NC-4

The name Charles Lindbergh is synonymous with flying across the Atlantic, but the NC-4 flying boat was the first to conquer that ocean in a multi-legged flight with stops in Canada, the Azores Islands and ultimately Portugal.  On loan from the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum since 1974, this is the actual aircraft, not a replica.  Top speed for the NC-4 on its epic flight in May1919 was 85 m.p.h.  Fifty years later, man walked on the moon, a startling fact demonstrating the rapid technological advancement that is a hallmark of aviation.