Ford Tri-Motor

[Gary/IA]

This has been flying over my house all afternoon, must be taking people on rides. I have added some closer pictures. I rode in one in about 1962 in Red Oak, Iowa. I think it was based out of Ottawa(Sp), Kansas.

[Mulletwagon]

Very cool ! Propellers - what we used to cross the mountains, deserts, and prairies. Thanks for sharing.

[joncrane]

I rode in the EAA trimotor a few years ago. Beautiful plane brought to Pontiac Mich by EAA. A great $25 plane ride. It hardly seemed to be moving on takeoff. Just kind of warming up on acceleration and we were in the air. Lots of fun.

[barnstuf]

I also had a ride in a Ford tri motor perhaps 40 years ago. It was owned and restored by a major airline and was visiting airports for publicity. It spent a day at the Provincetown Airport at the tip of Cape Cod, and I drove to the airport in my Model A mail truck. One of the publicity folks spotted the Mail truck and had me back it up to a 90 degree angle with the airplane for photos. Being there in the Model A Mail truck got me a ride on the last flight of the day. An experience I will never forget!

[Don Turley]

Had a photo of my 1928 Coupe with a Tri-Motor back in the 1980's. Photo was published in the "Restorer" Vol. 31, Issue 6

[midgetracer]

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I got to be copilot in the Port Clinton Trimotor in Salem Oregon in 2016. My three sons also flew along. It was a fantastic experience. Check EAA website for schedules for the Trimotors. I also got a photo shoot with my 31 roadster in Bismarck last summer.

[joncrane]

A group is restoring a Fprd TriMotor in Port Clinton Ohio. The Detroit Model T Club has planned a May visit to the Airport to see the restoration.

[Werner]

Very nice to see (and to hear!). 8 miles nearly we have some oldtimer planes. 4 Harvard T 6, 3 Boeing Stearman, 1 Ryan PT 2, ... . Ford planes are not flying in Germany.

[marty in Ohio]

Island Airlines in Port Clinton flew trimotors for many years and we used to go to Put-in-Bay on them. Quite a thrill! They wouldn't fly very fast and when they got over the island they just sort of plopped down out of the sky. Island had a few planes and they used some for parts. When they ran out of parts they retired the rest of the fleet. Victory Air Museum in Port Clinton is building a brand new trimotor from the original plans. I don't know if it's done yet, but they've been working on it for years.
Marty

[Werner]

Victory Air Museum in Port Clinton is building a brand new trimotor from the original plans. I don't know if it's done yet, but they've been working on it for years.

Then one can only hope that this will be realized. Lufthansa bought 3 Lockheed Constellation a few years ago to make 1 flying plane out of it. After about 3/4 year, unfortunately, the project had to be ended because the costs were sky-rocketing in exorbitant heights.



Previously, a three-engined Ju 52 was restored by Lufthansa. Today again with the old flag D-AQUI organized flights over fields and meadows.

[Terry, NJ]

Don't sell these old prop planes short! There is a niche for them! Catalinas make excellent forest fire fighters (so i'm told) They can swoop down on a lake and fill their tanks without too much loss in airspeed, Bill Stout, who was Ford's designer of the Trimotor, in 1958 (IIRC) produced one. It was called "One More Tri". Stout was of a pretty advanced age by then and the project went nowhere. But now we have the Russian Antonov AN 2 Colt which parallels the Ford's go slow, but anywhere ability. The Antonov is a real throwback! It is a bi plane with a huge 1000 HP Shvetsov Radial engine. It looks like something out of the 1920s, but the first one was produced in 1947 and they were still cranking them out in the 1980s, Many east bloc countries produced them under license. this airplane was the "Farm Truck" of Russia, hauling cattle and supplies to remote areas. There is one in NJ.It's painted red and white with the name of Lithuanian Air Force. I've been on this plane but not up in it. The FAA was on the field and the US Govt considers it an experimental and won't allow him to take passengers up. Getting back to the Ford's, To produce this plane today would require a good source of new Radial engines. Even HF used Curtis Wright
"Whirlwind" engines. The Russians and the Poles are the only ones making them today.
Terry

Originally Posted by marty in Ohio

Island Airlines in Port Clinton flew trimotors for many years and we used to go to Put-in-Bay on them. Quite a thrill! They wouldn't fly very fast and when they got over the island they just sort of plopped down out of the sky. Island had a few planes and they used some for parts. When they ran out of parts they retired the rest of the fleet. Victory Air Museum in Port Clinton is building a brand new trimotor from the original plans. I don't know if it's done yet, but they've been working on it for years.
Marty

[Brad in Germany]

Originally Posted by Werner

Very nice to see (and to hear!). 8 miles nearly we have some oldtimer planes. 4 Harvard T 6, 3 Boeing Stearman, 1 Ryan PT 2, ... . Ford planes are not flying in Germany.

Hi Werner,

Actually a Ford Trimotor did fly in Germany!!! On 9 August 1929, a Ford trimotor flew across the border into Germany on its publicity tour of Europe. To document that event, here is a photo of the first page of the German Ford Trimotor sales brochure where you can read about it for yourself, auf Deutsch:


mit Ford Trimotor Grüße aus Maryland,
Brad

[77Birdman]

That is really cool, and great stories about these wonderful planes. I have never seen one in person but would love to some day.

[1928Mik]

Gary that EAA aircraft has been here at the Zanesville Airport (ZZV). Quite a sight to see it flying around since I live within a half mile of the runway. I may have to opt for a ride if they bring it back sometime.

[rosenkranswa]

A lot of folks don't realize how influential both Henry and Edsel Ford were in the rise of the Airline industry. After buying the Stout Airplane Company to get a foothold in the industry, the subsidiary developed a series of increasingly capable aircraft culminating in the Trimotor. Ford recorded a number of firsts at Ford Airport in Dearborn - first airport beacon, first paved runway, first commercial mooring mast for airships, first passenger terminal, first airport hotel (the Dearborn Inn).

Unfortunately, a Ju-52 Tante Ju trimotor was lost last summer in an accident. Operated by Ju-Air, the plane crashed near Piz Segnas, Switzerland, while en route from Locarno to Dübendorf.

[denis4x4]

There is a Ford Tri-motor in the San Diego Air & Space museum. Of course, it’s in the Ford Rotunda built for the 1935 international exposition by Ford.

[midgetracer]

Originally Posted by denis4x4

There is a Ford Tri-motor in the San Diego Air & Space museum. Of course, it’s in the Ford Rotunda built for the 1935 international exposition by Ford.

It is in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn. I believe the Rotunda was destroyed by fire many years ago. Please correct me if I am wrong. The plane in the Henry Ford is the one used in the Byrd expedition to Antartica. Sorry I read this wrong, there is a Trimotor at the rotunda at the Air and space museum in Balboa park in San Diego.

[woofa.express]

Ford’s Airliner.

Yes Henry made an airliner. Firstly he purchased an aviation manufacturer by the name of Stout in1926 and Mr Stout designed the “Ford Tri Motor”. As the name suggests a 3 engine aeroplane. Ideas were taken (stolen) from the German Junkers which used corrugated skins. The corrugation gave rigidity but was heavier than traditional fabric which is still used today on some new aeroplanes. Then the basic design was taken from the Fokker. I believe this resulted in a law suit. Have I spelt suit correctly?

The aeroplane was produced and sold in 1929 and Ford went on to produce 199 of them. Many of today’s modern airlines commenced with them. It was a military machine to. Now some trivia, KLM was one such airline and KLM stands for Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij meaning ‘royal airline company. Betcha didn’t know that and I betcha you can’t pronounce the name either.

Today 5 remain and I believe, and stand to be corrected, (see signature at base of this article) the last regular public service they provided was at long island doing a milk run,so to speak. One went to Idaho and was used for crop spraying then went onto forest fire bombing.

Engine power started at 200 hp then 300 and mostly ended with the Pratt and Whitney Radial 985 (cubic inch displacement) which was supercharged and delivered 450 hp. I think that one would find today all remaining aeroplanes were R985’s ( I sat behind these R985’s for years on the Agcat). . A few had the rpm increased to 2700 rpm and delivered 525 hp.

I see on the aviation trading journal “trade a plane” one is offered for 2.85 million.

I reckon many readers will have know the above. Many readers to would know the tune, a once popular duet turned to a hit. Do click onto the link and take a listen even if you know it. It’s great. Ada Jones and Billy Murray

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFZDB6DqAnA

[Werner]

Ideas were taken (stolen) from the German Junkers which used corrugated skins.

Hugo Junkers first constructed Ju 52 had only one engine. It was much too weak, so the series was completed with 3 motors. Previously, Junkers built a single-engine low-wing aircraft, "F 13".


Both trimots shows approximately similar. Ford's interieur was luxury.

[AL in NY]

Here's the history of the aircraft:




Justin Taylan 2018
Aircraft History
Built by Ford as 5-AT-B Trimotor during 1928. First flight on December 1, 1928. During January 1929, sold to Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) and registered as NC9645. Nicknamed "City of Wichita" in honor of the initiation of transcontinental commercial air service on July 7, 1929 with "City of Columbus".
In April 1931, purchased by Transcontinental and Western Air (TWA) and helped develop the airlines flight routes. In July 1935 sold to G. Ruckstill / Grand Canyon Airlines. Next, in February 1937 to Boulder Dam Tours.
In December 1937 sold to Transportes Aereos del Continente Americano (TACA Airlines) and registered in Honduras as AN-AAS. In 1942 sold to an unknown owner in Compeche, Mexico and registered as XA-FUB. In 1950, registered to another unknown owner in Compeche, Mexico and registered as XA-NET.
During 1951, during a major overhaul, the corrugated skin was removed and replaced with flat metal skin and was dubbed “the smooth-skin Ford" and sold in July 1953. In January 1954 damaged during an accident and afterwards placed into storage.
In 1955, purchased by Eugene Frank of Caldwell, Idaho and transported to the United States and registered as N58996 and was placed into storage. In July 1964 sold to William F. Harrah of Harrah’s Hotel and Casinos in Nevada, and returned the plane’s registration to NC9645. Over the next seven years, fully restored with corrugated skin. In 1971 the trimotor returned to flying condition and was flown in Reno then to static display as part of the Harrah Collection until he passed away. In June 1986 auction to Gary Norton of Athol, Idaho.
In February 1999, acquired by Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum and placed into storage until 1996 when it underwent another restoration and resumed flying.
During 2014, acquired by Ed Patrick / Liberty Aviation Museum and registered as N964 arriving during July 2014. Afterwards, this aircraft entered into a leas agreement with the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and began flying around the United States are part of the EAA Ford Tri-Motor Tour.
This aircraft has a natural metal finish. The lower left wing has "NC9645" painted in black block. On the right side of the nose is "City of Port Clinton" (where it is normally based). On the left side of the nose is "City of Wichita". The fuselage has the Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) logo. The tail has "Ford" and "NC9645".
References
FAA Registry - Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor N9645
Liberty Aviation Museum - Ford Tri-Motor "City of Port Clinton"
EAA - History of the Liberty Ford Tri-Motor 5-AT-B