NYP Spirit of St. Louis
Ryan Airlines · United States · first flew 1927 · light aircraft
The Ryan NYP 'Spirit of St. Louis' carried Charles Lindbergh on the first solo non-stop crossing of the Atlantic, from New York to Paris on 20-21 May 1927.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 8.43 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- High-wing monoplane with no forward windscreen, only side windows and a periscope
- Very long constant-chord wing spanning 46 feet for maximum fuel lift
- Polished cowling with a whirl-pattern finish around the Wright Whirlwind radial
The blind nose is the giveaway: fuel tankage means there is no windscreen, just side windows beneath the broad high wing. The constant-chord wing is enormously long relative to the stubby fuselage. Period silver dope and the 'Spirit of St. Louis' nose lettering complete the image.
Specifications
- The NYP Spirit of St. Louis has a length of 8.43 m (28 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14.02 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 214 km/h (133 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Built in just 60 days by Ryan Airlines of San Diego to Lindbergh's requirements, the NYP ('New York-Paris') was essentially a flying fuel tank around a reliable Wright J-5C Whirlwind. The main tank sat ahead of the cockpit, so Lindbergh had no forward view except through a periscope. The 33.5-hour flight made him the most famous man on earth.
Variants
The Spirit was a one-off development of the Ryan M-2 mailplane with a longer-span wing, lengthened fuselage and every possible concession to fuel and range. Ryan later sold a handful of B-1 Brougham derivatives trading on the Spirit's fame.
Where you'll see it
After a goodwill tour of the Americas, Lindbergh presented the Spirit to the Smithsonian in 1928, and it hangs in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington to this day. It has no UK presence beyond replicas that occasionally visit airshows. Faithful flying reproductions exist in the United States.
Related aircraft
- Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis
- Ryan M
- BFW M.19
- Cessna Model A
- de Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth
- Focke-Wulf F 19 Ente
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