Ford Tri-Motor; passengers take flight

In 1928 or '29, this Ford Tri-Motor plane, believed to be carrying 14 passengers and crew, made an "emergency" landing on West Seventh in McCook, where the high school is now. There were no reported injuries.

In the early 1920s an extraordinary engineer/salesman, William Stout had an idea, which he believed would revolutionize the aircraft industry. Using some of the ideas of the German engineer, Hugo Junkers (the manufacturer of many of the World War I German war planes), Stout thought that his plane could be used, not only for transporting goods, but also for hauling passengers across the country.

Stout sent mimeographed letters to leading manufacturers around the U.S. giving a bit of information about his dream plane, and his proposal to build such a plane. He asked potential investors to invest $1,000 in the Stout Metal Airplane Company. Ever the realist, he ended his proposal, "For your $1,000 you will get one definite promise. You will never get your money back." He raised $20,000. Among the group of initial investors were Henry Ford and his son, Edsel, who each sent Stout $1,000.

Soon after this, Henry Ford bought out the other investors and brought Stout and his plans to Detroit. With the Ford Company engineers working on the plane, it wasn't long before the Ford Tri-Motor, affectionately nicknamed "The Tin Goose," was a reality. This plane, covered with corrugated aluminum skin, and powered with three Wright air-cooled radial engines (later Pratt-Whitney engines), was advertised as "the safest airliner around." (The corrugated aluminum made the plane strong, to be sure, but the increased drag of the corrugated aluminum cut down on the overall performance of the plane.)

The Ford Tri-Motor plane is pressed into service for the U.S. mail.

The Tri-Motor was a large plane for the day; 12'8" high, 50'3" long, with a 77'10" wingspan. It carried a crew of three, including one steward and eight to 14 passengers. It was a reliable plane, and a real workhorse. It cruised at 90 mph, could climb to 18,500 feet, and had a range of 550 miles. In 1933 the Tri-Motor sold for $42,000.

The Ford Tri-Motor became the flagship of Transcontinental Air Transport (the forerunner of Trans World Airlines, TWA), offering air service from New York to San Diego in 1929. Note: Offering transcontinental air service was stretching the truth a bit. Passengers on those first flights began their journey in NYC via deluxe Pullman rail to Fort Columbus, Ohio. There they boarded a Tri-Motor for a flight, which ended at Waynoka, Okla. There they took another train to Clovis, N.M., then boarded another Tri-Motor for the final leg of their flight to San Diego. On the very early Tri-Motor passenger planes the passengers flew in relative comfort in an enclosed cabin, but the pilot's seat was outside, as it was believed that he needed to be exposed to the elements in order to fly the plane properly -- with the "feel of the wind in his face."

In 1928 or '29 a Ford Tri-Motor made an emergency (crash) landing in McCook. This was during the time when the McCook Airport was located on land along W. Seventh St., where the McCook High School now stands. Whether or not this plane was carrying passengers as part of the Transcontinental Air Transport flight service is not known. What is known is that the Tri-Motor was carrying 14 passengers. It crashed on West 10th St., north of C. St. None of the plane's crew or passengers were injured.

Courtesy photo The Ford Tri-Motor was, like the Ford Model T, was relatively inexpensive, strong, reliable and easy to repair.

Between 1926 and 1933 some 199 Ford Tri-Motors were built, making Ford Aircraft Division the largest manufacturer of airplanes in the world. However, the appearance of much superior planes (such as the Douglas DC-2 in 1932), along with the death of Henry Ford's personal pilot (in a test flight) caused Ford to sour on the making of airplanes, and led to his eventual withdrawal from the business. Ford Motors again got into the manufacture of planes during World War II, with its giant Willow Run plant /in Michigan, where they assembled thousands of B-24 Liberator bombers.

Though the Ford Tri-Motor was only manufactured for a few years, Ford is credited with advancing commercial aviation, even to an extent not unlike his effect on the auto industry. Though the Tri-Motors were not as advanced performance-wise as a number of contemporary planes, they were extremely durable. When the U.S. Airline companies took them out of service they were sold to South American countries, where they became the mainstay of Latin American airlines into the 1960s. Like the Ford Model T, the Tri-Motors were relatively inexpensive, strong, reliable and easy to repair.

One Tri-Motor, Serial No. 10, built in 1927, flew in commercial service in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. It was flown by Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhardt. It made the first commercial air flight from the United States to Mexico City, as well as the first commercial flight over the Canadian Rocky Mountains. After it sustained damage in a landing mishap in 1936 it was grounded for some years. It eventually was sold to an enthusiastic aviation buff, Greg Herrick, who restored the plane to its 1927 glory. It was still in flying condition in 2006. The Scenic Airways Company used another Ford Tri-Motor as a sightseeing plane on flights over the Grand Canyon for 65 years. It was still in service in 2008.

Admiral Byrd made his first flight over the South Pole in a Ford Tri-Motor, and Franklin Roosevelt made history when he used a Tri-Motor to replace the traditional RR car for a "whistle stop" campaign tour during his run for the White House in 1932.

In 1937, a Ford Tri-Motor plane was adapted to act as a tanker for aviation gas and oil on a Polar expedition to locate two lost fliers of a Trans-Polar flight. The world's first successful mid air refueling took place when a Lockheed Electra was refueled from a hose dangling out the door of the Tri-Motor. Unfortunately, later on that expedition the Tri-Motor crashed and was abandoned in the Polar region of northern Alaska.

The Ford Tri-Motor has a special place in aviation history, as well as our popular culture. It has been an important performer in various movies since 1929, and can still be seen occasionally in movies, such as Jerry Lewis' "The Family Jewels, or Harrison Ford's "The Temple of Doom". Today, you can also watch a Tri-Motor doing aerobatic maneuvers on You-Tube ("Harold Johnson's Ford Tri-motor aerobatics routine in color"). Not bad for an 82 year old plane.

Sources: McCook Gazette Centennial Edition, Wikepedia, Ford Tri-Motor.org