The Spirit of ST Louis (9 page)
Read The Spirit of ST Louis Online
Authors: Charles A. Lindbergh
Tags: #Transportation, #Transatlantic Flights, #Adventurers & Explorers, #General, #United States, #Air Pilots, #Historical, #Biography & Autobiography, #Aviation, #Spirit of St. Louis (Airplane), #Biography, #History
11
I wake soon after dawn. There's much to be done. As I fry potatoes and eggs for breakfast, I list items to be covered on this new day of the new life I've entered. For it is a new life; I'll now bend every thought and effort toward one objective—landing at Paris. All else is secondary.
First, I'll call Earl Thompson and Major Lambert and tell them of my conferences with Knight and Bixby. I'll tell Bill Robertson as soon as he arrives at his office. Then I'll write to Mother and say that I've got to withdraw a large amount of money from my account in Detroit. We'll have to select and train another pilot for the mail route. It will be difficult in winter; but most of the beacons are now installed, and days are getting longer. Love and Nelson can take bad-weather flights until the new man is broken in. Love will act as chief pilot while I'm away. I must notify Major Wassall. that I'll be absent from the Guard for weeks or months. Other officers will have to take over my duties. I'll get in
touch with the Department of Commerce and the Weather Bureau in Washington, and find out from the State Department what arrangements I must make to land an America plane in France.
12
A reply comes back quickly from Travel Air. They won't accept the order. The speed and definiteness with which they've turned me down is depressing. I expected at least
some interest on their part. Shall I try the Ryan Company next? Probably I'll receive a similar answer from them They're new and small, and not well known. But I'll try them. And then I'll send wires to Curtiss and Boeing and Douglas and Martin. I'll sign the messages 'Robertson Aircraft Corporation." Major Bill gave me permission to do that, and I'll get more consideration. I walk over to the Anglum station, and write out another telegram.
WESTERN
UNION
RYAN AIRLINES INC. ANGLUM MO.
SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA FEB. 3 1927
CAN YOU CONSTRUCT WHIRLWIND ENGINE PLANE CAPABLE FLYING NONSTOP BETWEEN NEW YORK AND PARIS STOP IF SO PLEASE STATE COST AND DELIVERY
DATE
ROBERTSON AIRCRAFT CORP.
13
WESTERN
UNION
SAN DIEGO CALIF.
FEB. 4, 1927
ROBERTSON AIRCRAFT CORP. ANGLUM MO.
CAN BUILD PLANE SIMILAR M ONE BUT LARGER WINGS
CABLE OF MAKING FLIGHT COST ABOUT SIX
THOUSAND WITHOUT MOTOR AND INSTRUMENTS
DEL IVERY ABOUT THREE MONTHS
RYAN AIRLINES
Six thousand dollars! With the engine, that would make ten thousand. It's well within my budget. How reliable is the bid? Does the Ryan company understand what it's offering to undertake? Has it engineers who can follow through with this promise? But here, at least, is interest and quick action.
WESTERN
UNION
RYAN AIRLINES INC. ANGLUM MO.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA FEB. 5, 1927
COMPETITION MAKES TIME ESSENTIAL CAN YOU CONSTRUCT PLANE IN LESS THAN THREE MONTHS STOP PLEASE WIRE GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
ROBERTSON AIRCRAFT CORP.
I read over the message I've printed out, and push it across the counter, with a five-dollar bill, to Anglum's telegraph operator. He counts the words, thumbs through a huge catalogue of figures, and hands back my change. I pocket it, pull on gauntlets, button my coat, and tramp out into the snow.
14
WESTERN
UNION
SAN DIEGO CALIF.
3 PM FEB . 5, 27
ROBERTSON AIRCRAFT CORP.
ANGLUM MO.
GAS CAPACITY THREE HUNDRED EIGHTY GALLONS CRUISING SPEED ONE HUNDRED MILES PER HOUR LOADING ONLY TWELVE AND HALF POUNDS PER FOOT AND TWENTY POUNDS PER HORSE POWER STOP CAN COMPLETE IN TWO MONTHS FROM DATE OF ORDER IF NECESSARY STOP WILL REQUIRE FIFTY PERCENT DEPOSIT
RYAN AIRLINES
Three hundred and eighty gallons! That's a tremendous load of gasoline for a two-hundred-horsepower engine. An one hundred miles per hour is excellent cruising speed.
Two months – – – that would let me start tests some time in April. I could still be ready to take off when the weather breaks in spring.
15
"I've never heard of the Ryan Company."
"Do you think they can build a plane with enough performance, Slim?"
Bixby and Knight are looking at the two telegrams I' laid before them.
"All I know is that Ryan mail planes have a pretty good reputation," I answer.
"Well, I certainly wouldn't turn them down because we haven't heard of them," Knight tells me. "They probably haven't heard of us either. What kind of plane do the make?"
"It's a high-wing monoplane, like Bellanca's, only it's got an open cockpit, and the span is shorter," I reply.
"At least they're anxious to build us a plane," Bixby say "That puts them ahead of the other companies we've tried Do you want to go out to California and talk to them, Slim?"
"I don't know any other way to find out what the Ryan people can do," I reply. "I can't very well size them up until see them."
"Well, we'd better move right up on it then. How soon can you start?"
"Within a week. I don't know how long I'll be away, of course. If we decide to buy a plane, I'll stay in California while it's being built – – – I'll take care of my owe expenses on this trip."
"No, you won't," Bixby says. "We're in this with you We'll split up on all those things."
16
"Here's a telegram for you." A Robertson mechanic hands it to me as I jump down from the front cockpit of my training plane, on Lambert Field. I tear the envelope open and read:
WESTERN
UNION
PASSAIC N.J. 1110 AM 2-6-27
CHAS. A. LINDBERGH
ROBERTSON AIRCRAFT CORP.
ANGLUM MO.
SORRY DELAYED AS HAVE BEEN OUT OF TOWN STOP WILLING TO MAKE ATTRACTIVE PROPOSITION ON THE BELLANCA AIRPLANE FOR PARIS FLIGHT STOP SUGGEST YOU COME NEW YORK SOON POSSIBLE SO WE CAN GET TOGETHER IN QUICKEST MANNER STOP WIRE ME CARE COLUMBIA AIRCRAFT CORPORATION 5104 WOOLWORTH BUILDING NEW YORK
BELLANCA
Bellanca must have organized a new company, and bought his one existing plane from the Wright Corporation. His message came just in time; in two more days, I would have left for California. In another week, I might have signed a contract with Ryan Airlines.
Then the Wright-Bellanca is at last available; and now I have the financial backing to buy it. I'll be ahead of everyone else. I'll have the best plane for the flight, and plenty of time to test it before weather clears in the spring. I'll get big fuselage tanks put in, fly nonstop to St. Louis, fill them up, and break the world's endurance record—I'll try for forty-eight hours, at least, without landing. After that, we'll have the Whirlwind torn down and inspected to see if any parts show excessive strain or wear; and at the same time we'll give the plane a final going over. Then I'll be ready to take off for Paris whenever conditions are best. Meanwhile I'll assemble equipment for the flight. I'll study methods of long-range navigation. How does a pilot locate his position over the ocean—by day—by night? How accurate is a sextant sight? How can one measure drift above water? – – –But it's difficult to concentrate on such items. The future is too broad and full. Life is overflowing.
I wire Bellanca that our St. Louis organization is complete, and that I'm coming to New York, as he suggests.
home
17
"Captain Lindbergh, I want you to meet Mr. Levine, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Columbia Aircraft Corporation – – – And this is Mr. Chamberlin, our pilot."
Bellanca, smiling and pleasant, introduces me. We shake hands. I'm in the Corporation's offices in the Woolworth Building, New York City.
"So you want to buy our Bellanca?"
Mr. Levine's eyes size me up as he speaks.
"Yes sir. That depends, of course, on the price. We want to buy a plane for the New York-to-Paris flight," I tell him.
"We will sell the Bellanca," he says. "It is the best you can get for that flight. But who is in your organization at St. Louis?"
"There are a number of men. There's Mr. Bixby of the State National Bank. There's Mr. Knight of the brokerage firm of Knight, Dysart, and Gamble. There's Major Lambert, after whom the airport is named. There's Major Robertson, president of the Robertson Aircraft Corporation – –"
I can see that Levine is impressed by my partners.
"You have your money all raised?" he asks.
"No, only part of it," I answer. "We're not going to raise much money until we know what plane we're going to buy. We can raise the money all right, but we think the manufacturer ought to contribute something too. A flight to Paris would be worth a lot in advertising."
"We would contribute to such a flight," Levine tells me. "We would give you a good price on the Bellanca. It is worth $25,000. For that flight, we will sell the plane for $15,000. That would be a contribution of $10,000."
Fifteen thousand dollars! I thought I could cover the entire project for that amount—fuel and tests included. "That's considerably more than we expected to pay," I say. "Is it the lowest price you'd consider?"
"Fifteen thousand dollars is cheap for our Bellanca," he replies. "We could not take less. Remember it is the only existing plane capable of flying from New York to Paris! It needs only gasoline tanks. It can start whenever you are ready."
Levine won't budge from his price. Bellanca and Chamberlin extol the virtures of their plane, but take no part in the business negotiation.
"You never seem to load it down too much," Chamberlin asserts. "The wing keeps right on lifting, and it has wonderful stability."
"I designed the fuselage like an airfoil to give more lift— and the wing-strut fairings too," Bellanca breaks in.
"It can easily break the world's record for nonstop range," amberlin continues.
"Yes," says Bellanca. "A flight from New York to Paris could set a new world's record for distance. But, Captain Lindbergh, I like your plan of making an endurance flight first with my plane. It would be a good test of the engine. Also it would give us important data on fuel consumption – I feel sure my plane can break the endurance record."
"For a plane like ours, fifteen thousand dollars is a low price," Levine repeats.
"I'll have to go back to St. Louis before I can give you a definite answer," I say finally. "I'll have to talk to my partners."
18
Then the Bellanca is for sale. At a high price, but it's for sale. I can still make the flight for less than twenty thousand dollars—considerably less. "Don't turn it down if it costs a little more than you expect," Bixby and Knight had said. "Come back and we'll talk it over."
Success seems in my grasp as I board the train for St. Louis. This is the eleventh day of February. The next time I head westward I'll be at the controls of the world's most efficient airplane. It's only necessary to get a cashier's check, return east, and then I'll have possession of the WrightBellanca.
19
"What would you think of naming it the Spirit of St. Louis?"
Bixby's question strikes vaguely through my ears. I'm staring at the shredded and color-stained fingers on a slip of paper in my hand--FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS. This slip can be traded for the Wright-Bellanca, and this slip is mine--"Pay to the order of Charles A. Lindbergh" it says on the back.
The Spirit of St. Louis – – it's a good name. "All right, let's call it the Spirit of St. Louis." My eyes go back to the check. "I didn't know you were going to make this out to me personally," I say.
Bixby laughs. "Well Slim, Harry and I decided that if we couldn't trust you with a check, we ought not to take part in this project at all."
"When do you plan on starting back to New York?" Knight asks.
"I'll take the train this afternoon," I tell him.
"We'll start setting up a Spirit of St. Louis organization while you're away," Bixby says. "Let us know as soon as you can when you'll be here with the plane. How long do you think it will take to put the tanks in?"
"Maybe I can fly back while the tanks are being made," I reply. "They can be installed later on. I'll try to land the Bellanca on Lambert Field within a week."