Spirit+of+St.+Louis

__**Nick Shima**__
The Spirit of St. Louis was Charles Lindbergh's custom experimental plane made by Ryan Airlines in San Diego, CA. Lindbergh used the Spirit of St. Louis (named after his sponsors) to fly solo from New York to Paris. He accomplished this feat on May 20-21, 1927. The plane was a very light, one engined plane that didn't have a radio, parachute, or gauges. Because the engine was in the front of the plane, he could not see from his wicker seat, so he had to use a periscope to see ahead. He also made custom light weight boots. The plane is now one of the most popular attractions at the Smithsonian Air and Space museum .[|PBS information]