Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Commercial and military transport

Power Plant:

Three 313 kw (420 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-985 C-1 Wasp seven-cylinder air-cooled radial engines

Specifications:

History:

The Trimotor was produced by what was then the largest automobile manufacturer in the world, the Ford Motor Company, some 198 examples being built by the Aviation Division in a variety of models between 1926 and 1933 when the Great Depression forced the closure of the Aviation Division. Similar in shape and size to the Fokker Trimotor, and using the corrugated skin all-metal construction of Junkers, the Ford was produced on an assembly line and became very successful in its designed role. Known as the Tin Goose because of its corrugated metal cladding, the first model was the 3-AT, of which only a single example was completed, but it led to the development of the 4-AT and 5-AT, the latter being capable of carrying 17 passengers.

The first model produced was the 4-AT, flying for the first time on 11 June 1926 and, in the following seven years, examples of the series were flown by over 100 airlines around the world. A couple are still flying in the United States. It could be fitted with wheels, floats, or skis, and was used by the United States Forestry Service. Two operated for a period as borate bombers. But its success was as a sturdy, reliable passenger aircraft which could be quickly converted for freight operations.

The type saw some military service, particularly with the US Navy and US Marine Corps, the RCAF, RAAF, Spanish Air Force, and Colombian Air Force. One was impressed into use with the RAF as a troop transport.

Most production aircraft were either the 4-AT variant or the 4-AT-A with 149 kw (200 hp) Wright J-4 engines; 4-AT-B with 164 kw (220 hp) Wright J-5 engines; 4-AT-C with 298 kw (400 hp) Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine in the nose and two Wright J-4s on the wings; 4-AT-D with a larger wing; 4-AT-E with 224 kw (300 hp) Wright J-6-9 engines; and 4-AT-F which was similar to the E with some refinements.

The 5-AT series basically had three 313 kw (420 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp engines and ranged from the 5-AT-A to the 5-AT-E, differing mainly in the gross weight, seaplane configuration, and other refinements. The series was rugged and dependable and set the standard for the carriage of passengers by aircraft in the 1930s. One was modified as a bomber with the designation XB906 and had four machine guns and internal bomb racks but was destroyed in a crash during testing in September 1931.

Five found their way to Australia: three 4-AT-Es (c/ns 41, 61 and 68), and two 5-AT-Cs (c/ns 60 and 68). 4-AT c/n 61 was powered by three Wright Whirlwind J-6-9 radial engines, registered to Holden’s Air Transport Ltd as VH-UDY on 7 June 1935 and was operated in Papua New Guinea, ownership being transferred to Guinea Airways Ltd on 15 July 1937. On 8 June 1937 on take-off from Salamaua it struck a log and suffered extensive damage. By September 1940 it had flown 2,741 hours. It was impressed into RAAF service as A45-2 on 6 February 1942 and held by No 24 Squadron pending allotment to No 33 Squadron but it was destroyed in an air-raid on 13 March that year at Seven-mile aerodrome at Port Moresby.

4-AT c/n 68 (ex G-ACAK, EC-KKA, M-CKAA, NC4806) was registered to Holden’s Air Transport Ltd of Salamaua as VH-USX. On 25 June 1936 it suffered an engine failure, and another engine failure on 25 February 1937. Ownership was transferred to Guinea Airways Ltd on 19 April 1937. By December 1938 it had flown 1,476 hours. The aircraft was registered as fitted with ten seats, and had a roof hatch to facilitate the loading and un-loading of freight. It was destroyed on the ground during a Japanese air-raid at Salamaua on 21 January 1942.

The first 5-AT (c/n 60) was registered to Guinea Airways Ltd on 26 October 1935 as VH-UBI (ex G-ABHO, NC401H). This was the first Australian Trimotor and arrived in New Guinea in crates in November 1934, being assembled at Lae, making its first flight on 10 December 1934.  It had 14 seats and was an immediate success. It was fitted with long-range fuel tanks and spent some time carrying freight and passengers for the Dr Richard Archbold Expedition to Mt Mabion in 1936. It crashed at Eilogo on 21 July 1938 after an engine failure on take-off. Repairs necessitating work from June 1939 to June 1940 were then carried out, these requiring the importation of major components from the United States, including a new fuselage.

On 28 January 1938 Guinea Airways obtained another Trimotor (c/n 5-AT-41 – ex NC9686) from Charles Babb of Glendale, California, and it was shipped to Sydney, NSW. This aircraft had previously operated with Maddux Air Lines and was built in April 1929. It was never registered in Australia and it seems it was used in repairs to VH-UBI. Damage to the latter must have been extensive as the forward section of the fuselage of c/n 41 was used in the rebuild, this coming to light years later when the fuselage of VH-UBI was recovered from its crash site at Myola in the Owen Stanley Ranges to Port Moresby in 1979, the aircraft then having the manufacturer’s mlate of 5-AT-41. It would seem this first accident was the end of the fuselage of 5-AT-60 and one aircraft was re-built from the two.

VH-UBI was impressed into RAAF service on 6 February 1942 as A45-1. It first went to No 24 Squadron in February 1942, and was allotted to No 33 Squadron at Townsville, QLD a few days later. In May it was modified as a transport / ambulance and was delivered to No 36 Squadron. Following the Japanese fighter attack on Lae on 21 January 1942, VH-UBI and VH-UDY were used to evacuate personnel to Australia where theaircraft were operated by the RAAF as A45-1 and A45-2, painted in a camouflage colour scheme of green and brown on the upper surfaces with blue under-surfaces, and red crosses on a white background on top of the wing.

Aircraft VH-UBI was also used extensively for evacuating wounded servicemen. However, it crashed at Myola on 24 November 1942. It was operating with other aircraft from Myola, which is at an altitude of 1,981 m (6,500 ft), and on this occasion, whilst flown by Mr T O’Dea of Guinea Airways, it sank into the soft muddy surface of the lake, nosed over and was badly damaged. At the time more than 430 sick and wounded men were waiting to be evacuated. Records have indicated indicate one engine was recovered for use for spares for a Douglas Dolphin.

Other aircraft involved in the evacuation included single-engine Stinsons and a Dragon Rapide. The Ford was left dismantled until 1 October 1979 when it was airlifted by a RAAF Boeing Chinook of No 12 Squadron to Port Moresby for eventual restoration for the National Museum of New Guinea at Ahuia, Port Moresby.

Ford 5-AT c/n 68 was, like c/n 60, imported from Great Britain and became VH-UTB (ex G-ABHF, G-ABFF, NC409H) with Guinea Airways on 10 December 1934. It was shipped to New Guinea in crates carrying its British registration and was fitted with 14 seats. These were removed for the transport of cargo. In February 1937 it was flown to Parafield, SA but returned to New Guinea in May. It was lost on 23 October 1941 when it crashed on take-off at Little Wau Creek and ran over a cliff into the valley, a well known aircraft graveyard.

In addition to these aircraft, The Netherlands NG Petroleum Company obtained a 5-AT-B in 1935 and, as PK-AKE, it operated in the exploration of oil in Dutch New Guinea, later being sold to Bataatsche Petroleum of Indonesia in 1936.

Examples have survived in museums, and a couple are airworthy in the United States. One (c/n 74) was built and first flown on 4 September 1929, being used by Ford, and later by Pan American Airways from 1932. It later became the first Trimotor fitted with floats and spent some years in South America. It returned to the United States and later served with Scenic Airlines taking tourists for trips around the Grand Canyon.

In 1976 an attempt was made to resurrect the design, using newer construction methods, and this aircraft became known as the Bushmaster 2000. It had three 336 kw (450 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-985 engines but only a small number were completed.