MTFCA Forum

The Ford Tri-Motor airplane will be at the Youngstown-Warren airport July 13 to July 16

I have flown on a Tri-Motor (right seat) several times.
It is the flight you will never forget.
Ron Patterson

They did say they were offering rides.
I'm not sure I'll get down to see it, but I hope to.
I saw it in the local paper and thought someone may be interested in going.

I rode on her a few years ago when they had the Trimotor in Enid, Okla. I at first wasn't going to have a ride but was talked into it by a friend, I am glad that I did, it was a very enjoyable ride, and I will again when they bring her back to Okla.

It's probably on its way to OshKosh 2023 which is July 24th through the 30th.

Ron Patterson wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 07, 2023 2:30 pm

I have flown on a Tri-Motor (right seat) several times.

Ron,

I'm very envious! Of the two remaining aircraft in the world I'd like a rating on, the Trimotor is one, the other being the Lancaster.

Of course we have none down here, but I did manage to score a manual which is lurking just a few feet from where I'm writing this.

Can you tell us more? I'd like to know what it's like to fly, how noisey it is, what idiosyncrasies it has - and did you get to start it?

Luke.

From one of the Sacramento stops. Kinda like riding in a Model T…

Back in the dark ages when I was 24, I worked at Harrah's. I dod a bit of research on the trimotor. Interesting that the trimotor came from Boise and had been a fire bomber. It was very sad and deplorable condition. At the time Eastern Airlines was still hauling freight in Michigan to the upper islands.

We borrowed a running motor from them to fly the Ford to Reno from Boise. The pilot was a Chek hero, Miro Slovak having flown a Mig across the iron curtain to Western Germany during the cold war.

He flew the Ford to the Reno airport during daylight hours only.
The floors were rotted from all the fire retardant as were some of the lower side walls. The plane was totally disassembled, and only 1 original spar was used in the restoration. It was a very noisy airplane, wicker chair frames with plus fabric interior.

just sayin'

frontyboy

Luke
I am not "rated" on the TriMotor.
When it comes to town I always took a ride and it was possible to obtain seating the right set during the flight.
The Tri Motor has a large wing area and upon take off at about 65 MPH it leaps into the air like a grasshopper.
Ron Patterson

A friend of mine had one but was sold many years ago. I can remember seeing it as a little boy and the one bit that stuck out in my memory was that it had a flat tire. What I wouldnt give to have access to it today.

Ron Patterson wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 08, 2023 7:37 am

Luke
I am not "rated" on the TriMotor.
When it comes to town I always took a ride and it was possible to obtain seating the right set during the flight...

Ok, thanks Ron, I'm still envious! Obviously they must be ok to fly single-pilot then, but really cool to be at the pointy end during a flight.

I asked about starting because most early aircraft can be quite particular, or at least quirky in this regard. Would be interesting to know if the one you've flown in had the Wright, or P&W engines?

The manual tells me that the Trimotor had hydraulic brakes at a time when Ford cars didn't, and the reason I was interested in the noise was this section:


Ford Aeroboard sounds quite sophisticated for its time, but I don't imagine it'd be that effective against the noise of three radial engines of dubious synchronicity! To be fair I guess yours might not have had any of this stuff in by the time it got to you, Dick. And Kevin, thanks for the interior photo, the cabin is meant to be 4'6" wide, which looks about right.

Also of interest, they're slower than a 'modern' single-engine Cessna 172, have about the same range, but a slightly higher climb performance.

Luke.

Currently at BMI
Bloomington, IL

A Tri Motormis under restoration near Sandusky Ohio. Two years ago they were saying it was 80% restored. Have not checked lately.

Rode a TriMotor out of Pontiac Airport Mich, when the EAA had a tour and was giving rides. Wonderful experience and truly the Model T of airplanes. We were taxiing and nowhere near fast enough to fly when it took off! Flew a big loop for 20 minutes and it was fun. Again it did not seem to be traveling fast enough to maintain airspeed and lift Landed and taxied up to the terminal.

A great experience that I recommend for any Ford enthusiast.

Jon

There only 18 Tri-Motors left out of 199 built. Eight are airworthy. I flew on one in Fort Myers FL a few years ago. It was a great experience.

Chad- I recall there was a Tri-Motor at the airport at San Martin- is that the one you remember?

It was "The Flying Lady" so yes. The plane was used in Temple of Doom and had panels borrowed when Harrah was restoring theirs.

There are two different Trimotors and the EAA has one of each. The 4-AT weighs under 12,500 lbs at gross, so it may not require two pilots; the 5-AT weighs 13,500 lbs at gross and probably does require two pilots. The FAA requires two pilots for most (but not all) aircraft the weigh over 12,500 lbs at gross weight.

In the mid 80's, I took a ride in a trimotor at the Lake of the Ozarks. I think it was thirty bucks for a twenty minute flight. It wasn't then, but today sounds like a bargain. I have non digital pictures and no scanner or I would post them.

This is on e bay getting rare,Bob
https://www.ebay.com/itm/155659107429

Been there, got the T shirt! In 2003 the EAA Trimotor was at the Centennial then moved upstate next day to a provincial airport where they offered rides. By talking nicely to a ground crew member I got to ride the right hand seat in the cockpit and took the stick for half a circuit - cross-wind and downwind legs, the aileron response is sluggish coming out of the turn, it needs a firm push on the rudder. When embarking and disembarking passengers the pilot shuts down the right engine so they don't get any propwash but the other two stay running - that radial idling in front of you sounds like a Model T ticking over in a dustbin! In you want to check how the outer engines are running, their gauges are on the engine nacelle so you look out the window to read them.

An amazing experience, I still wear the souvenir T shirt I bought that day.