"Harold Ford" redirects here. For his father, the congressman from Tennessee from 1975 to 1997, see Harold Ford, Sr.

Harold Ford, Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Tennessee's 9th district
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Harold Ford, Sr.
Succeeded by	Steve Cohen
Personal details
Born	Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. (1970-05-11) May 11, 1970 (age 42) Memphis, Tennessee
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Emily Threlkeld
Residence	New York[1]
Alma mater	University of Pennsylvania (B.A.) University of Michigan Law School (J.D.)
Religion	Baptist

Harold Eugene Ford, Jr. (born May 11, 1970) is an American politician and was the last chairman of the now-defunct Democratic Leadership Council (DLC).^[1] He was a Democratic Party member of the United States House of Representatives from Tennessee's 9th congressional district, centered in Memphis, from 1997 to 2007. Ford did not seek re-election to his House seat in 2006 when he unsuccessfully sought the Senate seat vacated by retiring Bill Frist.

Family and education[link]

Ford is the son of former Congressman Harold Ford, Sr. and Dorothy Bowles Ford.^[2] He has three brothers — Jake, Isaac, and Andrew — and one sister, Ava.^[3] His family has long been prominent in Memphis' African American community; their influence dates back to the late 19th century, when E.H. Crump, a prominent white Democrat, dominated city and state politics and befriended Harold Ford Sr.'s grandfather, N.J. Ford.^[4]

Ford was baptised at his church, Mt. Moriah-East Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He attended Double Tree Elementary School, a public Montessori school in the Westwood neighborhood of South Memphis, and he graduated from the private St. Albans School for Boys, a prestigious university-preparatory school in Washington, D.C.. He received a B.A. in American history from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992.^[3] After graduation, he was a staff aide to the Senate Budget Committee, and in 1993 became special assistant at the United States Department of Commerce.^[5]

Ford received a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 1996. During his campaign for the House of Representatives, he sat for and failed the Tennessee bar exam; he has said that he intends to try again.^[6]

Ford is married to Emily Threlkeld, who works in public relations for Carolina Herrera in New York. They married on April 26, 2008.^[7]

House of Representatives career[link]

When Harold, Sr. decided not to seek a 12th term in Congress in 1996, Harold, Jr. entered the race and became the favorite in the Democratic primary — widely regarded as the real contest in the heavily Democratic, black-majority 9th district. Ford arranged his schedule for his last semester of law school so he would not have Monday or Friday classes^[8] and would be able to fly home to Memphis for an extended weekend each week to continue his campaign. As expected, he easily won the Democratic primary, followed by election in November. Taking office at the age of 26, he was one of the youngest members of Congress in US history and the youngest in the 105th and 106th Congresses. He was reelected four times without substantive Republican opposition by an average of 80 percent of the vote. In 2000, Ford was the keynote speaker for the 2000 Democratic National Convention supporting then Vice President Al Gore for the Democratic nomination for President.^[9]

On November 4, 1999, Ford voted in favor of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act,^[10] which some economists, including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, believe helped create the 2007 financial crisis.^[11][12]

On October 10, 2002, he was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.

After the Democrats lost seven Congressional seats in the 2002 elections, Ford announced his candidacy for House Democratic Leader, challenging then-House Minority Whip Nancy Pelosi, arguing that current leadership was ineffective.^[13] Ford was defeated, but exceeded initial expectations in the amount of support he received.^[14] Although his name was mentioned as a possible Democratic vice presidential candidate in 2004,^[15] he was ineligible for the office due to his age (four months shy of 35 on Inauguration Day 2005).

A June 7, 2005, article in The Washington Times reported that from 1998 to 2003, Ford took 61 privately funded trips but did not file travel disclosure forms with the House clerk for the trips, as required by the chamber's ethics rules, until August 2003. Ford's office called the late filings a "mere oversight", since Ford had filed the required financial disclosure statements for the trips at the time they occurred.^[16]

In November 2005, when Ohio Republican Congresswoman Jean Schmidt implied that Pennsylvania Democrat John Murtha was a "coward" in response to Murtha's proposal for a withdrawal of American forces from Iraq, Ford charged across the House floor to the Republican side during the resulting uproar in the chamber, shouting "Say it to Murtha!" (or "Say Murtha's name!" depending on the source) while waving his finger at Schmidt. He had to be restrained by fellow Democrat Dave Obey of Wisconsin. Like many Democrats, Ford believed Schmidt's remarks (which she later withdrew) were an unwarranted "cheap shot" against Murtha, a veteran of the Marine Corps.^[17]

Harold Ford Jr. on the campaign trail

In Congress, Ford opposed benefits for same-sex couples and supported the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have defined marriage as one man and one woman. He told Democrats they should be more supportive of the Iraq War, and criticized Senate Democrats who attempted to filibuster the nomination of Samuel Alito. He was one of the few Democrats who voted for the bankruptcy bill, and he defined himself as a pro-life candidate, supporting some restrictions on abortion, including a ban on intact dilation and extraction, called "partial-birth abortion" by opponents. However, the National Right to Life Committee says that while in Congress he voted against the pro-life position 87% of the time.^[18] He supported the Republican effort to intercede in the Terri Schiavo case.^[19] He opposed President George W. Bush's energy proposals (including oil drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), demonstrated support for adoption rights of same-sex couples, is in favor of federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, supported universal healthcare coverage, opposed the death penalty and indicated a willingness to reform drug policy.^[20][21]

In addition, Ford sat on the House Budget Committee and the House Committee on Financial Services. He also served on the Transformation Advisory Group, a group of political, military and academic leaders who worked with the Department of Defense to assess the needs of the armed forces. Ford was a member of the New Democrat Coalition, the Congressional Black Caucus and the Blue Dog Coalition.^[3]

In 2002, Ford was mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for the Senate seat being vacated by Fred Thompson, but he declined to run. Instead, he supported fellow Congressman Bob Clement who would lose to former Republican Governor Lamar Alexander in the general election.^[22]

In 2006, Ford did not run for re-election to the House of Representatives, due to his campaign for the United States Senate in Tennessee, which he lost. His younger brother, Jake Ford, ran for the 9th district seat as an Independent, but lost to Democrat Steve Cohen.

2006 Tennessee Senate campaign[link]

On April 6, 2005, during an interview on C-SPAN's call-in show Washington Journal, Ford confirmed that he would be running for the Senate.^[23] He filed the papers necessary to officially begin his Senate campaign on May 25, 2005.

Democratic State Senator Rosalind Kurita briefly challenged Ford for the nomination but dropped out of the primary because of inadequate fundraising, effectively handing Ford the nomination.^[24] On August 3, 2006, Ford overwhelmingly won the Democratic primary. After the primary, Ford's supporters held a large victory celebration at Nashville's LP Field. Among the speakers was former U.S. President Bill Clinton.

Ford faced Republican Bob Corker in the November 2006 election. Not long after Corker's primary victory was assured, Ford challenged Corker to seven televised debates across the state. In response, Corker said he would debate Ford, though he did not agree to seven debates.^{[citation needed]}

In October 2006, the Republican Party ran radio and television ads characterized by some as racially tinged. A radio spot, referred to by critics as the "jungle drums" ad, had drums playing when Ford's name was mentioned and patriotic music when Corker's name was spoken. This ad was criticized as attacking Ford's race by evoking images of primitive, chanting African tribes.^[25] A television ad that received more attention featured satirical "man‑on‑the‑street" interviews purporting to support Ford, including one in which a blond white woman talks about meeting Ford at "the Playboy party"; she returns at the end of the ad to wink and whisper "Harold, call me." The ad was denounced by many people, including Republican former Senator William Cohen, who called it "a very serious appeal to a racist sentiment", and Corker asked the Republican leadership to pull the ad. The ad was retired one day after Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman said he had no authority to discontinue the ad and disagreed with the negative characterizations of it.^[26][27][28]

Corker and Ford participated in a televised debate in Memphis on October 7, in Corker's hometown of Chattanooga on October 10, and in Nashville on October 28. In January 2006, NBC's Meet the Press extended an open invitation for the candidates to debate on the nationally-televised show.

On November 8, Ford conceded the election to Corker, who defeated Ford by less than three percentage points.^[29]

Post-election activities[link]

In December 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that Ford told students at an L.A.-area school that he might run again in 2008 for the Senate seat held by Republican Lamar Alexander, but in January 2007 Ford said that he had no plans to challenge the incumbent.^[30][31] Instead, Ford has said that he "hopes to spend a lot of time at home, perhaps do some teaching and work with Governor Bredesen on some issues in Tennessee."^[32]

On January 25, 2007, Ford was named chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council.^[33]

In March 2007, Ford joined the financial services firm Merrill Lynch as a vice chairman and senior policy advisor.,^[34][35] and in the same month he was hired by Fox News Channel as a political contributor.^[36] In March 2008, he moved from Fox to MSNBC as a news analyst, appearing as a panelist on David Gregory's Race for the White House, Hardball, and Morning Joe.^[37]

Ford was appointed visiting professor of public policy at Vanderbilt University in 2007 and taught a class on American political leadership.^[38] In October 2007, Ford was appointed the inaugural Barbara Jordan Visiting Professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.^[39] As of the spring 2010 semester, he is a visiting professor at New York University's Wagner School of Public Service where he teaches Policy Formation: U.S. Domestic Policy.^[40]

2010 New York Senate Election[link]

Ford considered a primary challenge to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in New York in 2010.^[1] Sources close to Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York have said that he would consider supporting someone "of Mr. Ford's stature".^[1] However, it was also reported that Mayor Bloomberg "reassured Mr. Reid that he was not personally involved in the effort to promote a Ford candidacy."^[41] Chuck Schumer sought to dissuade Ford from running.^[41] Ford's spokesperson on January 11, 2010, stated Ford had become a supporter of same-sex marriage after "listening to the debate in state legislatures across the country".^[42]

On February 5, 2010, Gillibrand held a press conference at which she raised questions as to whether Ford, as an executive of Merril Lynch, received taxpayer backed bonuses from Bank of America, stemming from the federal bailout. She was joined by New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who endorsed her candidacy.^[43]

On February 12, it was reported that Ford's NBC contract was suspended due to his potential campaign, and that he had taken an unpaid leave of absence from Merrill Lynch for the same reason.^[44]

On March 1, Ford stated in an op-ed article published by The New York Times that he would not run against Gillibrand.^[45][46]

Electoral history[link]

2006 Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate (TN)

• Harold Ford, Jr., 79%
• Gary G. Davis, 10%
• John Jay Hooker, 6%

See also[link]

• "30 Something" Working Group

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Harold Ford, Jr.

• US Congress biography
• The Ford Report: Unofficial Grassroots Blog
• 2006 campaign finance data
• About.com's Inside Profile of Rep. Harold Ford, Jr., 2006 Democratic Tennessee Candidate for U.S. Senate
• Harold Ford, Jr. Reaches for the Stars (TIME Magazine article)
• Why Harold Ford, Jr. Has a Shot (TIME Magazine article)
• Voting record maintained by the Washington Post
• "Senate candidates spar over Corker's comments about Ford's Memphis 'political machine'", by Richard Locker, The Commercial Appeal, October 8, 2006
• The Path to Power, by Jonathan Darman, Newsweek, October 30, 2006

Trimotor
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Ford 4-AT-E Trimotor "NC8407" c. 2005
Role	Transport aircraft
Manufacturer	Stout Metal Airplane Division of the Ford Motor Company
Designer	William Bushnell Stout
First flight	June 11, 1926
Introduction	1926
Status	18 in existence as of 2008
Primary users	about 100 airlines United States Army Air Corps United States Navy Royal Canadian Air Force
Number built	199
Unit cost	about $42,000 in 1933
Variants	Stout Bushmaster 2000

The Ford Trimotor (also called the "Tri-Motor", and nicknamed "The Tin Goose") was an American three-engined transport plane that was first produced in 1925 by the companies of Henry Ford and that continued to be produced until June 7, 1933. Throughout its time in production, a total of 199 Ford Trimotors were produced.^[1] Although it was designed for the civil aviation market, this aircraft was also used by military units, and it was sold all over the world.

Design and development[link]

The story of the Ford Trimotor began with William Bushnell Stout, an aeronautical engineer who had previously designed several aircraft using principles similar to those of Professor Hugo Junkers, the noted German airplane designer.

Stout, a bold and imaginative salesman, sent a mimeographed form letter to leading manufacturers, blithely asking for $1,000 and adding: "For your one thousand dollars you will get one definite promise: You will never get your money back." Stout raised $20,000, including $1,000 each from Edsel and Henry Ford.^[2]

In the early 1920s Henry Ford, along with a group of 19 other investors including his son Edsel, invested in the Stout Metal Airplane Company. In 1925, Ford bought Stout and its aircraft designs. The single-engine Stout design was turned into a multi-engine design the Stout 3-AT with three Curtiss-Wright air-cooled radial engines. After a prototype was built and test flown with poor results, and a suspicious fire causing the complete destruction of all previous designs, the "4-AT" and "5-AT" emerged.

That the Ford Trimotor used an all-metal construction was not a revolutionary concept, but certainly more advanced than the standard construction techniques in the 1920s. The aircraft resembled the Fokker F.VII Trimotor, but unlike the Fokker, the Ford was all-metal, allowing Ford to claim it was "the safest airliner around." ^[3] Its fuselage and wings were constructed of aluminum alloy which was corrugated for added strength, although the drag reduced its overall performance.^[4] This has become something of a trademark for the Trimotor. Although designed primarily for passenger use, the Trimotor could be easily adapted for hauling cargo, since its seats in the fuselage could be removed. To increase cargo capacity, one unusual feature was the provision of "drop-down" cargo holds below the lower inner wing sections of the 5-AT version.^[3][5]

Corrugated wing of a 1929 Ford 4-AT-E Trimotor

One 4-AT with Wright J-4 200 hp engines was built for the U.S. Army Air Corps as the C-3, and seven with Wright R-790-3 (235 hp) as C-3As. 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-4s or C-4As.

The original (commercial production) 4-AT had three air-cooled Wright radial engines. It carried a crew of three: a pilot, a co-pilot, and a stewardess as well as eight or nine passengers ^{[N 1]}.^[3] The later 5-AT had more powerful Pratt & Whitney engines. All models had aluminum corrugated sheet metal body and wings. However, unlike many aircraft of this era, extending through World War II, its flight control surfaces (ailerons, elevators, and rudders) were not fabric covered, but rather, they were also made of corrugated metal. As was common for the time, its rudder and elevators were controlled by wires that were strung along the external surface of the aircraft. Similarly, engine gauges were mounted externally, on the engines, to be read by the pilot while looking through the plane's windshield.^[3] Another anachronism was the use of the hand-operated "Johnny Brake." ^[6]

Like Ford cars and tractors, these Ford aircraft were well-designed, relatively inexpensive, and reliable (for the era). The combination of metal structure and simple systems led to their reputation for ruggedness. Rudimentary service could be accomplished "in the field" with ground crew able to work on engines using scaffolding and platforms.^[4] In order to fly into otherwise-inaccessible sites, the Ford Trimotor could be fitted with skis or floats.^[4]

Externally mounted control wires of a Ford Trimotor

The rapid development of aircraft at this time (the vastly superior Douglas DC-2 was first conceived in 1932), along with the death of his personal pilot Harry J. Brooks on a test flight, led to Henry Ford's losing interest in aviation. While Ford did not make a profit on its aircraft business, Henry Ford's reputation lent credibility to the infant aviation and airline industries, and Ford helped introduce many aspects of the modern aviation infrastructure, including paved runways, passenger terminals, hangars, airmail, and radio navigation.^{[1] [N 2]}

In the late 1920s, the Ford Aircraft Division was reputedly the "largest manufacturer of commercial airplanes in the world." ^[7] Alongside the Ford Trimotor, a new single-seat commuter aircraft, the Ford Flivver or "Sky Flivver" had been designed and flown in prototype form but never entered series production.^[7] The Trimotor was not to be Ford's last venture in aircraft production. During World War II, the largest aircraft manufacturing plant in the world was built at the Willow Run, Michigan plant, where Ford produced thousands of B-24 Liberator bombers under license from Consolidated Aircraft.^[8]

William Stout left the Metal Airplane division of the Ford Motor Company in 1930. He continued to operate the Stout Engineering Laboratory, producing various aircraft. In 1954, Stout purchased the rights to the Ford Trimotor in an attempt to produce new examples. A new company formed from this effort brought back two modern examples of the trimotor aircraft, renamed the Stout Bushmaster 2000, but even with improvements that had been incorporated, performance was judged inferior to modern designs.

Operational history[link]

Restored 1929 Ford 4-AT-E Trimotor "NC8407" owned by the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and painted in the colors of Eastern Air Transport

A total of 199 Ford Trimotors were built between 1926 and 1933, including 79 of the 4-AT variant, and 117 of the 5-AT variant, plus some experimental craft. Well over 100 airlines of the world flew the Ford Trimotor.^[1]

The impact of the Ford Trimotor on commercial aviation was immediate, as the design represented a "quantum leap over other airliners." ^[9] Within a few months of its introduction, Transcontinental Air Transport was created to provide a coast-to-coast operation, capitalizing on the Trimotor's ability to provide reliable and for the time, comfortable passenger service. While advertised as a transcontinental service, the airline had to rely on rail connections with a deluxe Pullman train that would be based in New York being the first part of the journey. Passengers then rendezvoued with a Trimotor in Port Columbus, Ohio, that would begin a hop across the continent ending at Waynoka, Oklahoma where another train would take the passengers to Clovis, New Mexico where the final journey would begin, again on a Trimotor, to end up at the Grand Central Air Terminal in Glendale, a few miles north-east of Los Angeles.^[9] The "grueling" trip would only be available for a year before Transcontinental was merged into a combine with Western Air Service.

Ford Trimotors were also used extensively by Pan American Airways, for its first international scheduled flights from Key West to Havana, Cuba, in 1927. Eventually, Pan American extended service from North America and Cuba into Central and South America in the late 1920s and early 1930s.^[10] One of Latin America's earliest airlines, Cubana de Aviación, was the first to use the Ford Trimotor in Latin America, starting in 1930, for its domestic services.

The heyday for Ford's transport was relatively brief, lasting only until 1933 when more modern airliners began to appear. Rather than completely disappearing, the Trimotors gained an enviable reputation for durability with Ford ads in 1929 proclaiming, "No Ford plane has yet worn out in service."^[10] First being relegated to second- and third-tier airlines, the Trimotors continued to fly into the 1960s, with numerous examples being converted into cargo transports to further lengthen their careers and when World War II began, the commercial versions were soon modified for military applications.

Some of the significant flights made by the Ford Trimotor in this period greatly enhanced the reputation of the type for strength and reliability. One example is of Ford 4-AT Trimotor serial number 10, built in 1927. It flew in the United States and Mexico under registration number C-1077, and for several years in Canada under registration G-CARC. It had many notable accomplishments; it was flown by Charles Lindbergh and Amelia Earhart among many others. It made the first commercial flight from the United States to Mexico City, and the first commercial flight over the Canadian Rockies. After damage on landing in 1936, it was grounded and remained for decades at Carcross, Yukon. In 1956, the wreck was salvaged and preserved, and in the mid 1980s Greg Herrick took over C-1077 and began restoring it. As of 2006, C-1077 is in flying condition again, restored to its December 1927 appearance.^[1]

Making headlines became a Trimotor trademark. On November 27 and 28, 1929, Commander Richard E. Byrd (navigator), chief pilot Bernt Balchen, and two other crewmen, the co-pilot and the photographer, made the first flight above the Geographic South Pole in a Ford Trimotor that Byrd named the Floyd Bennett. This was one of three aircraft taken on this polar expedition, with the other two being named The Stars and Stripes and The Virginian, replacing the Fokker Trimotors Byrd previously used.^[4]

Franklin Roosevelt also flew aboard a Ford Trimotor in 1932 during his presidential campaign in one of the first uses of an aircraft in an election, replacing the traditional "whistle stop" train trips.^[11]

The long-range capabilities of the Ford Trimotor were exploited in a search for the lost flyers of the Sigizmund Levanevsky Trans-Polar Flight in 1937. Movie stunt flyer Jimmie Mattern flew a specially modified Lockheed Electra along with fellow movie flyer, Garland Lincoln flying a stripped-down Trimotor donated by the president of Superior Oil Company. With 1,800 gallons of avgas and 450 gallons of oil in the modified cabin, the Trimotor was intended to act as a "tanker" for the expedition. The Electra was able to transfer fuel in the air from the Trimotor, through a hose cast out the 4-AT's door. With the first aerial refueling test successful, the pair of pilots set out for Fairbanks, landing first at Burwash, Alaska on August 15, 1937, but the Trimotor ran out of fuel and crashed in inclement weather the following day. The Trimotor was abandoned on the tundra.^[12]

One of the major uses of Trimotor after its days of carrying passengers became numbered due to more modern aircraft like the DC-3, was the carrying of heavy freight to mining operations in jungles and mountains. In this role the Trimotor was employed for decades.^[13]

In 1942, during the Battle of Bataan, a Trimotor was used in evacuations of the island. The aircraft would haul 24 people nearly 500 miles a trip, twice daily. The aircraft was eventually strafed and destroyed by Japanese aircraft.^[14]

In postwar years, the Ford Trimotors continued in limited service with small, regional air carriers. One of the most famous was the Scenic Airways Ford Trimotor N414H which was used for 65 years as a sightseeing aircraft flying over the Grand Canyon.^[3] Characteristically, the aircraft is still in use as of late 2011, mainly for promotional and film work, though one Trimotor operator offers rides.

Variants[link]

Ford 3-AT

The original Stout prototype; one built.

Ford 4-AT

Pre-production prototype, powered by three 200 hp (150 kW) Wright J-4 radial piston engines, accommodation for two pilots and eight passengers; one built.

Ford 4-AT-A

The original production version, similar to the Ford 4-AT prototype; 14 built.

Ford 4-AT-B

Improved version, powered by three 220 hp (160 kW) Wright J-5 Whirlwind radial piston engines, accommodation for two pilots and 12 passengers; 39 built.

Ford 4-AT-C

Similar to the Ford 4-AT-B, equipped with a 400 hp (300 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial piston engine, fitted in the nose of the aircraft; one built.

Ford 4-AT-D

Three aircraft similar to the Ford 4-AT-B, each with different engines and minor modifications.

Ford 4-AT-E

Similar to the Ford 4-AT-B, powered by three 300 hp (220 kW) Wright J-6-9 Whirlwind radial piston engines; 24 built.

Ford 4-AT-F

One aircraft similar to the Ford 4-AT-E.

Ford 5-AT-A

Enlarged version, powered by three 420 hp (310 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial piston engines, accommodation for two pilots and 13 passengers, the wingspan was increased by 3 ft 10 in (1.17 m); three built.

TAT Ford 5-AT-B flown by Lindbergh

Ford 5-AT-B

Similar to the Ford 5-AT-A, powered by 420 hp (310 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp C-1 or SC-1 radial piston engines, accommodation for two pilots and 15 passengers; 41 built.

Ford 5-AT-C

Improved version, similar to the Ford 5-AT-A, accommodation for two pilots and 17 passengers; 51 built.

Ford 5-AT-CS

Seaplane version, fitted with Edo floats; one built.

Ford 5-AT-D

Increased-weight version, powered by three 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp SC radial piston engines. The wings were mounted 8 in (0.20 m) higher, to increase cabin headroom, but otherwise similar to the Ford 5-AT-C; 20 built.

Ford 5-AT-DS

Seaplane version, fitted with Edo floats; one built.

Ford 5-AT-E

Proposed version, the engines were relocated to the wing leading edges.

Ford 6-AT-A

Similar to the Ford 5-AT-A, powered by three 300 hp (220 kW) Wright J-6-9 radial piston engines; three built.

Ford 6-AT-AS

Seaplane version, fitted with Edo floats; one built.

Ford 7-AT-A

Resignation of a single Ford 6-AT-A, equipped with a 420 hp (310 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial piston engine, fitted in the nose of the aircraft.

Ford 8-AT

One Ford 5-AT-C converted into a freight transport aircraft, without the two outer engines.

Ford 9-AT

Redesignation of a single Ford 4-AT-B, fitted with three 300 hp (220 kW) Pratt & Whitney Wasp radial piston engines.

Ford 11-AT

Redesignation of a single Ford 4-AT-E, fitted with three 225 hp (168 kW) Packard DR-980 diesel engines.

Ford 13-A

Redesignation of a single Ford 5-AT-D, fitted with two 300 hp (220 kW) Wright J-6-9 radial piston engines, and a 575 hp (429 kW) Wright Cyclone radial piston engine fitted in the nose of the aircraft.

Ford 14-A

Large three-engined version, powered by three 1,000 hp (750 kW) Hispano-Suiza piston engines, accommodation for two pilots and 40 passengers.

Ford XB-906

One Ford 5-AT-C was converted into a three-engined bomber aircraft.

United States military designations[link]

XC-3

One 4-AT-A evaluated by the United States Army Air Corps, re-designated C-3 after evaluation.^[15]

C-3

One 4-AT-A was re-designated from XC-3 following evaluation.^[15]

C-3A

Model 4-AT-E a military transport version, powered by three 235 hp (175 kW) Wright R-790-3 Whirlwind radial piston engines; seven built, all later converted to C-9A.^[15]

C-4

One 4-AT-B acquired by the military for evaluation.^[15]

C4-A paint scheme

C-4A

Military transport version, based on the Ford 5-AT-D, powered by three 450 hp (340 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-11 Wasp piston engines; four built.^[15]

C-4B

One C-4A re-engined with three 450 hp R-1340-7 engines.^[15]

C-9

Redesignation of all four C-3As fitted with 300 hp (224 Kw) Wright R-975-1 radial piston engines.^[16]

XJR-1

One Model 4-AT-A for evaluation by the United States Navy.^[17]

JR-2

Military transport version for US Marine Corps, based on the Ford 4-AT-E but with three Wright J6-9 engines; two built, re-designated RR-2 in 1931.^[17]

JR-3

Military transport version for the US Navy (one) and US Marine Corps (two), based on the Ford 5-AT-C; three built.^[17]

Ford RR-1 at Langley Virginia 1934

RR-1

Redesignation of the XJR-1 prototype.^[18]

RR-2

Redesignation of the JR-2 in 1931.^[18]

RR-3

Redesignation of the JR-3 in 1931.^[18]

RR-4

Designation for one 5-AT-C.^[18]

RR-5

Designation for two 4-AT-D, one each for the US Navy and US Marines.^[18]

Operators[link]

Civil operators[link]

1927 4-AT-A, Serial No. 10, C-1077

Grand Canyons Airlines Ford Trimotor (note the deployed wing cargo pannier)

 Colombia

• SACO
• SCADTA

 Canada

• BYN Co.(British Yukon Navigation Company) CF-AZB flew in the Yukon from April 1936 until damaged in August 1940.^[19]

 Cuba

• Cubana

 Czechoslovakia

• Czechoslovak Airlines

 Dominican Republic

• Dominicana de Aviación, Dominican Republic airline flew Ford Trimotors in the early 1930s.^[20]

 Mexico

• Mexicana

 Spain

• First CLASSA, then LAPE

 USA

• American Airlines
• Grand Canyon Airlines
• Island Airlines, Bass Islands, Ohio
• Pan American World Airways
• Star Air Service
• Transcontinental Air Transport
• Trans World Airlines
• Wien Air Alaska
• United Airlines

Military operators[link]

Ford Trimotor G-CYWZ of the Royal Canadian Air Force

 Australia

• Royal Australian Air Force
  • No. 24 Squadron RAAF

 Canada

• Royal Canadian Air Force

 Colombia

• Colombian Air Force

 Spain

• Spanish Republican Air Force

 United Kingdom

• Royal Air Force
  • No. 271 Squadron RAF

 USA

• United States Army Air Corps
• United States Marine Corps
• United States Navy

Survivors[link]

As of 2012, there are 18 Ford Trimotors in existence, eight of which have current FAA Airworthy Certificates.^{[21][N 3]}

Airworthy

• C/N:10 Tail Number: N1077 (4-AT-B, September 1927) The "C-1077, G-CARC Niagara" Currently Owned By: Greg Herrick's Yellowstone Aviation, Inc. It is the oldest flying Trimotor with C/N(Construction Number): 10.^[22] It is based at the Golden Wings Museum,^[23] near Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.^[24][25]
• C/N:42 Tail Number: N9610 (Formerly N7684) (4-AT-B, September 1928) Currently Owned By: Greg Herrick's Yellowstone Aviation, Inc. It is based in Jackson, Wyoming, USA.^[26][27]
• C/N:55 Tail Number: N9612 (4-AT-E, 1929) The "City of Richmond" Originally Owned By: Mamer Flying Service, Spokane, WA. Currently Owned By: Ron Pratte's Collectible Aircraft, LLC. It is based at Chandler Stellar Air Park in Chandler, Arizona, USA.^[28][29]
• C/N:69 Tail Number: N8407 (4-AT-E, 1929) Originally Owned By: Eastern Air Transport Currently Owned By: The Experimental Aircraft Association is based at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA. It tours the United States performing at airshows and other aviation events.^[30][31][32]
• C/N:8 Tail Number: N9645 (5-AT-B, 1928) Currently Owned By: Evergreen Vintage Aircraft, Inc. It is based at the Evergreen Aviation Museum, McMinnville, Oregon, USA.^[33][34]
• C/N:34 Tail Number: N9651 (5-AT-B, 1929) - The "City of Philadelphia" Originally Owned By: Trans Continental Air Transport. Currently Owned By: Kermit Weeks. It is based at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida, USA. This aircraft has made many film appearances including Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.^[35][36][37]
• C/N:58 Tail Number: N8419 (5-AT-C, 1929) Originally Owned By: Northwest Airlines. Currently Owned By: Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum. It is based at The AIR ZOO in Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA.^[38][39][40]
• C/N:74 Tail Number: N414H (5-AT-C, 1928) Originally Owned By: Ford Motor Co. Currently Owned By: Sopwith, Ltd. It is based at Valle Airport in Valle, Arizona, USA. It was used in 2008 and 2009 for flight instruction and type ratings.^[41][42][43]

On Static Display

• C/N:15 Tail Number: NX4542 (4-AT-B, 1928) (Not in FAA records) Richard E. Byrd's South Pole airplane. Originally Owned By: Ford Motor Company. Currently Owned By: Henry Ford Museum. It is on display at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, USA.^[44]
• C/N:46 Tail Number: N7861 (4-AT-B, Unknown) (Not in FAA records) Originally Owned By: Union Electric, St. Louis. Currently Owned By: National Museum of Naval Aviation Pensacola, Florida, USA.^[44]
• C/N:11 Tail Number: N9637 (5-AT-B,1929) Originally Owned By: Pan Am. Currently Owned By: The San Diego Air & Space Museum in San Diego, California, USA.^[45]
• C/N:39 Tail Number: N9683 (5-AT-B, 1929) Originally Owned By: American Airlines Currently Owned By: The Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum.^[46] in Washington, D.C.^[21][47]
• C/N:60 Tail Number: RAAF (5-AT-C, 1929) (Not in FAA records) Originally Owned By: Ford Motor Company; in England. Currently Owned By: National Museum, Papua, New Guinea. Possible rebuild.

Under Restoration

• C/N:38 Tail Number: N7584 (4-AT-B, January 1928) Originally owned by: Robertson Aircraft, St Louis. Currently owned by: Kermit Weeks. It was Badly damaged in Florida by hurricane Andrew, in the fall of 1992. Currently Located: Vicksburg, Michigan, USA, (near Kalamazoo).^[48]
• C/N:58 Tail Number: N9642 (4-AT-E, January 1929) Originally owned by: Mohawk Airways, NY. Currently owned by: Maurice Hovius' Hov-aire, Inc. Possible rebuild. Sale reported. Currently Located: Vicksburg, Michigan, USA, (near Kalamazoo).^[49]
• C/N:62 Tail Number: N8400 (4-AT-E, January 1929) Originally owned by: Mohawk Airways, NY. Currently owned by: Maurice Hovius' Hov-aire, Inc. Possible rebuild. Currently Located: Vicksburg, Michigan, USA, (near Kalamazoo).^[50]
• C/N:65 Tail Number: N8403 (4-AT-E, May 1929) (Not in FAA records) The "Ptarmigan II" Originally owned by: Mamer Flying Service. Currently Owned by Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum. Possible restoration. As of February 10, 2005, currently Located at Golden Wings Museum near Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.^[51]
• C/N:13 Tail Number: N9667 (5-AT-B, 1929) The "AN-AAR" Originally Owned By SAFEWAY. Currently Owned By: Maurice Hovius' Hov-aire, Inc. This is a restoration project undertaken by the "Tin Goose Chapter", EAA 1247, in Port Clinton, Ohio, USA.^[52][53]

From 1954 onwards, efforts have been made to produce a modernized version of the Trimotor as the Stout Bushmaster 2000.^[6] Saddled with financial, management and marketing problems, only two examples were initially built with a third fuselage never completed.^[54]

Specifications (Ford 5-AT Trimotor)[link]

General characteristics

• Crew: 3 (1 Flight attendant)
• Capacity: 10 passengers

• Cost: $42,000 in 1933

• 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 (77.6 m²)
• Empty weight: 7,840 lb (3,560 kg)
• Loaded weight: 10,130 lb (4,590 kg)
• Max. takeoff weight: 13,500 lb (6,120 kg

• Fuel capacity: normally 230 US gallons (886 liters)
• Fuel consumption: about 45 gallons per hour (173 litres per hour))

• Powerplant: 3 × Pratt & Whitney Wasp C 9-cylinder radial engines, 420 hp (313 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 150 mph (241 km/h, 130 kts)
• Cruise speed: 90 mph (145 km/h, 78 kts)
• Stall speed: 64 mph (103 km/h, 56 kts)
• Range: 550 mi (885 km, 478 nm)
• Service ceiling: 18,500 ft (5,640 m)
• Rate of climb: ft/min (m/s)
• Wing loading: 16.17 lb/ft² (78.87 kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 10.71 lb/hp (6.52 kg/kW)

Notable appearances in media[link]

A Ford Trimotor appeared in Chapter 1 of Flash Gordon (Universal, 1936).^[55] Director Howard Hawks' Only Angels Have Wings 1939 features a Trimotor that catches fire after a freak accident with a condor eventually performing an emergency landing on an airfield. A real and a model Trimotor were used for the sequence.^[56]

A number of flyable Trimotors have been seen in recent films, including Trimotor 5ATB N9651 which played a feature role in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984). Presently, this aircraft is in the Fantasy of Flight museum at Polk City, Florida.^[57] A Trimotor appeared flown by Jerry Lewis in The Family Jewels.^[58] A Trimotor also appears in the movies "The Untouchables"(1987), at least the passenger compartment, when Eliott Ness and his team travel to the Canadian border to ambush Al Capone's thugs while they negotiate a liquor shipment; other appearance is made in "Public Enemies"(2009), when the bank robber John Dillinger is transferred to a prison, flying in one Trimotor.

Accidents and incidents[link]

• On April 21, 1929, a Maddux Air Lines 5-AT-B Trimotor, NC9636, collided with a U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) Boeing PW-9D, 28-037, over San Diego; all six on board both aircraft died. The pilot of the Boeing PW-9D was performing stunts and then attempted to pass in front of the airliner, but misjudged the speed of the Maddux aircraft and his aircraft struck the cockpit of the Ford Trimotor.
• On September 3, 1929, a Transcontinental Air Transport 5-AT-B Trimotor, NC9649, and named The City of San Francisco, crashed into Mount Taylor near Grants, New Mexico in a thunderstorm; all eight on board died.
• On January 19, 1930, a Maddux Air Lines 5-AT-C Trimotor, NC9689, and operating as Flight 7, crashed near Oceanside, California due to adverse weather conditions, killing all 16 on board.
• On June 24, 1935, a Trimotor of Servicio Aéreo Columbiano, C-31, collided with a Trimotor of SCADTA, F-31, at Olaya Herrera Airfield near Medellin, Colombia; of the 20 on board both aircraft, only three passengers survived. Among the dead was the legendary tango singer Carlos Gardel.

See also[link]

Related development

• Stout Bushmaster 2000
• Stout ST-1
• Ford Flivver
  

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Fokker F.VII
• Junkers G.24
• Junkers G 31
  

Related lists

• List of airliners
• List of aircraft of World War II
• List of military aircraft of the United States
• List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)
  

References[link]

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

External links[link]

• Ford Trimotor "a tribute to the Ford Tri-Motor", and contains facts, pictures, bibliography and more.
• Detail photos—1929 Ford 4-AT-E Tri-Motor