Aircraft Lindy did not fly?

[spad0007]

Was the aircraft Lindbergh did not fly across the pond a
Bellanca? If so what model?

[bhk]

There are quite a few aircraft that he didn't fly across the Atlantic.
He didn't fly everything except a Ryan!

Bruce

[jimslost]

The plane Lindy really wanted was the Wright-Bellanca WB-2, forerunner of the Bellanca CH-200 series. It was (and generally still is) considered to be a better plane than the Ryan, but Charles Levine who was running the company at the time insisted that if they sold him the plane, they would choose the crew to fly it across the pond, an obviously unacceptable position. Lindy went west to get the Ryan and after some rather lengthy legal battles about who really owned the WB-2, Levine and Clarance Chamberlin flew it nonstop to Germany in June, 1927.

[spad0007]

Thanks Jim I bet thy where kicking them selves.

[smilingthru]

The Ryan was not even his second choice: Travel Air was too busy making airplanes to turn out a Travel Air 5000/Wooleroc especially equipped for the transatlantic flight, though Walter Beech, who personally turned down Lindbergh's request for a Travel Air, sent Lindy congratulations and a big bunch of flowers while he was still in the air.

[spad0007]

I wil say it again These guys know stuff..

[normh3]

and a plug for Delaware...

www.friendsofbellanca.org/index.html