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Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

Ryan NYP Head-On Powerplant, Damascened Spinner, and Cowl Detail (May 1927)

Head-on close-up photograph of the Spirit of St. Louis nose showing damascened cowl, spinner, engine, and gear struts.
Ryan NYP Head-On Powerplant, Damascened Spinner, and Cowl Detail (May 1927) · Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A primary engineering photograph capturing a close head-on perspective of the forward fuselage of the Spirit of St. Louis on Dutch Flats. The image details the concentric engine-turned damascening on the nose cowl and propeller spinner, the 223-hp Wright J-5C Whirlwind radial engine, duralumin propeller blades, and the symmetrical landing gear shock strut boots. This damascened finish was a signature Ryan aesthetic that reduced sun glare and protected aluminum skin from marine atmospheric corrosion.