Ford Tri-Motor

1926


TRANSPORT, PASSENGER	Virtual Aircraft Museum / USA / Ford

There is no text information for this aircraft at the moment.

Specification

CREW	1-2
PASSENGERS	17
ENGINE	3 x 313kW Pratt & Whitney R-1340-C1 or SC1 Wasp radial piston engines
WEIGHTS
Take-off weight	6123 kg	13499 lb
DIMENSIONS
Wingspan	23.72 m	78 ft 10 in
Length	15.32 m	50 ft 3 in
Height	3.86 m	13 ft 8 in
Wing area	77.57 m²	834.96 sq ft
PERFORMANCE
Max. speed	241 km/h	150 mph
Ceiling	5640 m	18500 ft
Range	885 km	550 miles

Comments

1-20 21-40 41-60

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wiliamezikeil, e-mail, 29.06.2011 11:22

Klaatu, e-mail, 26.06.2011 16:00

It's somewhat surprising that all the editors could manage to come up with about the famous and highly successful "Tin Goose" was, "There is no text information for this aircraft at the moment."

Introduced in 1926.
199 built.
Used by 100 airlines, as well as the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy and RCAF.
I believe that several are still actually flying.

neiyi, 21.06.2011 06:31

It was the smoothest takeoff and landing I have ever experienced. Also the noisiest ride ever, too!

Bob White, e-mail, 22.05.2011 06:51

Back in either 88 or 89 I had occasion to take a ride in what at the time was the only Tri Motor in flying condition. It was owned and flown by a man whose name was Al Cheney if memory serves me correctly. I paid $35 for about a 45 min flight out over Lake Okeechobie and the surrounding cattle ranches. Also, if my memory can be trusted, Mr. Cheney told me some of the history of that particular aircraft. It had been used as a mail plane and school bus from the Cleveland ares serving some of the islands out in the Lake. He also said at the time that this particular aircraft was the only one that Henry Ford had actually flown in.

KD, e-mail, 14.05.2011 03:44

June 23-26, 2011 Fly the fully restored Ford Tri-Motor, owned by EAA, at Historic Lunken Airfield in Cincinnati, Ohio. Flights are $60 per seat with the cockpit right seat available for $100.

william muttera, e-mail, 09.02.2011 23:06

Sometime in the 60's i was flying a company Cessna 310 and was sitting on the ramp at Worcester Mass. American Airlines Ford Tri Motor was settine across the ramp. They were hopping local business men to promote the introduction of their Boeing 727. The captain saw me and asked if I wanted to ride, of course I did. Airborn he asked if I would like to fly it. I was allowed to fly it for about 10 minutes and I remember it was heavy on the controls and to bring the wing up out of a turn required aileron and rudder both. I will always be greatful to that airline captain. Later I was lucky to be in LaGuardia when they parked it next ot the first 727 in service. Still later it was placed in the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Just think how neat it was for me to point to it and tell my son's, I flew that airplane. American Airlines sure picked the right captain for the PR tour. He later told me that they found it in a garbage dump in Mexico, discovered it was one of their aircraft years before and decided to rebuild it for the PR tour. I will always remember the kindness of that captain.

Raymond Bowman, e-mail, 30.01.2011 04:54

My first airplane flight was in a tri-motor Ford at the Ohio State Fair in the late 1930's. I am 88 years old now but it was a great experience I will always remember.

Hank Brodersen, e-mail, 23.01.2011 07:04

I was a smokejumper in Missoula, MT in 1954 and 1955. I made several jumps from the Tri-motor, including my first jump. I was #2 in the stick and after #1 left, I moved up and put my foot out the door to get it into the step but the slipstream kept moving my foot aside. It took several attempts before I finally got it and jumped.

Despite that little episode, I loved jumping from the Ford because of its stability and slow speed. It was the perfect airplane for mountain flying and getting in and out of some pretty wild and primitive airstrips.

The Tri-motor in the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL is one of Johnson Flying Service's aircraft that was used to fly smokejumpers around back in the 1950's and 1960's. I had the museum folks research its history and found out I actually jumped from it. It's a great feeling to be a part of aviation history!

Tom, e-mail, 13.01.2011 01:49

The Ford Tri-Motor was used for many years by Island Airlines. It flew between Port Clinton, Ohio and the lake Erie Islands. The owner was Chuck Dietrick and the chief pilot was Newell Whitty. I think I have a picture of one being re-fueled.

Earl Buck, e-mail, 27.11.2010 23:18

I saw one of these airplanes at OwlsPort,Maine several years ago,would not take us for aride because of lack of insurance.Plane was in excellent condition.I thought they told us that this plane carrid mail in South America.

Earl Buck, e-mail, 27.11.2010 23:18

Herb Fischer, e-mail, 20.11.2010 03:03

I was a Smokejumper in the U.S. Forest Service in the 50's and 60's and went on to fly over 30,000 hours in 50 years for the USAF, Pan Am, United and Netjets. I made my first jump out of a Ford piloted by Bob Johnson in 1957.

The Ford was a great airplane for back country jumping (unless you were #2 in the stick and were trying to hit that little step).

I'm pretty sure the Naval Museum Ford is one of Johnson's and I know that the one in Kalamazoo was a dataplate restoration of one that crashed at Moose Creek Ranger Station in Idaho in 1959, killing two jumpers.

It is impossible to forget the feeling of gloved fingers rippling down the corrugated skin as you positioned to jump out of the Ford!

How fortunate can a person be! My career went from Jumping a Ford in 1957 to 777 Captian in 1997! And then 10 years in a Falcon 2000!

N. Barth, e-mail, 19.11.2010 05:50

I flew in a Tri in 1933 that had landed in a hay field south of Urich, Mo. to give rides over town. That was the start of my aviation desire. I still remember seeing that barbwire fence a few feet below the wheels on take-off.

Ron Crawford, e-mail, 05.11.2010 19:54

Does anyone remember a pilot that flew for Henry Ford in the Thirties named Vernon "Crazy" Johns? The "Crazy" nickname came from his barnstorming days. Any info?

Jimmy L. Steeley, e-mail, 29.10.2010 01:49

I had the pleasure to have flown is one of these aircraft a number of years ago at the "Fun n' Sun" airshow at Lakeland, Fl. It was a real thrill.
Jim Steeley

Dennis McMahon, e-mail, 23.10.2010 15:36

I flew on a tri motor Ford in 1940 and 1941 in Nicaragua from Puerto Cabezes to Siuna as my dad worked for the mining company there. My sister and I flew to Alamacamba for a visit and my sister was air sick. I rember we got off the plane and stood and watched to see who would carry the the soiled sack of cement. Yes; there were no seats as
this plane was hauling frieght. 50 pound bags of cement and we sat on these.
My mother was catching a tri-motor Ford plane to Panama one day and we watched the plane land. It had lost about half of its speed when I heard the pilot gun the left wing engine but the plane turned 90 degrees and ran into the sie of the hill. A local woman had 2 broken ribs and climbed out of the plane crying "Carumba Momita aye yie."
That plane was parked on the edge of the field and I learned the basics of flying by exploring it a few times.
The control wires were in plain sight. I was seven years old at the time. I didn't get my wings until sixteen years later.

RAFAEL FERRANDIZ, e-mail, 01.10.2010 17:22

My father was first mechanic, then radiotelegrafist on the Trimotor Ford NM-22 Cia. Nacional Cubana de Aviacion, today preserved at the San Diego Aerospace Museum, California as N9637. I was deeply surprised when I found on the internet that this plane is kept in it. I have pictures of the plane in the 1940's as NM-22. I Would like to visit some day the Museum.
Rafael.

Tom Creekmore, e-mail, 28.09.2010 18:38

Slim Carmichael was flying a Pennsylvania Central Airlines Ford Tri-motor out of Hoover Field, Washington, D. C. (where the Penegon is now located)when he lost two engines. He returned to Hoover Field and landed safely. He was awarded the Congressional Metal of Honor. Slim was leter President of Pennsylvinia Central Airlines (Capital Airlines)

Jacob Libby, e-mail, 20.09.2010 04:20

Great airplane! It had a LOT to do with many of the operations that airlines still continue to practice. I got my type rating in a Ford Trimotor a few months ago. Anyone interested in adding FO-5 to their pilot certificate just send me an email note.

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