Extracting the Aircraft with a Crane (1927)

A crew of men, including Production Manager Hawley Bowlus, using a crane to lift the nose of the Spirit of St. Louis outside the factory doors after removing the landing gear. — Extracting the Aircraft with a Crane (1927) · Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

This 1927 photograph highlights the rapid, improvisational nature of the 60-day build. Because the completed Spirit of St. Louis was too wide for the Ryan factory doors, the crew, including Production Manager Hawley Bowlus, used a crane to lift the nose, removed a landing gear strut to squeeze it through, and reattached it outside.