Spirit of St. Louis
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| Spirit of St. Louis | |
|---|---|
 Illustration of the Spirit of St. Louis |
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| Type | NYP |
| Manufacturer | Ryan Airlines |
| Designed by | Donald A. Hall |
| Retired | 30 April 1928 |
| Status | Museum display, National Air and Space Museum |
| Primary user | Charles Lindbergh |
| Produced | 1927 |
| Number built | 1 |
| Unit cost | $10,000 |
| Developed from | Ryan M-2 |
The Spirit of St. Louis (Registration: N-X-211) is a custom-built single engine, single seat monoplane flown solo by Charles Lindbergh on both the first New York to Paris non-stop transatlantic flight on 21 May and 22 May 1927, for which Lindbergh won the $25,000 Orteig Prize, as well as the first solo non-stop transatlantic flight.[1]
Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Airfield, Garden City (Long Island), New York and landed at the Le Bourget Aerodrome in Paris, France in a flight lasting 33 hours, 30 minutes.
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[edit] Design and development
Officially known as the Ryan NYP, the single engine monoplane was designed by Donald A. Hall of the aircraft manufacturer Ryan Airlines located in San Diego, California. To save design time the plane was loosely based on the company's 1926 Ryan M-2 mail-plane with the main difference being the 4,000 mile range of the NYP. Hall documented his design in "Engineering Data on the Spirit of St. Louis" (prepared for the US NACA which is included as an appendix in Lindbergh's 1953 book, The Spirit of St. Louis.
In 1927 the company was owned by Benjamin Franklin Mahoney who had co-founded it as an airline in 1925 with T. Claude Ryan. The latter remained with the company after Mahoney bought out his interest in 1926, but there is some dispute as to how involved Ryan may have been in its management after selling his share. It is known, however, that Hawley Bowlus was the factory manager who oversaw construction of the Ryan NYP, and that B.F. Mahoney was the sole owner at the time of Donald A. Hall's hiring. Although the "Spirit" was designed and built in San Diego for a flight from New York to Paris, it was named after the city of St. Louis, Missouri because both Lindbergh and his financial backers lived in that city. The flight was inspired by the $25,000 Orteig Prize for the first non-stop flight between New York and Paris which Lindbergh would win in the airplane. Hall and the Ryan Airlines' staff worked closely with Lindbergh to design and build the airplane in just 60 days. Although what was actually paid to Ryan Aeronautical for the project isn't clear, Mahoney offered to build the airplane "at cost."
[edit] Design
Lindbergh believed that the more engines an aircraft had, the greater the possibility of engine failure. He was of the opinion that a single-engine airplane traveled farther, and thus decided to purchase one. To increase fuel efficiency, the Spirit of St. Louis was one of the most streamlined aircraft of its era.
Lindbergh believed that a flight in a small airplane, designed around the dependable Wright J-5C, stood the best chance of completion. The Ryan NYP was very different from others since it had extra fuel tanks, in order to travel a much greater distance non-stop. The large main fuel tank was placed in the forward section of the fuselage, in front of the pilot, which improved the center of gravity of the aircraft. Locating fuel tanks at the front reduced the risk of the pilot being crushed to death in crash, thus there was no front windshield, and the pilot's view was limited to the side windows. A periscope was installed to provide a forward view, as a precaution against hitting ship masts, trees, or structures while flying at low altitude; however, it is unclear whether the periscope was used during the flight. Lindbergh also used special navigation instruments such as the Earth Inductor Compass as its main instrument, allowing Lindbergh to navigate while taking account of the magnetic deviation of the earth.
Lindbergh sat in a cramped cockpit which was 94 centimeters wide by 81 centimeters long and 130 centimeters high. The cockpit was so small, Lindbergh could not stretch his legs. The Spirit of St. Louis was powered by a 223-horsepower, air-cooled, 9-cylinder Wright J-5C "Whirlwind" radial engine. The engine was rated for a maximum operating time of 9,000 hours (more than one year if operated continuously), and had a special mechanism that could keep it clean the whole New York-to-Paris flight. It was also, for its day, very fuel efficient enabling longer flights carrying less fuel weights for a given distance.[2] Another key feature of the radial engine was that it was rated to self-lubricate the engines valves for 40 hours—a need that most aeronautical engines of the day required be done manually by the pilot or ground crew prior to every flight—and which would have been needed on such a long flight[2].
The engine was built at Wright Aeronautical in Paterson, New Jersey by a 24-year old engine builder, Tom Rutledge, who was disappointed that he was assigned to the unknown aviator Charles Lindbergh. Four days after the flight he received a letter of congratulations from the Wright management.[3][2] His estate owns pictures of historical interest that can be viewed [here ].
The race to win the trophy required time saving design compromises. The original wingspan of the Ryan M2 was increased by 10 ft and redesigned to create a surface area large enough to lift 450 gallons (1,703 liters) of fuel (carried in five fuel tanks: left wing, right wing, mid wing, nose and in available payload space) along with the lone pilot and minimum necessary gear.
However, Donald A. Hall decided that the tail and control surfaces of the airplane would not be altered from his original Ryan M2 design, thus minimizing redesign time that was not available without delaying the flight. The result was a less aerodynamic stability which the experienced Lindbergh nevertheless approved. There is dispute regarding whether Hall and Lindbergh also preferred this design since the estimated 40-hour flight would be very challenging in terms of pilot fatigue.[citation needed] More than likely, Hall and Lindbergh together weighed the advantages and disadvantages of this setup, determining that an unstable aircraft would help keep Lindbergh awake. This indeed resulted in a airplane with unstable flight characteristics, with a tendency to curve, dip, and bank at random times. The stiff wicker seat in the cockpit was also purposely uncomfortable, though custom fitted to Lindbergh's tall and lanky frame. Lindbergh later wrote in his account, The Spirit of St. Louis, about how the plane's movements woke him various times during the flight.
Lindbergh also insisted that unnecessary weight be eliminated. For example, he carried no radio in order to save weight. Radios were quite unreliable at the time in any case. Also, although he was an airmail pilot, he refused to carry souvenir letters on the transatlantic journey, insisting that every spare ounce be devoted to fuel. The fuselage was made of treated fabric over a metal-tube frame, while the wings were made of fabric over a wood frame.
A small, left-facing swastika was painted on the inside of the nosecone of the Spirit of St. Louis along with the names of all the Ryan Aircraft Co. employees that built it. It was a message of good luck prior to Lindbergh's solo Atlantic crossing as the swastika was a popular good luck charm and symbol with early aviators.[4] The inside of the nosecone can be viewed on the original Spirit of St. Louis at the National Air and Space Museum.
[edit] Legacy
Lindbergh's transatlantic flight made him an instant celebrity and media star. In successfully winning the Orteig Prize, his solitary flight seemed to stir the public's imagination. He wrote: "I was astonished at the effect my successful landing in France had on the nations of the world. It was like a match lighting a bonfire" [5].
He subsequently flew the Spirit of St. Louis to Belgium and England before President Calvin Coolidge sent a Navy cruiser to bring Lindbergh and the Spirit 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 took place on 30 April 1928, when Lindbergh flew from St. Louis to Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., where he presented the historic airplane to the Smithsonian Institution.
[edit] Aftermath
Although Ryan capitalized on the notoriety of the NYP special, an offshoot the Ryan B-1 Brougham emerged as a five-seater with the same J-5 engine but modified with a conventional cockpit layout and a shorter wingspan. Under the newly restructured B.F. Mahoney Company, further development continued with the six-place Model B-7 with a 420 hp engine and the Model C-1 with 220 hp. In 1928, Mahoney built a DeLuxe B-2 as a gift for Charles Lindbergh. [6]
While these further developments were only superficially comparable to the Spirit of St. Louis, an exact duplicate was built 45 days after the transatlantic flight, the NYP-2, ordered by the Japanese newspaper Mainichi. The NYP-2 carrying serial number 29 was registered as J-BACC and achieved a number of record-breaking flights early in 1928 before a crash ended its career.[6]
[edit] Replicas
The 1938 Paramount film Men with Wings starring Ray Milland featured a replica of the Spirit of St. Louis fashioned from a Ryan B-1 "Brougham".[7] Three additional "flying" replicas of the Spirit of St. Louis for use in the later 1957 film, were converted from Ryan B-1s constructed in 1928.[8] All three replicas survived with B-153 on display at the Missouri History Museum, in St. Louis, B-156 is part of the collection at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, and B-159 belongs to the Cradle of Aviation Museum located in Garden City, Long Island, New York, not far from the site of Roosevelt Field from which the original departed in 1927.[9]Reputed to have been flown by Lindbergh during the film's production, the connection to Lindbergh is now considered a myth.[10]
The Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh, Wisconsin constructed two Spirit replicas, the first in 1977 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lindbergh’s flight across the Atlantic Ocean and subsequent tour of the United States. This example is now on display in the main museum gallery while a second replica built in 1990 continues to fly at air shows and commemorative events. Both of the EAA replicas were registered under the original's N-X-211.
Other examples of Spirit of St. Louis replicas are found in the United States at the Lambert-Saint Louis International Airport, the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Fantasy of Flight Museum in Polk City, Florida, San Diego Aerospace Museum (original Spirit II lost in a fire in 1978), and San Diego International Airport. [11] Two replicas are also found in Germany, one at the Frankfurt International Airport with the second in a private collection.[12] Another European-based replica of the Spirit (Registration ES-XCL), which had been built and certified in Estonia in 1997, was written off when structural failure shortly after taking off at an air show in Coventry, England, on 31 May 2003, resulted in a fatal crash killing its builder-owner-pilot, veteran (22,000+ hours) Swedish airline captain Pierre Höllander.[13][14][15]
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. It was presented to the Smithsonian Institution by Lindbergh in May 1928.
[edit] Specifications (Ryan NYP)
General characteristics
- Crew: One
- 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)
- Airfoil: Clark Y
- Empty weight: 2,150 lb (975 kg)
- Loaded weight: 2888 lb (1,310 kg)
- Useful load: 450 gal (1,703 l)
- Max takeoff weight: 5,135 lb (2,330 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Wright Whirlwind J-5C Single blade Standard Steel Propeller, 223 hp (166 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 133 mph (220 km/h)
- Cruise speed: 100- 110 mph (160-175 km/h)
- Range: 4,100 mi (6,600 km)
- Service ceiling 16,400 ft (5,000 m)
- Rate of climb: Considered marginal[17] ()
- Wing loading: 16 lb/ft² (78 kg/m²)
- Power/mass: 23 lb/hp (10.4 kg/hp)
[edit] See also
[edit] References
[edit] Notes
- ^ National Air and Space Museum, Milestones of Flight Exhibits: Spirit of St. Louis
- ^ a b c "History Detectives" aired in the PBS "World" timeslot, airdate: 11 May 2008[1],
Note: This PBS program confirms through three documents and several experts that the uncle of two brothers, now in possession of the letter (image on 1st reference), did indeed build the J5 Rotary Aeronautical Engine of the Spirit of St. Louis. - ^ "non-Lindbergh foundation webpage on Tom Rutledge." "Photos from the estate of Tom Rutledge" Note: See photo of the letter of congratulations on this site. Retrieved: 11 May 2008.
- ^ During this period, the swastika was a widely-used symbol of good luck, and there was not yet any associations with the German Nazi Party, which was still an unknown organization in the United States at this time.
- ^ Nevin 1980, p. 99.
- ^ a b Bowers 1967, p. 71.
- ^ Cassagneres 2002, p. 140.
- ^ Hardwick and Schnepf 1989, p. 60.
- ^ Cassagneres 2002, pp. 142–143.
- ^ Cassagneres 2002, p. 143.
- ^ Cassagneres 2002, pp. 143–145.
- ^ Cassagneres 2002, p. 146.
- ^ "Pilot killed in air show crash." BBC News, 1 June 2003.
- ^ "Accident Report, Spirit of St Louis Replica (Ryan M1/M2 NYP), ES-XCL." Civil Aviation Authority, 12 February 2004. Note: Even though the airframe only had 191 total hours, the accident investigation revealed the cause of the crash to be a metal fatigue failure of the starboard wing's "wishbone" strut resulting from a faulty weld.
- ^ Last flight image of "Spirit of St. Louis" replica ES-XCL at Coventry, England, 31 May 2003.
- ^ Hall 1927
- ^ a b Schiff 2002. Note: Article gives history of the Spirit and Lindbergh's transatlantic flight, technical details of the airplane, and a pilot's narrative of flying a replica.
[edit] Bibliography
- Bowers, Peter. "The Many Splendid Spirits of St. Louis." Air Progress, Volume 20, No. 6, June 1967.
- Cassagneres, Ev. The Untold Story of the Spirit of St. Louis: From the Drawing Board to the Smithsonian. New Brighton, Minnesota: Flying Book International, 2002. ISBN 0-911139-32-X.
- Hall, Donald A. Technical Preparation of the Airplane "Spirit of St. Louis" N.A.C.A. Technical Note #257. Washington: National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, July 1927. Spirit Retrieved: 18 May 2007.
- Hall, Nova S. Spirit and Creator: The Mysterious Man Behind Lindbergh's Flight to Paris. Sheffield, Maryland: ATN Publishing, 2002. ISBN 0-97029644-4.
- Hardwick, Jack and Schnepf, Ed. "A Viewer's Guide to Aviation Movies." The Making of the Great Aviation Films. General Aviation Series, Volume 2, 1989.
- Nevin, David, ed. The Pathfinders (The Epic of Flight, v. 2). Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1980. ISBN 0-8094-3256-0.
- Schiff, Barry. "The Spirit Flies On: Remembering the Flight that Changed the Course of History." AOPA Pilot, May 2002. Retrieved: 18 May 2007.
- Wohl, Robert. The Spectacle of Flight: Aviation and the Western Imagination, 1920–1950. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale University Press, 2005. ISBN 0-30010-692-0.
[edit] External links
- Spirit of St. Louis at the National Air and Space Museum
- The Spirit of St. Louis
- Lindbergh's Transatlantic Flight: New York to Paris Timeline, May 20-21, 1927
- Photo Archive by Donald A. Hall: Designer of the Spirit of St. Louis
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[edit] Gallery
 The Spirit of St. Louis on display in the National Air and Space Museum |
 Nose of the Spirit of St. Louis, with the Wright Whirlwind Radial engine visible |
 Spirit of St. Louis |
 Spirit of St. Louis |
 Spirit of St. Louis spinner |
 Spirit of St. Louis spinner |
 Spirit of St. Louis model |
 The Spirit of St. Louis as displayed at the National Air and Space Museum. Image enhanced. |
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