Airplanes in the 1920s

Uses

• During World War I, airplanes become a necessity, and as a result the pace at which they were designed and produced increased drastically. Planes were developed to be able to carry heavier loads over longer distances, and this trend continued after the war was over. Planes started being used for commercial purposes, transporting people and cargo. Pilots who had returned from the war began to profit from their skills by providing passenger rides.

Further Advancements

• Originally, airplanes were made mostly out of wood and canvas, but the 1920s introduced the use of more metal in the construction process, and eventually airplanes were made entirely of metal. Speed was also a major advancement for airplanes in the 1920s. The public became fascinated with seeing how much faster airplanes could go, and racing became a popular spectator sport.

Friendship

• Though the airplane name Friendship may not be her most famous aircraft, it is the plane that Amelia Earhart was in when she became the first woman to cross the Atlantic. Along with pilot Wilmer "Bill" Stultz and co-pilot Louis E. "Slim" Gordon, Earhart set out from Trepassey Harbor, Newfoundland, on June 17, 1928. Twenty-one hours later, the team arrived in Burry Port, Wales. Earhart would go on to achieve many more flight records, and in 1937, while attempting to be the first woman to fly around the world, her plane went missing and neither she nor the plane was ever found.

Spirit of St. Louis

• Perhaps the most famous pilot and plane in the world are Charles Lindbergh and his plane the Spirit of St. Louis. Lindbergh is the first person to fly nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. He set off from Roosevelt Field near New York City on May 20, 1927, and arrived at Le Bourget Field in Paris 33 hours later. As a result of his achievement, Lindbergh received the $25,000 Orteig Prize, offered in 1919 by New York hotel owner Raymond Orteig.