Ryan NYP Split-Axle Landing Gear, Shock Strut, and Wheel Assembly (1927)

Low ground-level view of the right split-axle landing gear, shock strut fairing, and covered wire wheel. — Ryan NYP Split-Axle Landing Gear, Shock Strut, and Wheel Assembly (1927) · Donald A. Hall Estate Collection

A low ground-level engineering photograph detailing the right landing gear assembly of the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis on the dirt apron at Dutch Flats. The view highlights the heavy-duty welded steel split-axle truss, the vertical shock-absorber strut enclosed in an aerodynamic streamlined boot, and the fabric-doped wheel fairing disc. Donald A. Hall Sr. designed this wide 10-foot landing gear track to absorb the severe ground impact forces of a 5,200-pound maximum overload takeoff on rough, unpaved runways.