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The all-metal Ford Tri-Motor, or “Tin Goose,” as it was nicknamed, had a substantial impact on the early advancement of commercial aviation in the late 1920s. It was influenced by earlier corrugated aluminum designs, along with the Fokker F. VII/ 3m trimotor—winner of Ford’s cross-country Reliability Air Tour in 1925. The initial 4-AT Tri-Motor was equipped with Wright Whirlwind engines, while the 5-AT was upgraded with more powerful Pratt and Whitney Wasp engines. Production of the first 4-AT Tri-Motors began in 1926. By the end of production in 1933, 199 were produced. In 1929, TAT (Transcontinental Air Transport) initiated the first transcontinental air service (combined with train service) with Ford 4-AT Tri-Motors. Most other major American airlines purchased the reliable Ford Tri-Motors for their fleets. A Ford 4-AT Tri-Motor is depicted here on a postcard from Maddux Air Lines, a short-lived airline from the late 1920s based out of southern California that had routes linking the Southwest, Mexico, and southern California to the Central Valley and Bay Area. postcard: Maddux Air Lines, c. 1929 SFO Museum, Gift of Dan and Diane McIntyre 2002.090.001
This image was posted on January 20, 2021.