Spirit of St. Louis - Later History and Conservation

Later History and Conservation

Lindbergh's New York-to-Paris flight made him an instant celebrity and media star. In winning the Orteig Prize, Lindbergh stirred the public's imagination. He wrote: "I was astonished at the effect my successful landing in France had on the nations of the world. It was like a match lighting a bonfire." Lindbergh subsequently flew the Spirit of St. Louis to Belgium and England before President Calvin Coolidge sent the U.S. Navy cruiser USS Memphis (CL-13) to bring them back to the United States. Arriving on June 11, Lindbergh and the Spirit were escorted up the Potomac River to Washington, D.C., by a fleet of warships, multiple flights of military pursuit aircraft, bombers, and the rigid airship USS Los Angeles (ZR-3) where President Coolidge presented the 25-year-old U.S. Army Reserve aviator with the Distinguished Flying Cross. On the same day, the U.S Post Office issued a commemorative 10-cent "Lindbergh Air Mail" stamp depicting the Spirit over a map of its flight from New York to Paris, and which was also the first stamp issued by the post office that bore the name of a living person. Over the next 10 months, Lindbergh flew the Spirit on promotional and goodwill tours across the United States and Latin America. Not long after his return to the U.S. Lindbergh met his old barnstorming pal, Bud Gurney(1906-1982). He allowed Gurney to fly the Spirit on a short hop. Gurney gave his opinion to Lindbergh of how the Spirit handled in comparison to their old Jennies from 1923. Gurney is the only other person besides Lindbergh to have flown The Spirit of St. Louis.

Just one year and two days after making their first flight at Dutch Flats in San Diego, CA, on April 28, 1927, Lindbergh and the Spirit flew together for the final time while making a hop from St. Louis to Bolling Field, in Washington, D.C., on April 30, 1928. There he presented his monoplane to the Smithsonian Institution where for more than eight decades it has been on display, today hanging in the atrium of the National Air and Space Museum alongside the Bell X-1 and SpaceShipOne. At the time of its retirement, the Spirit had made 174 flights for a total of 489:28 flying time.

While in other respects the Spirit of St. Louis appears today much as it appeared on its accession into the Smithsonian collection in 1928, the gold color of the aircraft's aluminum nose panels is an artifact of well-intended early conservation efforts. Not long after the museum took possession of the Spirit, conservators applied a clear layer of varnish or shellac to the forward panels in an attempt to preserve the flags and other artwork painted on the engine cowling. This protective coating has yellowed with age, resulting in the golden hue seen today. Smithsonian officials have indicated that the varnish will be removed, and the nose panels restored to their original silver appearance, the next time the aircraft is taken down for conservation.