Ford Tri-Motor locator

REVISED: 11/17/99

Ford Tri-Motor Locator
By Art Wiggins
These are the surviving Ford Tri-Motors at the present time as known. Additional information about their condition and status, as well as the whereabouts of others, is welcomed by email to the author at awiggins@prodigy.net. Aircraft are sorted by model and c/n; then follows CAA registration, year of manufacture, first owner, general comments, and present location:
4-AT-A c/n 10 [NC1077]. 1927: Ford Motor Co. LOCATION: Yellowstone Aviation, Jackson WY. Reportedly being rebuilt to fly (FAA info).

4-AT-B c/n 15 [NX4542]. 1928: Ford Motor Co. Was Adm Richard M Byrd's South Pole airplane. LOCATION: Ford Museum, Dearborn MI. Not on FAA records. 4-AT-B c/n 38 [NC7584]. 1928: Robertson Aircraft Corp, St Louis MO. Crashed in Ohio 7/1/77 while in service with Island Airlines; rebuilt by Kal-Aero. 1985: Al Chaney. 10/6/91: Kermit Weeks, badly damaged in Florida by hurricane Andrew in the fall of 1992. LOCATION: Vicksburg MI (near Kalamazoo) for repair by Maurice Hovious.

4-AT-B c/n 42 [NC7684]. 1928; Sky View Lines, Buffalo NY. Remnants only. Previously owned by Al Chaney. LOCATION: Minneapolis MN. Possibly undergoing rebuild. Registration pending per FAA.

4-AT-B c/n 46 [NC7861]. 1928; Union Electric Light and Power, St Louis MO. LOCATION: Pensacola Navy Museum FL. Not on FAA records.

4-AT-E c/n 55 [NC9612] 1929; Mamer Flying Service, Spokane, WA. Was painted up as The City of Los Angeles by TWA and flown extensively in July 1949 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of their first transcontinental flight. FAA records state aircraft is now owned by Robert W Cobb, Trustee, Chevy Chase MD. LOCATION: Virginia Aviation Museum. Under restoration for display with work progressing slowly. Wings went to Vicksburg MI to Maurice Hovius in Nov 1998 for structural work and re-skinning -- Hovius has the proper dies for forming corrugated Tri-Motor skins.

4-AT-E c/n 58 [NC9642]. 1929: Mohawk Airways. LOCATION: Kal Aero, Vicksburg MI. Possible rebuild. Sale reported.

4-AT-E c/n 62 [NC8400]. 1929: Pan American Airways. LOCATION: Kal Aero, Vicksburg MI. Possible rebuild.

4-AT-E c/n 65 [NC8403]. 1929: Mamer Flying Service, Spokane WA. LOCATION: Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum. Possible restoration. Not on FAA records.

4-AT-E c/n 69 [NC8407]. 1929: Eastern Air Transport. LOCATION: EAA Museum, Oshkosh WI. Rides offered.

5-AT-B c/n 8 [NC9645]. 1929: Transcontinental Air Transport. LOCATION: 747 Inc, McMinnville OR. Flies at airshows.

5-AT-B c/n 9 [NC9646=NC1629M=N76GC]. 1929: Transcontinental Air Transport; various owners in Latin American and USA, 1966: Island Airlines (as Travel Air Taxi), c.1969: Grand Canyon Airlines, damaged in windstorm. LOCATION: San Diego Aerospace Museum, restored and on display.

5-AT-B c/n 11 [NC9637]. 1929; Pan American Airways. LOCATION: San Diego AeroSpace Museum, where restoration is complete. May or may not be flown, but will be on display. Has experimental airworthiness certificate, FAA records indicate compliance with FARs.

5-AT-B c/n 34 [NC9651]. 1929: Transcontinental Air Transport. Sold by Irv Perlitch (Perch), Morgan Hill CA, to Kermit Weeks in 1992. LOCATION: Florida, believed flyable. Appeared in movie, "Temple of Doom."

5-AT-B c/n 39 [NC9683]. 1929: Southwest Fast Air Express, Tulsa OK. LOCATION: NASM, DC.

5-AT-C c/n 58 [NC8419]. 1929: Ford Motor Co. LOCATION: Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum MI. Has standard and restricted airworthiness certificate, and is available for sightseeing rides. Keith Laird writes that the true "bones" of [8419] still reside in a ditch at the end of a Forest Service strip in Idaho. According to the Larkins book, it was in an accident that killed three smoke-jumpers and one non-pilot crewmember. Evidently the placard was removed and installed on the present [8419], as is often done during a rebuild.

5-AT-C c/n 60 [NC401H]. 1929: RAAF. LOCATION: England-National Museum, Papua, New Guinea. Possibly in rebuild. Not on FAA records.

5-AT-C c/n 74 [NC414H]. 1929: Ford Motor Co. Was on twin floats for a short time. LOCATION: Twin Otter International Ltd, North Las Vegas NV. Appeared in several movies. No longer making Grand Canyon Tours, now used for type-rating instruction and has standard airworthiness certificate.