What airplane did Charles Lindbergh fly on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in 1927?

Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis on the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight in 1927.

The aircraft was formally designated the Ryan NYP and was a custom-built, single-engine, single-seat, high-wing monoplane. Ryan Airlines constructed it from the company’s Ryan M-2 design, while engineer Donald A. Hall developed the modifications needed for Lindbergh’s long-distance attempt. Its registration was N-X-211.

Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Airfield in Garden City, New York, on May 20, 1927. He landed at Le Bourget Airport near Paris approximately 33 hours and 30 minutes later, having covered about 3,600 miles. The flight won him the $25,000 Orteig Prize and made him an international celebrity.

The name Spirit of St. Louis honored the businessmen from St. Louis who helped finance the aircraft. A common mix-up is choosing the Fokker F.VII, another famous aircraft associated with early transatlantic aviation. Lindbergh’s plane was not a mass-produced airliner: only one original Spirit of St. Louis was built, and it is now preserved at the National Air and Space Museum.