Home > Ford Trimotor
| Ford Trimotor
|
Image
caption
|
| Description
|
| Role | Commercial Transport |
|
| Crew | Two plus Eight Passengers |
|
| First Flight | June 11, 1926 |
|
| Entered Service |
|
| Manufacturer | Ford |
|
| Dimensions
|
| Length | 50 ft 3 in | 15.32 m
|
| Wingspan | 77 ft 10 in | 23.72 m
|
| Height | 12 ft 8 in | 3.86 m
|
| Wing Area | 835 ft² | 77.57 m²
|
| Cargo Hold Dimensions | ft in x ft in x ft in | m x m x m
|
| Weights
|
| Empty | 7,840 lb | 3556 kg
|
| Loaded | lb | kg
|
| Maximum Takeoff | 13,500 lb | 6133 kg
|
| Capacity |
|
| Powerplant
|
| Engines | Three Pratt & Whitney C-1 or SC-1 Wasp 9-Cylinder radial piston engines |
|
| Power | 420 hp | 313 kW
|
| Performance
|
| Maximum Speed | 150 mph | 241 km/h
|
| Combat Range | 550 miles | 885 km
|
| Ferry Range | miles | km
|
| Service Ceiling | 18,500 ft | 5640 m
|
| Rate of Climb | ft/min | m/min
|
| Wing Loading | lb/ft² | kg/m²
|
| Thrust/Weight |
|
| Power/Mass | hp/lb | kW/kg
|
| Avionics
|
| Avionics |
|
The Ford Trimotor was a three engine civil transport aircraft first produced in 1926 by Henry Ford and continued until about 1931. It was also popular with the military and was sold all over the world. Unlike his famous cars and farm tractors, Ford did not make the engines for these aircraft. The original (commercial production) 4-AT had 3 air cooled Wright radial engines. The later 5-AT had more powerful Pratt & Whitney engines. The plane had aluminum corregated sheet metal body and wings. However, like many aircraft 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 ran on the outside of the aircraft. Like his cars and tractors, they were well designed, relatively cheap, and reliable (for the time period). 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. This 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 produced thousands of B-24 bombers. They were, however, designed by another company.
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.
US airliners 1920-1929
US military transport aircraft 1920-1929
