On May 20-21, 1927, Charles Lindbergh literally flew into history when he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in his Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis, thus becoming the first pilot to fly solo and nonstop from New York to Paris. This flight made Lindbergh a household name and catapulted him into fame and celebrity. The objects of popular culture in the National Collection display everything from ashtrays to wristwatches reflect the public adulation for Lindbergh and the powerful commercial response to his celebrity. More than 75 years after the Spirit's historic flight, Lindbergh's name still has the power help sell manufactured goods.
Display Status
This object is on display in Boeing Aviation Hangar at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.
Object Details
Type
MEMORABILIA-Popular Culture
Manufacturer
Scale Models
Physical Description
A die-cast model of the Spirit of St. Louis with a stand. The airplane has black lettering "N-X-211" on both the left and right side of the top of the wing. In the center of the wing just in front of the window is black lettering "Amoco-Gas" The side of the fuselage has black lettering "New York to Paris - 3610 Miles" The propeller is free spinning. The stand is all black in the shape of a barrel attached to a box. The piece that the model rests on is an arch with a rounded piece that fits into a hole in the bottom of the model. The barrel has white lettering on the top "American Oil Co. Baltimore, MD Amoco Gas" The words "Amoco-Gas" repeat in white three times around the top half of the barrel.
The box is brown with black and silver lettering "Spirit of St. Louis" The fron tof the box has an image of the model that is inside the box, a Spirit of St. Louis airplane with "Amoco-Gas" in the center of the wing.
Dimensions
Model: 12.7 x 18.4 x 28.6cm (5 in. x 7 1/4 in. x 11 1/4 in.)
Materials
Metal
Inventory Number
A20040289030
Credit Line
Gift of the Stanley King Family.
Data Source
National Air and Space Museum
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
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