The Spirit of St. Louis, one of the most famous airplanes of all times, was designed and built for one specific purpose: to carry its lone occupant across the Atlantic Ocean, carrying enough fuel to span the distance between New York and Paris without refueling. The first such flight would be rewarded with $25,000 from financier Norman Orteg, who initially offered the prize in 1919, and by 1927 six men had perished.

It would not be the first transatlantic crossing; that had already occurred when the Navy's four-engine Curtiss NC-4 flying boat flew from Newfoundland to Portugal in 1919, by landing in the ocean and refueling twice before completing the trip and accomplishing that feat. Others had successfully made the journey in large planes or dirigibles, but a lone pilot never had.

In fact, this was the secret of Charles Lindbergh's successful flight. With only one pilot and a small airplane with 2,750 pounds of fuel, the Sprit had a range of 4,210 miles ...600 miles more than the distance required for the journey. Adapting a popular Ryan M-2 Brougham Sport Plane made by Ryan Airlines in San Diego, Lindbergh personally collaborated in the engineering details of his machine. The entire project took only two months. To maximize fuel capacity, Lindbergh eliminated the windshield and filled the entire nose area between the cockpit and engine with two large fuel tanks. When a forward view was required, he could extend a small periscope out the left side. The engine was a reliable Wright J-5C Whirlwind, which could deliver 295 h.p. when needed to produce a flying speed up to 129 m.p.h. The rest of the plane was constructed of metal and wood, covered with fabric and painted with silver dope. When finished, the Spirit weighed 2,150 lbs., empty.

The cost of the plane was covered by a group of businessman in St. Louis, Missouri. After initial tests, Lindbergh set a transcontinental record when he flew the Spirit from San Diego and, after a stop in St. Louis, continued on to New York for the start of his epoch flight. On that morning of May 20, 1927, Charles Lindbergh became a legend.

Be sure to add this 1:48 scale piece of history to your collection today. With a length of 7 inches and an 11-1/2 inch wingspan, you won't want to miss out on this. Ask for kit #85-5244

Our thanks goes out to the San Diego Museum of Flight for their cooperation in helping to develop this model.

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