The Ford 4AT Trimotor – Ford’s most successful aircraft often called the “Tin Goose”

By Iberia Airlines – Ford 4 AT, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=898056

Nowadays, enthusiasts like Elon Musk are in the automotive and aerospace industry; in the past, pioneers like Ford were also in aviation.

The Ford Trimotor, also known as the “Tri-Motor” and nicknamed the “Tin Goose,” is an American three-engine transport aircraft. Production began in 1925 under Henry Ford’s companies and concluded on June 7, 1933, with a total of 199 units produced. Initially designed for civil aviation, it also served in military roles.

Like many other automotive companies of its time, Ford entered the aviation business because of the First World War.

The original (commercial production) 4-AT had three air-cooled Wright radial engines. It carried a crew of three: a pilot, a copilot, and a stewardess, as well as eight or nine passengers.

Its control surfaces—ailerons, elevators, and rudders—were made of corrugated metal rather than being fabric-covered. As was typical for the era, the rudder and elevators were operated via metal cables running along the aircraft’s exterior.

Engine gauges were externally mounted on the engines for easy reading by the pilot through the windshield.

By Alexf – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31253375

Another notable feature was the hand-operated “Johnny brake.“

By Self – Photograph taken/owned by contributor., CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16243893

A total of 199 Trimotors were produced before the Ford Airplane Division was closed in 1933 due to poor sales during the Great Depression.

In 1985, Ford was posthumously inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame for his significant contributions to the industry.