Vin+Fiz

Vin Fiz (Flyer) by Drake Schaefer First built in 1911 by Calbraith Perry Rodgers, aviator and risk-taker. This early Wright Brother's Model EX pusher bi-plane was first purchased as a Model B, and then modded by Rodgers, and Charlie Taylor, the mechanic for the Wright Brother's planes and bikes. This plane became the first aircraft to fly a transcontinental trip across the United States, though not in one continuous flight. The journey was inspired by William Randolph Hears' competition to fly across the US for a prize of $50,000 (now worth $1,213,591.89). The name is from Rodgers' sponsor J Ogden Armour' soda company's new grape soda. While the plane was reconstructed many times during the trip, the original plane (or the original one that landed in CA) has been restored and is currently on display in the Air and Space museum. Additional reading: A man's journey along the Vin Fiz's flight, in a plane named "[|Gin Fizz]"