Lindbergh Finishes Flight Tests

 

On this day in 1927, Charles A. Lindbergh completes his last series of flight tests of the Ryan NYP, N-X-211, Spirit of St. Louis before his transatlantic flight on May 20–21. Flying at 50 feet over San Diego Bay, he times the Spirit‘s flight from marker to marker with a stopwatch. After the speed runs, Lindbergh flies back to nearby Camp Kearney for load tests. Take-off distances are measured while increasing the fuel load in 50-gallon increments. Click image for a large view.

Short Haul Airliner from Convair

 

On this date in 1947, the Convair CV-240 made its initial flight from Lindberg Field, San Diego, California. It all began with American Airlines' requirement to replace their fleet of Douglas DC-3s. Featuring a more modern design with cabin pressurization, the 240 series was a success. The 240 had a long development cycle that produced many variants during a twenty-plus-year period for civil and military use worldwide. The final 600 series used Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop engines with four-blade propellers, replacing the piston engines with three-blade propellers.