1927 Travel Air 4000

Travel Air introduced the “4000 type” in 1926 with a Wright “Whirlwind” J4 9-cylinder radial engine. By 1927, the upgraded J5 version of the Whirlwind was featured on the Travel Air 4000, which was rated at 220 hp. This same engine was used on the Spirit of St. Louis, made famous by Charles Lindbergh on his trans-Atlantic flight of 1927. Popular with sportsmen as well as advanced flight schools, the Whirlwind-Travel Air was also used as a mail hauler with the removal of the two seats in the front cockpit. The museum’s Travel Air 4000 depicts one flown by Charles Lindbergh for Robertson Airlines, a mail carrier between Chicago and St. Louis. It is partially restored with plans to bring it to full flying condition in the next few years.