Lindy the New Flying Game, first published by Parker Brothers in 1927, was meant to capitalize on the fame of Charles Lindbergh (popularly known as “Lindy”). In May 1927 Lindbergh flew the Spirit of St. Louis from Roosevelt Field, Long Island, to Paris on the first successful non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean (In May 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman — and the second person after Charles Lindbergh — to fly nonstop and solo across the Atlantic). The Lindy game represents a flying race, played by up to six players. The object of the game is to collect mileage cards. Other cards help or hinder the traveler's progress, while some cards allow opponents interfere with a players progress. The first player to collect cards totaling 3,200 miles is the winner. The version of the Lindy game in the Southampton History Museum’s collection is the “Improved Edition”, marketed in 1935.
The development of Parker Brother’s Lindy the New Flying Game was not without controversy. Another company, Nucraft Toys, produced a nearly identical game at the same time. The founder of Nucraft Toys, Paul Guillow, (a World War I U. S. Navy pilot) had started a model airplane company, marketing a line of small balsa wood construction kits. In addition to these balsa models, Nucraft published The New Lindy Flying Game. It is not clear which company was the original game developer, but Parker Brothers sued Nucraft and won. Although Guillow lost the rights to the game, it continues to manufacture balsa model aircraft today.
