"All things considered, the Vimy was a mechanical piece of crap. Lindbergh's aircraft was mechanically and aerodynamically superior to the Vimy".
Others have replied to this and I agree with them, you only have to note the pace of developments in aviation to realise that 8 years is a long time. 10 years before A and B crossed the Atlantic, Bleriot won £1000 for being the first to fly across the English Channel.