CALERA AL - EAA's rare 1929 Ford Tri-Motor, now on tour, will make a stop at Shelby County Airport, Alabama for a up-close look at a classic aircraft from the early days of commercial air travel. The historic aircraft will be available to the public for rides on May 18-20 from 9:00am until 5:00pm. Shelby County's EAA Chapter 825 is hosting the stop.
The Ford Tri-Motor, nicknamed the "Tin Goose," was built by the Ford Motor Company in the late 1920s. It originally cost $42,000, cruises at 90 mph and carries nine passengers, all with a window seat. EAA's airplane underwent a 12-year restoration beginning in the 1970s and since the mid-1980s is based at historic Pioneer Airport at the AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
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Henry Ford mobilized millions of Americans and created a new market with his Model T "Tin Lizzie" automobile from 1909 to 1926. After World War I he recognized the potential for mass air transportation. Ford's Tri-Motor aircraft, nicknamed "The Tin Goose," was designed to build another new market, airline travel. To overcome concerns of engine reliability, Ford specified three engines and added features for passenger comfort, such as an enclosed cabin. The first three Tri-Motors built seated the pilot in an open cockpit, as many pilots doubted a plane could be flown without direct "feel of the wind".
Ford Motor Company built 199 Tri-Motors from 1926 through 1933. EAA's model 4-AT-E was number 146 off Ford's innovative assembly line and first flew on August 21, 1929. It was sold to Pitcairn Aviation's passenger division, Eastern Air Transport, whose paint scheme is replicated on EAA's Tri-Motor. This is why the EAA's Ford resides in the Pitcairn hangar at Pioneer Airport. Eastern Air Transport later became Eastern Airlines.
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In 1964, its new owner flew barnstorming tours. During this period it had a variety of roles, including serving as the primary setting for the Jerry Lewis comedy, "The Family Jewels." In 1973, the aircraft was still being used for air show rides, including the EAA's Fly-In at Burlington, Wisconsin. While at the 1973 EAA Fly-In, a severe thunderstorm ripped the plane from its tie-downs, lifted it 50 feet into the air and smashed it to the ground on its back. EAA subsequently purchased the wreckage for its Aviation Foundation.
After an arduous, twelve-year restoration process by EAA staff, volunteers and with assistance from Ford Tri-Motor operators nationwide, the old Tri-Motor once again took to the air. Its official debut was at the 1985 EAA convention in Oshkosh. It was displayed in the AirVenture Museum until 1991 when it returned to its former role of delighting passengers. Ford Tri-Motor NC8407 is the flagship of EAA's Pioneer Airport, a part of the AirVenture Museum experience.Tour visitors can reserve 15-minute flights aboard the aircraft at the Fly the Ford website, or call 800-843-3612 for more information. -Staff Report, BOOK A FLIGHT at the Fly the Ford website.