Ford Trimotor

Ford Trimotor G-CYWZ of the Royal Canadian Air Force.

The Ford Trimotor, nicknamed The Tin Goose, was a three engine civil transport aircraft first produced in 1925 by Henry Ford and continued until June 7, 1933. Throughout its lifespan a total of about 200 aircraft were produced. It was popular with the military and was sold all over the world. Unlike his famous cars, trucks and farm tractors, Ford did not make the engines for these airplanes. This famous plane, in effect, was the bird that originally "launched" commercial air travel, as we know it today, to a widespread level. One might say the unique three-engined prop-driven Ford plane started the airline industry.

Development

In the early 1920's Henry Ford, along with a list of 19 other investors including his son Edsel, invested in the Stout Metal Airplane Company. In 1925 Ford bought Stout and its Hugo Junkers influenced aircraft designs. Ford adapted the traditionally single engined Stout craft with three Wright air-cooled radial engines. After a series of test aircraft and a suspicious fire causing the complete destruction of all previous designs, the 4-AT and 5-AT emerged. The Ford Trimotors used an all metal construction - not a revolutionary concept, but certainly beyond the standard in the 1920s. The aircraft resembled the Fokker F.VII but it was all metal; its wings were made of aluminum and corrugated for added strength. This has become something of a signature for the trimotor. Transcontinental Air Transport, which later became part of TWA, used the craft to begin its transcontinental air service from San Diego to New York in 1929.

One 4-AT with Wright J-4 200 hp engines was built for the Army Air Corps as type C-3, and 7 with Wright R-790-3 (235 hp) as type C-3A. The latter were upgraded to Wright R-975-1 (J6-9) radials at 300 hp and redesignated C-9. Five 5-ATs were built as C-4 or C-4A.

The original (commercial production) 4-AT had 3 air cooled Wright radial engines. It carried a crew of three - pilot, co-pilot and stewardess - and eight or nine passengers. The later 5-AT had more powerful Pratt & Whitney engines. All models had aluminum corrugated sheet metal body and wings. However, like many aircraft of this era, extending through World War II and later, the aircraft control surfaces were fabric covered. Amazingly, but common for the time, the rudder and elevator were controlled by wires that were strung along the external surface of the aircraft. Similarly, engine gauges were mounted externally, on the engines, to be read by the pilot looking through the windscreen.

Like his cars and tractors, these Ford aircraft were well designed, relatively inexpensive, and reliable (for the era). The rapid development of aircraft at this time, (the vastly superior Douglas DC-2 was first conceived in 1932), helped Henry Ford to lose interest in aircraft production. While Ford didn't make a profit on its aviation business, Ford's reputation leant credibility to the infant aviation industry, and Ford helped introduce many aspects of the modern aviation infrastructure, including paved runways, passenger terminals, hangars, airmail, and radio navigation.

The Tri-motor was not to be Ford's last venture in aircraft production. During World War II, he built the largest aircraft manufacturing plant in the world and assembled thousands of B-24 bombers under license to Consolidated Aircraft.

Operational history

A total of 199 Ford Tri-motors were built between 1926 and 1933, including 79 of the 4-AT variant, and 117 of the 5-AT variant, plus some experimental craft. Well over 100 airlines of the world flew the Ford Tri-motor.

4-AT serial number 10 was built in 1927. It flew in the United States and Mexico under registration number C-1077, and for several years in Canada under registration number G-CARC. It had many notable accomplishments. It was flown by Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart among many others. It made the first commercial flight from the United States to Mexico City, and the first commercial flight over the Canadian Rockies. After damage on landing, it was grounded 1936 and remained for decades at Carcross, Yukon. In 1956 the wreck was salvaged and preserved, and in the mid 1980's Greg Herrick took over C-1077 and began restoring it. As of 2006, C-1077 is in flying condition again, restored to its December 1927 appearance.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt flew on a Ford TriMotor in 1932 during his presidential campaign.

As of 2006, there are 18 Ford Tri-motors in existence. A few of these are in flyable condition. One such aircraft resides at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Military operators

• Australia (RAAF), Canada (RCAF), Colombia, Spain, United States (as the C-4).

Culture

The plane is referenced in the Clive Cussler book Iceberg and used by character Dirk Pitt for a rescue operation. The plane is also referred to in Cussler's book Valhalla Rising when Pitt uses it to escape and attack from a Fokker Dr.I, the type of plane used by Manfred von Richthofen, also known as The Red Baron.

References

• Lowe, Scott A.. Ford Trimotor.org. Scott A. Lowe. Retrieved on 2006-10-01. This web site is "a tribute to the Ford Tri-Motor", and contains facts, pictures, bibliography and more.

Related content

Comparable aircraft

• Fokker F.VII

Designation sequence

• C-1 - C-2 - C-3 - C-4 - C-5 - C-6 - C-7 - C-8 - C-9 - C-10 - C-11 - C-12

Related lists

• List of airliners
• List of military aircraft of the United States