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[VIN FIZ]

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:350.00 - 450.00 USD
[VIN FIZ]
<p><b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:windowtext'>[VIN FIZ] </span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:windowtext'><BR><BR></span><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:Arial; text-transform:uppercase'>First Transcontinental Flight</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Arial; color:windowtext'><BR><BR>An exciting and historic aviation artifact, a 2"x2" section of the wing fabric of the Wright EX biplane <i>Vin Fiz</i> which in 1911 was piloted by Calbraith P. Rogers in the first flight across the continental U.S. Sponsoring the Armour Company’s soda “Vin Fiz,” Rodgers was attempting to win a $50,000 prize offered by William Randolph Hearst to the first pilot to traverse the country. Taking off from Long Island Sep 17, Rogers kept his course by following railroad tracks and landed in Pasadena 82 hours and two minutes later Nov 5 after 70 landings, countless crashes—and one midair collision with an eagle. When the plane’s restoration was undertaken in 1960, this piece of fabric was removed to be replaced with a cleaner, more sturdy fabric. Handsomely affixed to 14¼"x19¼" linen-textured broadside featuring a sepia-toned photograph of the plane in flight, 10"x8", above the relic and a printed script description beneath. Ideal for display. Accompanied by supplemental text from the National Air and Space Museum, with a Certificate of Authenticity from the Smithsonian Institution. Fine.</span></p>