When I was a kid in growing up in the sixties, I used to build models: mostly airplanes and cars.
There was a brief period when the famous ‘Winnie Mae’ became a very popular model, and most boys I knew had built one.
I knew nothing about the plane then, and have only recently done some minimal research.
I don’t know much about airplanes, not being a pilot, but this particular plane was famous as it set a precedent flying around the world.
Lockheed Vega was the manufacturer of these planes, and Amelia Earhardt also flew one. There must be something special about them.
Wylie Post flew the Winnie Mae around the world. He was the first pilot to fly solo around the world in a fixed wing aircraft.
Post was killed in a plane crash along with Will Rogers in 1935.
There were many variations of this type of plane.
Post was also instrumental in designing one of the first pressure suits for high altitude flying since the cabins in those days were not pressurized…at least in their infancy.
extexanwannabe 