft. "NYP" is an acronym for "New York-Paris," the object of the flight. Download technical preparation of the airplane - Spirit of St. Louis- PDF File Given here is a brief history of the design and construction of the - Spirit of St. Louis, the airplane that Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic. Although the plan was to modify a standard model Ryan M-2, it was quickly determined that modification was less practical than redesign. Colonel Lindbergh's active participation in the design of the aircraft is noted. Given here are the general dimensions, specifications, weight characteristics, and man hours required to build the aircraft.

PDF Download includes general dimensions, specifications, weight characteristics, and man hours required to build the aircraft. (Donald A. Hall NACA TN 257 Jul 1927 ) Download Now Paris to New York or New York to Paris In 1919 Raymond Orteig , a Frenchman who owned the Brevoort and Lafayette hotels in New York City, made the fledgling flying world an extraordinary offer. Enthralled by tales of pioneer aviators, Orteig put up a purse of $25,000 to the first aviator to fly nonstop from Paris to New York or New York to Paris. Orteig said his offer would be good for five years. Five years came and went. No one accomplished the feat. No one even tried. In 1926, Orteig extended the term of his offer another five years. This time around aviation technology had advanced to a point where some thought it might actually be possible to fly across the vast Atlantic. Charles A. Lindbergh was one of them. Why shouldn't I fly from New York to Paris?

As a youth, Lindbergh studied with fascination the World War I flying exploits of French ace Rene Fonck who had shot down 75 German planes in the war. In September 1926, Fonck set his sights on crossing the Atlantic from New York to Paris and claiming Orteig's bounty. It was not to be. Fonck's plane, a silver biplane with a luxurious cabin, burst into flames before it even left the ground. Fonck survived the crash, but two crew members were killed. In 1926 Charles Lindbergh had not yet achieved the level of acclaim of his more illustrious flying counterparts. He had, however, gained a reputation as a talented flyer. His experience as a daredevil barnstormer, expert mechanic, and intrepid airmail pilot made many within the relatively small community of flyers take notice. As important, Lindbergh was full of the confidence necessary to undertake such a bold adventure. "Why shouldn't I fly from New York to Paris? ...I have more than four years of aviation behind me, and close to two thousand hours in the air. I've barnstormed over half of the forty-eight states.

...Why am I not qualified for such a flight?" he later wrote in his autobiographical book, "The Spirit of St. Louis." Lindbergh convinced himself that he was qualified for such a flight, and set his sights upon convincing others. A budget of $15,000 Lindbergh's reputation as an ace pilot was unassailable in St. Louis. He had pioneered the airmail routes between that city and Chicago. Harry Knight, president of the St. Louis Flying Club, had great respect for Lindbergh. So much so that Knight chose Lindbergh as his personal flight instructor. Lindbergh, in turn, came to Knight when seeking backers for his proposed flight. Knight put Lindbergh in contact with the head of the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce, Harold Bixby. Meeting with Bixby, Lindbergh predicted great things for St. Louis if the city were to put its support behind such an historic flight. Painting a picture of St. Louis as an aviation hub, Lindbergh convinced Bixby to sponsor his flight. A budget of $15,000 was agreed upon.

A single-engine plane With his backers entrusting in him their full confidence, Lindbergh set off to find the right plane. His notion of what constituted the right plane for such a flight put him at odds with the prevailing ideas of the day. While other aviators were placing their faith in the increased power and purported safety of multi-engine planes, Lindbergh determined that multiple engines increased, rather than decreased, the odds of failure. "I'm not sure three engines would really add much to safety on a flight like that. There'd be three times the chance of engine failure," he later recorded. For his transatlantic attempt, he sought out a single-engine plane. And he would be flying alone. His equation was simple: less weight (one engine, one pilot) would increase fuel efficiency and allow for a longer flying range. After failing to convince several airplane manufacturers of the rightness of his thinking, Lindbergh was told of a single-engine plane owned by the Columbia Aircraft Corporation of New York that could be his for $15,000. That sum excluded an engine. Still, Lindbergh wanted the plane. He walked away from the deal, however, when Columbia Aircraft Corporation president Charles Levine insisted on choosing the pilot and crew.

Nineteen-twenty-six had turned into 1927, and Lindbergh was running out of time. Other aviators were progressing with tests and flight plans, and Lindbergh still didn't even have a plane. Ryan Airlines Corporation In February, 1927, Lindbergh's luck improved. Less than 24 hours after hearing of Lindbergh's search for a single-engine plane, the Ryan Airlines Corporation of San Diego, California offered to build such a plane for $6,000. Again, excluding the engine. Ryan, led by company president Frank Mahoney , would need three months to manufacturer Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis." Upon arriving at the Ryan headquarters to meet with Mahoney and chief engineer and designer Donald Hall, Lindbergh was unimpressed with what he saw. Ryan Airlines was housed in a broken down building that used to be a fish cannery. A discouraging stench filled the air. After meeting with Mahoney and Hall, however, Lindbergh's spirits were much improved.

The men voiced full confidence in Lindbergh's choice of a single-engine plane and Lindbergh was won over by their apparent skill and dedication, even after he informed them that the plane would have to be completed in two months, not three. From that moment on, Donald Hall practically lived at Ryan Airlines. His commitment was matched by that of his staff, as voluntary overtime became the norm. These men sensed they were becoming part of something historic. Designed with one thought "The Spirit of St. Louis" was designed with one thought in mind: to get to Paris. Extra fuels tanks were added and the wing span increased to accommodate the additional weight. The plane would have a maximum range of 4,000 miles, more than enough to reach Paris. One of the more innovative design decisions involved placing the main fuel tank in front of, rather than behind, the pilot's seat. Lindbergh didn't want to be caught between the tank and the engine if the plane was forced to land. This configuration also meant that Lindbergh would not be able to see directly ahead as he flew. It didn't seem to trouble him much. "There's not much need to see ahead in normal flight," Lindbergh told Donald Hall.

"I won't be following any airways. When I'm near a flying field, I can watch the sky ahead by making shallow banks. All I need is a window on each side to see through..." If needed, Lindbergh would use a periscope attached to the plane's left side to see what was in front of him. In his efforts to pare down the plane's weight, Lindbergh considered every detail. Any item considered too heavy or unnecessary was left behind. These included a radio, parachute, gas gauges, and navigation lights. Lindbergh designed for himself special lightweight boots for the flight, and went so far as to cut his maps down to include only those reference points he would need. Every ounce mattered. Instead of a heavy leather pilot's seat, Lindbergh would be perched in a far lighter wicker chair. Completion on April 28, 1927 Upon its completion on April 28, 1927, the "Spirit of St. Louis" weighed in at 2,150 lbs. when empty. It stood 9 feet, 8 inches high, was 27 feet, 8 inches long, and had a 46-foot wingspan.

The plane was powered by a 220-horsepower, air-cooled, 9-cylinder Wright J-5C "Whirlwind" engine that was estimated to be able to perform flawlessly for over 9,000 hours. The engine was outfitted with a special mechanism designed to keep it greased during the entire transatlantic flight. May 1927 Two days before Lindbergh's scheduled May 10, 1927 departure from San Diego, news broke that Frenchmen Charles Nungesser and Francois Coli had taken off from Paris bound for New York. It appeared as if all of Lindbergh's and Ryan Airlines' efforts had been in vain. However, despite a radio report claiming that Nungesser and Coli had been spotted over the Atlantic, the two were never seen again. Lindbergh's chance for glory was still within reach. "Lucky Lindy" and his "Spirit of St. Louis" landed at Curtiss Field on Long Island, New York, on May 12, 1927. En route, pilot and plane had already broken the existing record for the fastest transcontinental flight.

Eight days later, Lindbergh and his silver plane were poised to set new records as they took off from Roosevelt Field. Fighting fog, icing, and sleep deprivation, Lindbergh landed safely at Le Bourget Field in Paris at 10:22pm on May 20, 1927. "The Spirit of St. Louis" had carried him over 3,600 miles in 33.5 hours. A new aviation hero was born, and the "Spirit of St. Louis" attained legendary status. Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Today, Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis" is housed in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It is one of the museum's most popular attractions. Design Features: The "Spirit of St. Louis" was designed by Donald Hall under the direct supervision of Charles Lindbergh. It is a highly modified version of a conventional Ryan M-2 strut-braced monoplane, powered by a reliable Wright J-5C engine.

Because the fuel tanks were located ahead of the cockpit for safety in case of an accident, Lindbergh could not see directly ahead, except by using a periscope on the left side or by turning the airplane and looking out a side window. The two tubes beneath the fuselage are flare dispensers that were installed for Lindbergh's flights to Latin America and the Caribbean. Wingspan: 14 m (46 ft) Length: 8 m (27 ft 8 in) Height: 3 m (9 ft 10 in) Weight, gross: 2,330 kg (5,135 lb) Weight, empty: 975 kg (2,150 lb) Engine: Wright Whirlwind J-5C, 223hp Manufacturer: Ryan Airlines Co., San Diego, Calif., 1927 Eemergency Equipment Carried in the Spirit of St. Louis The following emergency equipment was carried in the the Spirit of St. Louis on the flights between San Diego and Paris.

1 air raft, with pump and repair kit 1 canteen of water—4 quarts 1 Armbrust cup 5 cans of Army emergency rations 1 hunting knife 4 red flares, sealed in rubber tubes 1 match safe with matches 1 hack-saw blade * Source: Lindbergh, Charles A. "The Spirit of St. Louis" Ryan Airlines Co- San Diegans who built the original "Spirit of St. Louis": Builders of the original "Spirit of St. Louis" pose before the plane prior to Lindbergh's departure from San Diego in 1927: (left to right) Gordy L. Boyd, George F. Hammond, Burt Tindale, Jesse Cooper, O.R. McNeel, Walter O. Locke, Charles A. Lindbergh, Georgia Mathias Borthwick, Lawrence W. Muehleisen, Frank Say, Ed "K" Crosby, June Eddy, A.J. Edwards, Daniel B. Burnett, Jr., Peggy DeWitt, Fred H. Rohr, Ruth Kennaugh Clemens, Mrs. L.

Bray, Shirley Morrison, Bill Van den Akker, Mel (Andy) Anderson, Pat Davenport, Ed Terry, C. Randolph, Elmer Dye, C. Rand, Gus Eoff, Walt A. Crawford, Unknown, Doug Corrigan, John Van der Linde, Dale Powers, J.J. Red Harrigan, William Hawley Bowlus and Frank Mahoney. Other "Spirit of St. Louis" builders not shown in photo: Donald Hall, Henry Hunold, Ed Sherburn, Ed Morrow, Ed Krauscyk, B. Jones, Fred Magula, Fred Ayres, Doug Kelley, William Bodie, Lon Wheeler, John Lester, John Stoner, Jimmy Erickson, Albert C. Crygier, Helen Thorpe, Charlie Miller and Charlie Hansen. Technical preparation of the Airplane "Spirit of St. Louis" Written for the National Avisory Committee for Aeronautice" By Donald A. Hall Chief, Engineer, Ryan Airlines, Inc. July 1927 Given here is a brief history of the design and construction of the—Spirit of St. Louis, the airplane that Charles Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic.

Although the plan was to modify a standard model Ryan M-2, it was quickly determined that modification was less practical than redesign. Colonel Lindbergh's active participation in the design of the aircraft is noted. Given here are the general dimensions, specifications, weight characteristics, and man hours required to build the aircraft. View individual pages or download PDF of the technical preparation of the airplane—Spirit of St. Louis: Click on the thumbnail images below to see the full-size image of individual pages or download all pages in a PDF file format. Adobe Acrobat Reader must be installed. Source: National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics The sites of the construction and final asembly of "Spirit of St Louis" San Diego, CA Picture & description by Geoffrey Batten Lindbergh describes the sites of the construction and final asembly of 'Spirit of St Louis' in his book, "The Spitit of St Louis"' (1953) as follows: The Ryan Airlines factory is an old dilapidated building near the waterfront...........There's no flying field, no hanger, no sound of engines warming up; and the unmistakable smell of dead fish from a near-by cannery mixes with the banana odor of dope from drying wings.

and This morning we hauled the Spirit of St. Louis to Dutch Flats. By taking off the landing gear on one side, it was easy enough to move the fuselage through the big doorway of the factory's ground floor but the wing in the loft created an unexpected problem.............no one thought about getting a forty-six-foot wing out of the room where it was built. For a while it looked as though we'd have to tear out a section of the wall; but careful measurement showed that we could get by if we tipped the wing over at an angle and removed the loft's double doors.............Fortunately an empty boxcar was standing on the railroad siding next to the factory and all hands turned out to push the boxcar into a position which would form the first step downward from the loft. Then, with a contractor's derrick, we maneuvered the wing onto the car top, and from the car top down to a waiting truck.

A Scott Berg in 'Lindbergh' (1998) adds: The landing gear was reassembled, and the fuselage was hoisted up by its tail and attached to the back of Claude Ryan's 1925 Studebaker roadster, then towed tail-first to Dutch Flats, the Ryan test field on the edge of the city. Both books contain (different) photographs of the wing on top of the empty boxcar. Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | This site is not affiliated with the Lindbergh family, Lindbergh Foundation, or any other organization or group. This site owned and operated by the Spirit of St. Louis 2 Project. ® Copyright 2014 CharlesLindbergh.com�, All rights reserved. The Spirit of St. Louis - YouTube The Spirit of St. Louis Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Oct 1, 2010 Replica of plane made famous by Charles Lindbergh who flew the Spirit of St. Louis for the first solo non-stop crossing of the Atlantic from US to Paris in 1927. Category Spirit | Aircraft | Aircraft Links Spirit - $4.95 The Spirit of St. Louis (Registration: N-X-211) is the custom-built single engine, single seat monoplane that was flown solo by Charles Lindbergh on May 20–21, 1927, on the first non-stop flight from New York to Paris for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize. Lindbergh and his Spirit of St Louis Lindbergh and the Spirit of St Louis The most celebrated aeroplane designed by Ryan, the single engine NYP (better known as the Spirit of St Louis) was the plane in which Charles Lindbergh achieved the first solo nonstop crossing of the Atlantic when he flew from New York to Paris in 1927.

Unlike some famous aviators, Lindbergh's feats did not end with just this one flight later he went on to fly from the US to Tokyo over the Arctic with his wife Anne Marrow Lindbergh in a Lockheed Sirius . Ryan - Spirit of St. Louis The "Spirit of St. Louis" was designed by Donald Hall under the direct supervision of Charles Lindbergh. It is a highly modified version of a conventional Ryan M-2 strut-braced monoplane, powered by a reliable Wright J-5C engine. Because the fuel tanks were located ahead of the cockpit for safety in case of an accident, Lindbergh could not see directly ahead, except by using a periscope on the left side or by turning the airplane and looking out a side window. The two tubes beneath the fuselage are flare dispensers that were installed for Lindbergh's flights to Latin America and the Caribbean. The Ryan Aircraft Corporation's Spirit of St. Louis is perhaps one of the most famous aircraft ever built. With Charles Lindbergh as pilot, it became the first aircraft to successfully fly across the Atlantic Ocean in May 1927.

Its marathon 33-hour, nonstop, non refueled flight departed Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York and when the plane landed at LeBourget Airport in Paris, France, Lindbergh became an international hero overnight. The Spirit of St. Louis was enshrined in the Smithsonian Institution's National Air & Space Museum, alongside the Wright Brothers' aircraft. "Spirit of St. Louis" was named in honor of Lindbergh's supporters in St. Louis, Missouri, who paid for the aircraft. "NYP" is an acronym for "New York-Paris." Dividing the Old World from the New, the Atlantic Ocean has always been a barrier to trade between Europe and the Americas, and the commercial importance of an aerial link was realized long before it became a practical possibility. A flurry of activity in 1919 proved that the Atlantic could be conquered, but many years were to pass before it was tamed; the pioneer flights of Read (first crossing), Alcock and Brown (first non-stop crossing) and Scott (first crossings by airship) were a far cry from commercial operations which could offer the required degree of reliability with an economic payload.

During the 'twenties and 'thirties, many ingenious solutions were advanced to the problem of crossing 2,000 miles of water, frequently in adverse wind and weather and with inadequate navigational aids. The route across the South Atlantic was a little easier than that farther north. From Dakar, in Senegal, to Natal, in Brazil, the distance was just under 1,900 miles , the weather was usually good and, in an emergency, the island of Fernando de Noronha, 300 miles off the Brazilian coast, could be used for refueling. The enterprise of French and German pioneers led to the establishment of air routes across the South Atlantic within a decade of the first Atlantic crossings-but not before the North Atlantic had witnessed another epic flight which, in public acclaim, outdid even the achievement of Alcock and Brown. Spirit-of-St Louis-First Crossing: The first Atlantic crossings had, not unnaturally, been concerned with little more than getting an aeroplane and its crew across the shortest distance of water separating Europe and America.

It was not long, however, before attention was turned to linking centers of population further inland, and as early as 1920 a prize of $25,000 had been offered for the first non-stop flight between Paris and New York (in either direction). The first attempt to cross the Atlantic from east to west, against the prevailing westerly winds, was made in 1924, when three Douglas Cruisers left Brough, in Yorkshire, and two succeeded in reaching Labrador in stages, with lengthy intervening stops. Further attempts in each direction during 1927 took the lives of the Americans Davis and Wooster, the Frenchmen Nungesser and Coli, and two crew members of the Frenchman Fonck. Then, with little prior publicity, the young American Charles Lindbergh arrived in Paris on May 21, 1927, at the end of a 332-hour, 3,610-mile flight from New York.

His was the first non-stop solo flight, and the longest trans Atlantic fight to that date, qualifying for the 525,000 prize and resulting in a display of public adulation which today is more usually reserved for pop-stars. Lindbergh, 25 years of age and a pilot by profession, had a natural flair for flying and above-average ability as a navigator. He needed both in good measure through the long watches of the moonless night over the Atlantic, as he battled through icing levels, unknown winds and poor visibility. His flight not only demonstrated great personal skill and courage, but also vindicated his faith in the single 237 hp Wright Whirlwind engine which powered the specially-built Ryan NYP (New York-Paris) monoplane Spirit of St Louis. Apart from the engine and rudimentary cockpit, from which the only forward view could be obtained through a periscope, the NYP was little more than a flying fuel tank, containing 450 US gallons in the fuselage and wings.

Like most other Atlantic fliers of the period, Lindbergh made his take-off with the aeroplane loaded to a weight far above normal; the ability of the aeroplane to leave the ground at this weight in the length of runway available was unknown until the start of the flight. After a hazardous but successful take-off, Lindbergh flew north from Long Island to cross Newfoundland before setting course eastwards. His landfall, 28 hours after take-off, was only three miles off course over the Irish coast, and the remainder of the flight, across the tip of Cornwall and on to Cherbourg and Paris, was uneventful. Less than a lifetime ago it was widely believed that non-stop transatlantic flight was impossible. In 1921, Charles Lindbergh's historic flight in his Spirit of St. Louis changed the mind set of the world. His courage, careful planning and devotion to his mission ultimately led him to success. Lindbergh passed away in 1974, but the impact of his flight will be long remembered as one of the greatest achievements of mankind. The Spirit of St.

Louis now hangs in the "Milestones of Flight" hall in the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum, where it has been on exhibit since 1976. The Spirit was based on a successful mail-carrying monoplane that the company had in production at the time called the Ryan M-1. Lindbergh worked with Ryan's design engineer Donald Hall to redesign the M-1 to make it capable of the long flight. 850 hours were spent reengineering the M-1. The original Spirit was built in just 60 days with the staff of the Ryan Airlines company working around the clock for a total of 3000 man-hours. The company saved a considerable amount of time by utilizing many components from the M- 1 including the tail surfaces, wing ribs and many other parts and sub-assemblies. Three fuel tanks were installed in the wings and because of the extra weight of fuel required to complete the flight, the wingspan was extended to 46' from 36' for additional lift. The Spirit weighed 2150lbs. empty.

Fully loaded with 450 gallons of gasoline, 25 gallons of oil, minimal supplies and Lindbergh himself, the gross weight totaled 5250 lbs. The gasoline itself weighed 2150lbs., 600 lbs more than the aircraft itself! After completing the 3,600-mile flight, Lindbergh had 85 gallons of gas remaining in his tanks. The M-1 fuselage design was lengthened and its shape was modified to provide Lindbergh with an enclosed cabin as opposed to an open cockpit. Lindbergh did not want to sit between the engine and the tanks, so two additional tanks were placed in front of him between the engine and the cabin. The tanks blocked Lindbergh's forward view, so his instrument panel (located just behind the main tank) was equipped with a small periscope. The periscope projected out of the left side of the fuselage and provided him with slightly improved visibility. He used the device when flying near the coast to avoid hitting tall masts of sailing vessels. Other times he would peer out of the cockpit window cutouts in the side of the fuselage to see the outside world.

These cutouts had removable windows that could easily be installed to keep the cold wind out of the cabin. The late Frank Tallman (famed motion-picture stunt pilot and early aircraft collector) built a copy of the Spirit of St. Louis for the 1957 movie of the same name starring Jimmy Stewart. Tallman later recorded many of his flying experiences in his popular book, Flying the Old Planes. In reference to flying the Spirit without being able to see forward he wrote, "strangely enough, the lack of adequate forward visibility doesn't bother me too much." It is not readily apparent unless you are in the pilot's seat, but most vintage biplanes have very poor forward visibility, especially while on the ground with the tail down while taxiing, taking-off or landing. In comparison with a biplane the Spirit actually has better downward and outward visibility as there are no lower wings to block the pilot's view. Lindbergh amassed a total of just under 490 hours on the airplane, completing 174 flights before donating it to the National Air Museum in Washington, DC in April of 1928.

He carried only a handful of passengers aloft in the Spirit including his mother, Donald Hall, Edsel Ford and Henry Ford. The Spirit landed in each of the 48 states (at the time there were only 48 states), stopped at the islands of the West Indies, and flew all through Central and South America. Lindbergh flew in and out of airfields of all shapes and sizes, attesting to the design of the aircraft. It is said by some to have been a "dog" to fly, but Lindbergh flew an additional 400+ hours after his Atlantic crossing without making any modifications to alter its performance. Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, Charles A. Lindbergh Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis" Cockpit in Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall "Our messenger of peace and goodwill has broken down another barrier of time and space." So spoke President Calvin Coolidge about Charles A. Lindbergh’s extraordinary solo transatlantic flight in 1927.

Not until the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 was the entire world again as enthusiastic about an aviation event as it was when Lindbergh landed his little Ryan monoplane in Paris. Spirit of St. Louis Nose of the Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis". After his historic nonstop solo transatlantic flight, Charles Lindbergh took the aircraft first on a US tour and then on a goodwill flight to Central and South America. Flags of the countries he visited were painted on the cowling. The Spirit of St. Louis arrives at the Smithsonian The Spirit of St. Louis went on public display on May 13, 1928, one week short of the first anniversary of Lindbergh’s epic transatlantic flight. Spirit of St. Louis lowered for conservation The <em>Spirit of St. Louis</em> was lowered January 14, 2015 as part of the <em>Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall</em> renovation. Visitors can observe the Museum’s conservation staff while they clean and preserve the artifact. Spirit of St. Louis lowered to gallery floor The <em>Spirit of St.

Louis</em> was lowered January 14, 2015 as part of the <em>Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall</em> renovation. Visitors can observe the museum’s conservation staff while they clean and preserve the artifact. Spirit of St. Louis on the gallery floor The Spirit of St. Louis was lowered January 14, 2015 as part of the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall renovation. Visitors can observe the museum’s conservation staff while they clean and preserve the artifact. Spirit of St. Louis in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall In January of 2015, the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis was lowered to the ground to begin assessing it for conservation work. "Spirit of St. Louis" Lowered in Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall The "Spirit of St. Louis" was lowered to the floor of the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall" on January 14, 2015 as part of the exhibition's renovation. "Spirit of St. Louis" Signatures Close-up of signatures etched onto the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis. Detail of the "Spirit of St.

Louis" Close-up shot of the the Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis." Spirit of St. Louis in Exhibition Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis on the floor of the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall. Spirit of St. Louis in Arts & Industries Building Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis was installed in the North Hall of the Smithsonian Institution's Arts & Industries Building on May 13, 1928. It was suspended just above the exhibit cases and its popularity with the public brought new attention to aeronautical collection from Smithsonian leadership. Paul Garber, who collected the aircraft and most of the early aeronautical collectton, recalled years later that acquiring the Spirit of St. Louis was "the turning point," and it "gave a much greater breadth to the subject of aeronautics" within the Smithsonian Institution. Featured in National Air and Space Museum: An Autobiography The Crew of the NC-4 after the Historic Flight Lindbergh wasn't the first to fly across the Atlantic. In fact, more than 100 people made the journey before him. But he was the first to do it solo.

The crew of the NC-4, shown here, completed the flight successfully, reaching Plymouth, England via Lisbon, Portugal on May 31, 1919. Juan Trippe and Charles A. Lindbergh Juan Trippe (left) and Charles A. Lindbergh standing in front of a Pan American Airways Fokker F.10 Trimotor. Lindbergh's famous flight highlighted the potential of long distance flight. Aircraft industry stocks rose in value and interest in commercial aviation skyrocketed in the United States. Lindbergh's Periscope in the Spirit of St. Louis The Spirit of St. Louis had no windscreen. Lindbergh used a periscope on the left side of the aircraft to see ahead of him. Cowling of the Spirit of St. Louis Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis should be aluminum colored but a protective varnish put on the aircraft by the Smithsonian in 1928 has yellowed over time. New York city Parade for Charles A. Lindbergh One third of the U.S. population of 140,000,000 saw Lindbergh on his U.S. tour.

This New York City ticker-tape parade honoring Charles Lindbergh on June 13, 1927 featured a float with a model of Lindbergh's Ryan NYP and the Eiffel Tower. People Greeting Lindbergh at Le Bourget Airport During his famous flight, Lindbergh fought exhaustion for 33 and ½ hours, having been awake for the entire day before take-off from Roosevelt Field, Long Island. Portrait of Charles A. Lindbergh "A lens focused on the future" - "For me the Spirit of St. Louis was a lens focused on the future, a forerunner of mechanisms that would conquer time and space." — Charles A. Lindbergh Lindbergh takes off from Roosevelt Field Nearly a thousand people assembled at Roosevelt Field to see Charles Lindbergh off on his historic flight. Underwood and Underwood. Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis is suspended from the ceiling in the National Air and Space Museum's Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall. Charles Lindbergh in Spirit of St. Louis Portrait of Charles A. Lindbergh leaning from the cockpit window of his Ryan NYP Spirit of St.

Louis before his solo flight from New York to Paris on May 20 - 21, 1927. Spirit of St. Louis Flare Tubes Two flare tubes project from the underside of the Spirit of St. Louis that helped Charles Lindbergh land at night during his Latin American tour in late 1927 – early 1928. Spirit of St. Louis Missing "R" Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis was missing an "R." It was swiped by souvenir seekers when Lindbergh landed in Paris. Spirit of St. Louis Panorama Geek Moment with the Spirit of St. Louis and STEM in 30 Marty Kelsey, host of STEM in 30, shares a GEEK Moment with a close look at Charles Lindbergh's aircraft, the "Spirit of St. Louis." Lowering the Spirit of St. Louis For the first time in nearly 22 years, the Spirit of St. Louis is lowered onto the floor of the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall. Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight made him a worldwide celebrity and promoted investment in American aviation.

Display Status: This object is on display in the Boeing Milestones of Flight Hall exhibition at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. SummaryLong Description Collection Item Summary: "Our messenger of peace and goodwill has broken down another barrier of time and space." So spoke President Calvin Coolidge about Charles A. Lindbergh’s extraordinary solo transatlantic flight in 1927. Not until the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 was the entire world again as enthusiastic about an aviation event as it was when Lindbergh landed his little Ryan monoplane in Paris. In 1922, after a year and a half at the University of Wisconsin, Lindbergh left to study aeronautics with the Nebraska Aircraft Corporation. He was a ‘barnstormer" until 1924, when he enrolled as a flying cadet in the Army Air Service. He won his reserve commission and began serving as a civilian airmail pilot, flying the route between St. Louis and Chicago. Early in 1927 he obtained the backing of several St.

Louis men to compete for the $25,000 prize offered by Raymond Orteig in 1919 for the first nonstop flight between New York City and Paris. In February of that year Lindbergh placed an order with Ryan Airlines in San Diego for an aircraft with specifications necessary to make the flight. Development began based on a standard Ryan M-2, with Donald A. Hall as principal designer. Certain modifications to the basic high-wing, strut-braced monoplane design had to be made because of the nature of the flight. The wingspan was increased by 10 feet and the structural members of the fuselage and wing cellule were redesigned to accommodate the greater fuel load. Plywood was fitted along the leading edge of the wings. The fuselage design followed that of a standard M-2 except that it was lengthened 2 feet. The cockpit was moved further to the rear for safety and the engine was moved forward for balance, thus permitting the fuel tank to be installed at the center of gravity. The pilot could see forward only by means of a periscope or by turning the aircraft to look out of a side window. A Wright Whirlwind J-5C engine supplied the power.

Late in April 1927 the work on the aircraft was completed. It was painted silver and carried registration number N-X-21 1, which, with all other lettering on the plane, was painted in black. Lindbergh made several test flights, and then flew the aircraft from San Diego to New York on May 10—12, making only one stop, at St. Louis. His flight time of 21 hours, 40 minutes set a new transcontinental record. After waiting several days in New York for favorable weather, Lindbergh took off for Paris alone, on the morning of May 20, 1927. Thirty-three hours, 30 minutes, and 3,610 miles later he landed safely at Le Bourget Field, near Paris, where he was greeted by a wildly enthusiastic crowd of 100,000. Lindbergh and the Spirit of St Louis returned to the United States aboard the U.S.S. Memphis on June 11. He received tumultuous welcomes in Washington, D.C. and New York City.

From July 20 until October 23 of that year he took the famous plane on a tour of the United States. Then, on December 13, he and the Spirit of St. Louis flew nonstop from Washington to Mexico City; through Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico; and nonstop from Havana to St. Louis. Beginning in Mexico City, flags of the countries he visited were painted on both sides of the cowling. On April 30, 1928, the Spirit of St. Louis made its final flight—from St. Louis to Washington, D.C where Lindbergh presented the aircraft to the Smithsonian Institution. Collection Item Long Description: "Our messenger of peace and goodwill has broken down another barrier of time and space." So spoke President Calvin Coolidge about Charles A. Lindbergh’s extraordinary solo transatlantic flight in 1927. Not until the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969 was the entire world again as enthusiastic about an aviation event as it was when Lindbergh landed his little Ryan monoplane in Paris.

In 1922, after a year and a half at the University of Wisconsin, Lindbergh left to study aeronautics with the Nebraska Aircraft Corporation. He was a ‘barnstormer" until 1924, when he enrolled as a flying cadet in the Army Air Service. He won his reserve commission and began serving as a civilian airmail pilot, flying the route between St. Louis and Chicago. Early in 1927 he obtained the backing of several St. Louis men to compete for the $25,000 prize offered by Raymond Orteig in 1919 for the first nonstop flight between New York City and Paris. In February of that year Lindbergh placed an order with Ryan Airlines in San Diego for an aircraft with specifications necessary to make the flight. Development began based on a standard Ryan M-2, with Donald A. Hall as principal designer. Certain modifications to the basic high-wing, strut-braced monoplane design had to be made because of the nature of the flight. The wingspan was increased by 10 feet and the structural members of the fuselage and wing cellule were redesigned to accommodate the greater fuel load.

Plywood was fitted along the leading edge of the wings. The fuselage design followed that of a standard M-2 except that it was lengthened 2 feet. The cockpit was moved further to the rear for safety and the engine was moved forward for balance, thus permitting the fuel tank to be installed at the center of gravity. The pilot could see forward only by means of a periscope or by turning the aircraft to look out of a side window. A Wright Whirlwind J-5C engine supplied the power. Late in April 1927 the work on the aircraft was completed. It was painted silver and carried registration number N-X-21 1, which, with all other lettering on the plane, was painted in black. Lindbergh made several test flights, and then flew the aircraft from San Diego to New York on May 10—12, making only one stop, at St. Louis. His flight time of 21 hours, 40 minutes set a new transcontinental record. After waiting several days in New York for favorable weather, Lindbergh took off for Paris alone, on the morning of May 20, 1927.

Thirty-three hours, 30 minutes, and 3,610 miles later he landed safely at Le Bourget Field, near Paris, where he was greeted by a wildly enthusiastic crowd of 100,000. Lindbergh and the Spirit of St Louis returned to the United States aboard the U.S.S. Memphis on June 11. He received tumultuous welcomes in Washington, D.C. and New York City. From July 20 until October 23 of that year he took the famous plane on a tour of the United States. Then, on December 13, he and the Spirit of St. Louis flew nonstop from Washington to Mexico City; through Central America, Colombia, Venezuela, Puerto Rico; and nonstop from Havana to St. Louis. Beginning in Mexico City, flags of the countries he visited were painted on both sides of the cowling. On April 30, 1928, the Spirit of St. Louis made its final flight—from St. Louis to Washington, D.C where Lindbergh presented the aircraft to the Smithsonian Institution. Solo the Atlantic Charles Lindbergh's flight between New York and Paris was very long, risky, and physically demanding.

Though he was not the first to cross the Atlantic, Lindbergh made the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight between two major cities. News spread quickly as Lindbergh's flight stunned and amazed people around the world. Spirit of St. Louis Spirit of St. Louis Email Nose of the Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis". After his historic nonstop solo transatlantic flight, Charles Lindbergh took the aircraft first on a US tour and then on a goodwill flight to Central and South America. Flags of the countries he visited were painted on the cowling. Related articles from airspacemag.com: Source: National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution Photographer: Eric Long Charles Lindbergh Biography - First Solo Flight Across the Atlantic Charles Lindbergh Lindbergh's entry in the Hall of Fame of the Air Lindberg airmail stamp issued in 1927. Such was Lindbergh's fame that the Post Office broke its own rule against honoring living persons, although only Lindbergh's plane, not the man himself, was shown. Lindbergh, in one of the many parades in his honor, this one in Hartford, CT.

Charles Lindbergh - The Lone Eagle First Man to Fly the Atlantic Solo By Stephen Sherman , Jan. 2001. Updated June 26, 2011. On May 20-21, 1927 Charles Lindbergh made the first solo, nonstop New York to Paris flight in the Spirit of St. Louis. After the 3,610-mile, 34 hour, flight across the Atlantic, Lindbergh became an international hero, and the most famous man in the world. Today, his airplane, the Spirit of St. Louis, hangs in the atrium of the National Air and Space Museum. After bursting into international fame with his transatlantic flight, Lindbergh remained in the public eye, often the subject of controversy. Retiring in later years to the island of Maui, Hawaii, he died there in 1974. Youth Born on February 4, 1902 , Lindbergh was mechanically inclined from childhood. The son of a Swedish immigrant, Charles August "C.A." Lindbergh, and his second wife, Evangeline Land, young Charles had a rootless and somewhat solitary childhood.

For many years he and his mother moved between their primary home in Little Falls, Minnesota, her family's house in Detroit, and Washington, D.C., where his Congressman father spent a most of his time. His father's house is now a National Historic Landmark. Charles had no siblings his age (two much older half-sisters) and few close friends his own age. He learned to love nature, the outdoors, solitude, and developed a passion for collecting and analyzing things. Barnstormer & Air Mail Pilot Fascinated with aviation, he earned his pilot's license, and in 1923 bought a Jenny to take up barnstorming. In 1924, Lindbergh entered a U.S. Army flying school at San Antonio, Texas. He graduated first in his class the following year, then became the first air mail pilot between Chicago, Illinois, and St, Louis, Missouri. He became the first three-time member of the Caterpillar Club, that exclusive fraternity of people who had saved their lives with parachutes. While he loved flying of any sort, the airmail routine was tedious.

He heard of a fine new airplane, the Wright Bellanca, whose engine promised to give it a range of 4,000 miles. He pondered what could be achieved in such a machine. His Transatlantic Flight In 1919, New York hotel businessman Raymond Orteig had offered a $25,000 prize for the first nonstop flight between New York and Paris. Several attempts had been made to capture the prize, notably by French WWI ace, Rene Fonck, in 1926. The transatlantic challenge became somewhat of a national obsession. Lindbergh convinced a group of St. Louis businessmen to back him in an attempt to win the Orteig prize. They committed $10,000 for his plan. On a tight budget, he went looking for an airplane. At first, Charles Levine, the owner of the Wright Bellanca offered it to him for only $15,000, a great discount from its cost of $25,000. His backers okayed the extra funds.

After excitedly traveling to New York to finalize the deal, Lindbergh was dismayed to learn that while Levine would sell him the Bellanca, he insisted on naming the pilot himself. Lindbergh looked for other aircraft. Other manufacturers were unhelpful. At this time, early 1927, the Orteig challenge was heating up, amidst great publicity. Rene Fonck was rumored to be preparing another attempt in a new Sikorsky biplane. Richard Byrd, of North Pole fame, had an expensive Fokker trimotor for his effort. Levine and Clarence Chamberlin announced they would try it in the Wright Bellanca. Another pair of Americans, Noel Davis and Stanton Wooster, would also enter. The race was on. Spirit of St. Louis A small manufacturer, the Ryan Aeronautical Company of San Diego, agreed to build a plane for Lindbergh, for $6,000 plus the cost of the engine. He went to their small plant in San Diego and supervised the design modifications and the construction his monoplane. Essentially, the Spirit of St. Louis was a custom-built airplane, designed expressly to fly Lindbergh across the Atlantic. A.

Scott Berg, in Lindbergh , called it a "two-ton flying gas tank." Lindbergh sacrificed every possible bit of weight for more fuel capacity. No parachute, no radio, no brakes, not even a forward-facing window (a small periscope would do). Twenty-seven feet long, as the design evolved, the wings grew to forty-five feet, to help lift the 2700 pounds (400+ gallons) of gas. The rest of the airplane, the engine, and its pilot only weighed about 2500 pounds. Powered by a state-of-the-art 223hp Wright Whirlwind J-5C engine, the plane could cruise for 4,200 miles. Ryan employees worked day and night to finish the aircraft in just two months. Its tail identified the aircraft as "N-X-211 RYAN NYP" "N" was the international aeronautical code for the United States. "X" stood for experimental. It was the 211th such licensed plane. "RYAN NYP" abbreviated "Ryan New York - Paris." Check out the NASM Spirit of St. Louis web page.

Engine installed, Ryan charged him $10,580. The press (Lindbergh's nemesis for the rest of his life) got word of this new entrant, and began to tell the country about the handsome young man and his bold, solitary plan. A lone pilot in a single-engine plane allowed little margin for error. In April, as the Spirit neared completion, Noel Davis and Stanton Wooster crashed and died while testing their plane, the American Legion. Commander Byrd's Fokker, America, cracked up and injured three of its crew. Clarence Chamberlin and Levine's Bellanca, named the Columbia, smashed up it landing gear. By May, after short test flights around Southern California, Lindergh and the Spirit of St. Louis were ready. On the 8th came dramatic news, two French aviators, Charles Nungesser (a WW1 ace) and Francois Coli, had taken off from Paris in L'Oiseau Blanc, the White Bird. They were never heard from again. Undeterred, Lindbergh flew to New York. Stopping briefly in St.

Louis to re-fuel, he set a new record for the California-to-New York run, flying it in less than 22 hours. Photographers and reporters greeted him on his arrival at Curtiss Field on Long Island. The other competitors had various problems - Levine was held up by lawsuits, Byrd's trimotor needed work. On the 19th, Lindbergh was ready. They needed to check out the plane thoroughly, which required several short flights around the field. As they finished the preparations for the long flight, reports came in of heavy fog over Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, postponing his take-off. The Flight But on the morning of May 20, 1927, an improved weather forecast suggested no advantage in further delay. They installed and sealed the barograph, and serviced and checked the plane, then Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island. For food, he brought five sandwiches. "If I get to Paris, I won't need any more. And if I don't get to Paris, I won't need any more, either," Lindbergh noted drily.

Fox Movietone captured his Ryan monoplane, loaded with 451 gallons of fuel, struggling and bouncing along the runway, barely clearing the telephone wires at the far end. After clearing St. John's, Newfoundland, the 25-year old aviator was hidden from the world. The world waited, spell-bound for word of Lindbergh. Rumors flew. (My Dad, eight years old at the time, recalled waiting for news of Lindbergh. His older brother "came stumping into the house and reported that Lindbergh had crashed. My mother broke down and cried. But of course it wasn't so." - SS) Encountering fog and sleet, he was compelled to fly blind part of the way at an altitude of 1500 feet. At times he flew only 10 feet above the waves. Sighting the coast of Ireland, he turned south towards France. He flew over England and the Channel, and sighted the lights of Paris at 10 o'clock. He shortly touched down at Paris' Le Bourget Field, 33 hours and 30 minutes after he left Long Island. He had covered a distance of 3,610 miles.

By making the flight, Lindbergh collected Orteig's $25,000 prize. You can read an excellent book devoted to this event, entitled The Flight of the Century: Charles Lindbergh and the Rise of American Aviation The world, and his life, had changed forever. Hundreds of thousands of people met him in Paris. Lionized throughout the city, U.S. Ambassador Myron Herrick took him in, and even arranged for a tailor to sew him new clothes. His triumphant tour of Europe included meeting the kings of Belgium and Britain. The picture at left shows him during a parade in his honor in Hartford, Connecticut, riding in a car with Governor John Trumbull and Mayor Houghton Bulkley. The U.S. Navy cruiser Memphis returned the hero to America. First to Washington, where President Coolidge received him, and then to New York City and its largest ticker tape parade ever. The U.S. Post Office issued an unprecedented commemorative airmail stamp in his honor. U.S. stamps never feature living persons, and thus only Lindbergh's plane and a map of his route were shown.

As part of his backers' agreements, he had given the New York Times exclusive coverage of his story and the rights to his authorized story. Lindbergh was so disgusted with ghost-writer Carlyle MacDonald's corny and inaccurate articles that first appeared, he vowed to control anything ever published in his name. He also realized the importance of careful documentation, and began saving all his correspondence and personal papers. (This has been a boon to scholars and historians.) Committed to produce a 40,000 word book, he buried himself at Falaise, Harry Guggenheim's Long Island estate, and wrote We in one month. It was well-written, spare and accurate, and became an immediate best-seller. (Check out a lengthy review of We at Amazon.) In December, 1927, he flew the Spirit to Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and other Cental American countries. In Mexico, he first met Ambassador Dwight Morrow and his daughters. On his return to the U.S., he devoted himself to the development of aviation, helping to start the airline that would become TWA. The Spirit of St.

Louis (1957) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error The Spirit of St. Louis ( 1957 ) Approved | Charles 'Slim' Lindbergh struggles to finance and design an airplane that will make his New York to Paris flight the first solo transatlantic crossing. Director: From $2.99 (SD) on Amazon Video ON DISC a list of 25 titles created 14 Jun 2011 a list of 31 titles created 30 Jul 2012 a list of 21 titles created 19 Sep 2015 a list of 38 titles created 4 months ago a list of 45 titles created 1 month ago Title: The Spirit of St. Louis (1957) 7.2/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.

You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins. See more awards » Videos During World War 2, an undercover British soldier tries get word to the Allies that the Germans have tons of supplies buried in 5 excavations across Egypt. Director: Billy Wilder In occupied Berlin, an army captain is torn between an ex-Nazi café singer and the U.S. congresswoman investigating her. Director: Billy Wilder A brash American gramophone salesman tries to get Emperor Franz Joseph's endorsement in turn-of-the-century Austria. Director: Billy Wilder Jealous piano teacher Orville Spooner sends his beautiful wife, Zelda, away for the night while he tries to sell a song to famous nightclub singer Dino, who is stranded in town. Director: Billy Wilder A crooked lawyer persuades his brother-in-law to feign a serious injury. Director: Billy Wilder Star major league pitcher Monty Stratton loses a leg in a hunting accident, but becomes determined to leave the game on his own terms. Director: Sam Wood A successful businessman goes to Italy to arrange for the return of his tycoon-father's body only to discover dad died with his mistress of long standing.

Director: Billy Wilder A woman disguises herself as a child to save on a train fare and is taken in charge by an army man who doesn't notice the truth. Director: Billy Wilder In Paris, a former policeman falls in love with a prostitute, and tries to get her out of that life by paying for all of her time. Director: Billy Wilder Down-on-his-luck Hollywood producer Barry 'Dutch' Detweiler attempts to lure Fedora, a famous but reclusive film actress, out of retirement. Director: Billy Wilder Biography of bandleader Glenn Miller from his beginnings to his death over the English Channel in December 1944. Director: Anthony Mann A middle-aged playboy becomes fascinated by the daughter of a private detective who has been hired to entrap him with the wife of a client. Director: Billy Wilder Edit Storyline Biography of Charles Lindburgh from his days of precarious mail runs in aviation's infancy to his design of a small transatlantic plane and the vicissitudes of its takeoff and epochal flight from New York to Paris in 1927.

Written by Paul Emmons <pemmons@wcupa.edu> See All (42) » Taglines: This was the era that belonged to young people - but mostly it belonged to a shy, lanky guy... The screen has never come so close to the heart of a man! See more » Genres: 20 April 1957 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Lindbergh - Mein Flug über den Ozean See more » Filming Locations: Mono (RCA Sound Recording)| 4-Track Stereo Color: Last film appearance of Erville Alderson before his death in 1957. See more » Goofs When taking off from Roosevelt Field, the plane passes the same distant clump of 2 trees four times. See more » Quotes [first lines] Reporter: [checking his copy] Here at the Garden City Hotel, less than a mile from Roosevelt Field... less than three-quarters of a mile from Roosevelt Field... everyone is waiting, as they have been now for seven days and nights, waiting for the rain to stop... The whole spirit of the flight.

21 September 1999 | by yenlo (Auburn, Me) – See all my reviews When people think of the great Billy Wilder films they often forget to mention this one. A great picture that tells the story of the flight, certain events in Lindbergh's life, how he came to make the flight, the design and building of the plane, his association with the people who helped make it happen and even some of the trademark Billy Wilder humor. Visit your local fish market get some Sanddabs (if they have them, they're a California fish) fry em up and sit back and enjoy a great movie about one of the great accomplishments of this century with one of the greatest actors of this century in the lead role. The wide screen version is tops. 10 of 17 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Lindbergh lands in Paris - May 21, 1927 - HISTORY.com Lindbergh lands in Paris Publisher A+E Networks American pilot Charles A. Lindbergh lands at Le Bourget Field in Paris, successfully completing the first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight and the first ever nonstop flight between New York to Paris.

His single-engine monoplane, The Spirit of St. Louis, had lifted off from Roosevelt Field in New York 33 1/2 hours before. Charles Augustus Lindbergh, born in Detroit in 1902, took up flying at the age of 20. In 1923, he bought a surplus World War I Curtiss “Jenny” biplane and toured the country as a barnstorming stunt flyer. In 1924, he enrolled in the Army Air Service flying school in Texas and graduated at the top of his class as a first lieutenant. He became an airmail pilot in 1926 and pioneered the route between St. Louis and Chicago. Among U.S. aviators, he was highly regarded. In May 1919, the first transatlantic flight was made by a U.S. hydroplane that flew from New York to Plymouth, England, via Newfoundland, the Azores Islands, and Lisbon.

Later that month, Frenchman Raymond Orteig, an owner of hotels in New York, put up a purse of $25,000 to the first aviator or aviators to fly nonstop from Paris to New York or New York to Paris. In June 1919, the British fliers John W. Alcock and Arthur W. Brown made the first nonstop transatlantic flight, flying 1,960 miles from Newfoundland to Ireland. The flight from New York to Paris would be nearly twice that distance. Orteig said his challenge would be good for five years. In 1926, with no one having attempted the flight, Orteig made the offer again. By this time, aircraft technology had advanced to a point where a few thought such a flight might be possible. Several of the world’s top aviators–including American polar explorer Richard Byrd, French flying ace Rene Fonck–decided to accept the challenge, and so did Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh convinced the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce to sponsor the flight, and a budget of $15,000 was set.

The Ryan Airlines Corporation of San Diego volunteered to build a single-engine aircraft to his specifications. Extra fuel tanks were added, and the wing span was increased to 46 feet to accommodate the additional weight. The main fuel tank was placed in front of the cockpit because it would be safest there in the event of a crash. This meant Lindbergh would have no forward vision, so a periscope was added. To reduce weight, everything that was not utterly essential was left out. There would be no radio, gas gauge, night-flying lights, navigation equipment, or parachute. Lindbergh would sit in a light seat made of wicker. Unlike other aviators attempting the flight, Lindbergh would be alone, with no navigator or co-pilot. The aircraft was christened The Spirit of St. Louis, and on May 12, 1927, Lindbergh flew it from San Diego to New York, setting a new record for the fastest transcontinental flight. Bad weather delayed Lindbergh’s transatlantic attempt for a week. On the night of May 19, nerves and a newspaperman’s noisy poker game kept him up all night.

Early the next morning, though he hadn’t slept, the skies were clear and he rushed to Roosevelt Field on Long Island. Six men had died attempting the long and dangerous flight he was about to take. At 7:52 a.m. EST on May 20, The Spirit of St. Louis lifted off from Roosevelt Field, so loaded with fuel that it barely cleared the telephone wires at the end of the runway. Lindbergh traveled northeast up the coast. After only four hours, he felt tired and flew within 10 feet of the water to keep his mind clear. As night fell, the aircraft left the coast of Newfoundland and set off across the Atlantic. At about 2 a.m. on May 21, Lindbergh passed the halfway mark, and an hour later dawn came. Soon after, The Spirit of St. Louis entered a fog, and Lindbergh struggled to stay awake, holding his eyelids open with his fingers and hallucinating that ghosts were passing through the cockpit. After 24 hours in the air, he felt a little more awake and spotted fishing boats in the water. At about 11 a.m. (3 p.m. local time), he saw the coast of Ireland.

Despite using only rudimentary navigation, he was two hours ahead of schedule and only three miles off course. He flew past England and by 3 p.m. EST was flying over France. It was 8 p.m. in France, and night was falling. At the Le Bourget Aerodrome in Paris, tens of thousands of Saturday night revelers had gathered to await Lindbergh’s arrival. At 10:24 a.m. local time, his gray and white monoplane slipped out of the darkness and made a perfect landing in the air field. The crowd surged on The Spirit of St. Louis, and Lindbergh, weary from his 33 1/2-hour, 3,600-mile journey, was cheered and lifted above their heads. He hadn’t slept for 55 hours. Two French aviators saved Lindbergh from the boisterous crowd, whisking him away in an automobile. He was an immediate international celebrity. President Calvin Coolidge dispatched a warship to take the hero home, and “Lucky Lindy” was given a ticker-tape parade in New York and presented with the Congressional Medal of Honor. His place in history, however, was not complete.

In 1932, he was the subject of international headlines again when his infant son, Charles Jr., was kidnapped, unsuccessfully ransomed, and then found murdered in the woods near the Lindbergh home. German-born Bruno Richard Hauptmann was convicted of the crime in a controversial trial and then executed. Then, in the late 1930s and early 1940s, Lindbergh became a spokesperson for the U.S. isolationism movement and was sharply criticized for his apparent Nazi sympathies and anti-Semitic views. After the outbreak of World War II, the fallen hero traveled to the Pacific as a military observer and eventually flew more than two dozen combat missions, including one in which he downed a Japanese aircraft. Lindbergh’s war-time service largely restored public faith in him, and for many years later he worked with the U.S. government on aviation issues. In 1954, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed him brigadier general in the Air Force Reserve. He died in Hawaii in 1974. Lindbergh’s autobiographical works include “We” (1927), The Spirit of St.

Louis (1953) and The Wartime Journals of Charles A. Lindbergh (1970). More on This Topic

Question: Who flew the Spirit of St. Louis?
Answer: Charles Lindbergh