benjaminfranklinmahoney

"Charles A. Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis probably is the best known airplane in the world. The airplane's transatlantic flight brought fame to T. Claude Ryan, whose name is connected to the company that built it--Ryan Airlines, the original Ryan company. But, although the names "Ryan" and "Ryan Airlines" appear on the plane, history has overlooked the other name closely intertwined with the legend of "Lucky Lindy" and his Spirit--Benjamin Franklin Mahoney, owner of Ryan Airlines". www.charleslindbergh.com/plane/mahoney.asp

Replacement propeller spinner and nosecone, which replaced the original spinner and more blunt nosecone which cracked during Lindbergh's May 12, 1927 flight from San Diego to Long Island. That places this photo at Curtiss Field (adjacent to Roosevelt Field), where the spinner and nosecone were replaced prior to Lindbergh's flight to Paris.

This is another photo of Charles A. Lindbergh and Ryan Airlines owner Benjamin Franklin Mahoney (aka B.F. Mahoney) next to the rudder of a Ryan M-1 aircraft, not the Ryan NYP Spirit of St. Louis. Ryan Airlines built the Ryan M-1, M-2, as well as the Ryan NYP, and later Ryan Brougham.

BF Mahoney had already purchased Ryan Aircraft and Ryan himself had little to do with the building of the Spirit of St Louis. BF had kept the name of the company as Ryan Aircraft leading to some confusion. see link: www.charleslindbergh.com/plane/mahoney.asp