✈️ Spirit of St. Louis (United States): step-by-step build

The silver high-wing plane that flew across the Atlantic alone in 1927, with no front window at all.

In 1927 Charles Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis all the way from New York to Paris on his own. A big fuel tank sat where the front window would be, so he looked out of the sides! This is a Technic-parts model inspired by it, not a real flying plane: silver beams, a wing on top, and a propeller that turns freely on its axle.

• Level 3 of 5 (medium)
• About 45 minutes
• 26 steps, 82 parts
• Powered by: Push
• Series: Aircraft from 21 Countries

What you will learn

• Pins: Grippy or Smooth: Pins join beams together — some hold tight, some let things swing.
• Triangles Are Strong: A triangle cannot be squished — a square can.
• Centre of Gravity: Keep the heavy stuff low and in the middle and your model won't tip.
• Axles: An axle is a cross-shaped rod — anything on it turns together.
• Axles & Wheels: A wheel on an axle turns dragging into rolling.

Parts you need

• 4 × L-beam 3×5
• 16 × Blue long pin
• 27 × Black pin (grippy)
• 2 × Beam 11
• 1 × Beam 9
• 4 × L-beam 2×4
• 1 × Boomerang beam 3×7
• 11 × Beam 5
• 1 × Long pin-axle block
• 2 × Axle 3
• 3 × Beam 7
• 2 × Bush
• 4 × Beam 3
• 1 × Axle 6
• 3 × Train wheel

Steps

1. Lay the floor of the fuselage: take a light grey 3×5 L-beam (short leg down: the tail-wheel leg), then push 1 black pin and 1 blue long pin in and press a light grey 11-hole beam onto them.
2. Lay the floor of the fuselage: push 2 blue long pins in and press a light grey 9-hole beam onto them.
3. Lay the floor of the fuselage: push 2 black pins in and press a light grey 3×5 L-beam (short leg up at the nose) onto them.
4. Add the roots of the wings and the tail: push 1 black pin in and press a dark grey 2×4 L-beam (short leg up) onto them.
5. Add the roots of the wings and the tail: push 1 black pin and 1 blue long pin in and press a dark grey 2×4 L-beam (short leg up) onto them.
6. Add the roots of the wings and the tail: push 2 black pins in and press a dark grey 2×4 L-beam (short leg up) onto them, then slide a dark grey 2×4 L-beam (short leg up) onto the blue pins that stick out.
7. Add the roots of the wings and the tail: push 2 black pins in and press a dark grey 3×5 L-beam (short leg down: a landing-gear leg) onto them.
8. Add the roots of the wings and the tail: push 2 black pins in and press a dark grey 3×5 L-beam (short leg down: a landing-gear leg) onto them.
9. Build the top of the fuselage, the cockpit and the tail fin: push 2 black pins in and press a light grey 11-hole beam onto them.
10. Build the top of the fuselage, the cockpit and the tail fin: push 1 black pin and 1 blue long pin in and press a light grey boomerang beam (its bent end leans back: the tail fin) onto them.
11. Build the top of the fuselage, the cockpit and the tail fin: push 2 blue long pins in and press a light grey 5-hole beam (the cockpit) onto them.
12. Fit the propeller: push 2 black pins into the upright leg and press the long pin-axle block onto them.
13. Fit the propeller: push an axle into the block, slide on the light grey propeller beam and lock it on with a bush (the propeller spins freely on the axle).
14. Build the tailplane: push 2 black pins in and press a light grey 3-hole beam onto them.
15. Build the tailplane: push 1 black pin in and press a light grey 3-hole beam onto them.
16. Fix the wing on top of the fuselage: slide a light grey 7-hole beam onto the blue pins that stick out, then push 1 black pin and 1 blue long pin in and press a light grey 7-hole beam onto them.
17. Build the right wing: push 2 blue long pins in and press a light grey 5-hole beam onto them, then slide a light grey 5-hole beam onto the blue pins that stick out.
18. Build the right wing: push 2 blue long pins in and press a light grey 5-hole beam onto them, then slide a light grey 5-hole beam onto the blue pins that stick out.
19. Build the right wing: push 2 black pins in and press a black 5-hole beam onto them.
20. Build the right wing: push 2 black pins in and press a light grey 3-hole beam onto them.
21. Build the left wing: push 1 blue long pin in and press a light grey 5-hole beam onto them, then push 1 blue long pin in and press a light grey 5-hole beam onto them.
22. Build the left wing: push 1 blue long pin in and press a light grey 5-hole beam onto them, then push 1 blue long pin in and press a light grey 5-hole beam onto them.
23. Build the left wing: push 1 black pin in and press a black 5-hole beam onto them.
24. Build the left wing: push 2 black pins in and press a light grey 3-hole beam onto them.
25. Put on the wheels: push a 6-long axle through both legs and put a wheel on each end.
26. Put on the wheels: push a 3-long axle through the leg, with a wheel on one side and a bush on the other.

Play time

Blow on the propeller to spin it, then fly the model around the room in your hand!

Real-world inspiration

Ryan NYP "Spirit of St. Louis", the aircraft of the first solo nonstop transatlantic flight (1927).

Credited demonstrations and component sources

• Spirit of St. Louis — Wikipedia: Public reference for the real aircraft's shape and colours; this is a Technic-parts model inspired by it, not a flying or tested replica.