RYAN NYP SPIRIT OF SAINT LOUIS
WALTHAM XA
The Waltham XA incorporates a movement 37 size with 7 jewels. This movement was submitted to extreme temperature and vibration controls during its certification. Built in the twenties, it was the most reliable clock of its time. Lindberg chose it for the historical flight, because he preferred reliability than accuracy.
In 1919, in the middle of huge expectation, due to all the advances that had occurred, Raymond Orteig offered a 25.000$ to the first person to fly from New York to Paris without having to stop.
Charles Lindberg, an unknown pilot from the postal service, convinced a group of businessmen from San Louis, Missouri, to try to win the reward.
Due to the limited budget, and despite using more convenient airplanes, they decided to fly a monoplane built by Ryan Airlines, a small company from San Diego.
It took two months to prepare the plane which was given the name of RYAN NYP (New York Paris). On the tenth of May, it flew to New York establishing a new record for a transcontinental flight. On the twentieth of May of 1927, it took off in a solitary flight and landed 33 hours and a half later in Le Bourget, Paris.
The cockpit was designed specifically for this flight, carrying the maximum fuel possible.
Lindberg decided to build the cockpit behind the fuel tank in case there was an accident, so you would not be sitting between the engine and the fuel tank. On the other hand, building the cockpit behind the fuel tank made visibility much more difficult. To avoid this problem, he installed a periscope which unfolded on the left part of the airplane (you can see in the centre of the cabin, slightly located to the left, the hole of the periscope, and next to it a horizontal lever to fold it and unfold it).
Lindberg made the cockpit more uncomfortable putting the side windows behind the seat, removing the heating system (to avoid falling asleep) and also removed the radio to lose weight and be able to carry more fuel.