In 1910, media magnate William Randolph dangled a $50,000 bounty for anyone brave enough to cross America by air in under 30 days. Calbraith Perry Rodgers—who’d never even piloted solo—strapped into the Wright Model EX, better known as the Vin Fiz Flyer thanks to its grape-soda sponsorship, and set off on a coast-to-coast escapade packed with engine hiccups, forced landings and plenty of headline-grabbing drama.
Today, museum specialist Pat Robinson has shepherded this legendary plane into the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center. In a lively walkthrough with Adam Savage, he uncovers the quirks of the restoration, the challenges of preserving fragile fabric and wood, and why the Vin Fiz Flyer still stands as a bold symbol of early aviation grit.
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