 The total of $18,000 was far less than what was available to Lindbergh's rivals.The group tried to buy an "off-the-peg" single or multiengine monoplane from [[Wright Aeronautical]], then [[Travel Air]], and finally the newly formed [[Columbia Aircraft Corporation]], but all insisted on selecting the pilot as a condition of sale.Finally the much smaller [[Ryan Aeronautical|Ryan Aircraft Company]] of San Diego agreed to design and build a custom monoplane for $10,580, and on a deal was formally closed.