Notices
General NON-Automotive Conversation No Political, Sexual or Religious topics please.

Ford Tri-Motor

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 29, 2003 | 03:05 AM
  #1  
Ironbelly's Avatar
Ironbelly
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
From: Big Bear CA. 6,800 elev. Mountain Retreat.
Ford Tri-Motor

Ever seen a Ford Tri-Motor up close or aloft ?? There's a beautiful maroon and silver one that attends our local airports anual airfair.
They offer rides in it for fiddy bucks. I'm thinkin 'bout takin' a ride in it this years airfair.
I found a couple o' cool web pages about them.
 
Reply
Old May 29, 2003 | 11:29 AM
  #2  
Mil1ion's Avatar
Mil1ion
New User
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 0
Likes: 24
Ford Tri-Motor

There was one at the Henry Ford Museum that I saw in January.
Very Unique aircraft.

 
Reply
Old May 29, 2003 | 11:53 AM
  #3  
Fredvon4's Avatar
Fredvon4
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 3,733
Likes: 38
Club FTE Silver Member

Ford Tri-Motor

I retired in 1996 from the Army and my "career" took me to Germany 5 times. There was one flying out of Frankfurt all the time and was very popular.

While in Aviation Maintenance I worked on several different Army heliports that were co-located on major airfields and got to see many interesting planes come and go. The Ford Tri-Motor was a favorite.
 
Reply
Old May 29, 2003 | 01:48 PM
  #4  
kanertop's Avatar
kanertop
Senior User
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 196
Likes: 0
From: Greensboro
Ford Tri-Motor

It doesn't get more nostalgic than to go up in a corrogated steel box with three powerful radials.
 
Reply
Old May 29, 2003 | 04:19 PM
  #5  
Greywolf's Avatar
Greywolf
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
Likes: 46
From: Drummonds, TN USA
Ford Tri-Motor

Ah - the early days of aviation...

If I remember right there was a tunnel through the wings for the flight engineer!

Does anyone know if any of the old "China Clipper" flying boats are still around? I think Pan Am used to fly them out of San Diego.

I've always wanted to look around inside one of those, but I was born just a little late.
 
Reply
Old May 29, 2003 | 04:56 PM
  #6  
Ironbelly's Avatar
Ironbelly
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
From: Big Bear CA. 6,800 elev. Mountain Retreat.
Ford Tri-Motor

It's cool you should bring up the China Clipper, by Boeing. That's one of the best examples of the Golden Age of Aviation. The piston age......Not a pilot, but love planes!! Radio control is fun.

Mil1ion..Thanks for the pic, I couldn't figure out how to post pics just yet.
 
Reply
Old May 29, 2003 | 05:13 PM
  #7  
Karic's Avatar
Karic
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 772
Likes: 1
From: Victoria Canada
Ford Tri-Motor

Haven't seen the Tri-motor up close yet, but these are two of my favourites.

The Kamov flies for a local company that has two, along with numerous other helicopters including a "Sky Crane".



Saw the "Spruce Goose" in San Diego years ago, before it was moved.



Rick
 
Reply
Old May 29, 2003 | 07:33 PM
  #8  
1956MarkII's Avatar
1956MarkII
Lead Driver
20 Year Member
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 7,746
Likes: 7
From: Tampa Bay, FL USA
Ford Tri-Motor

Originally posted by Greywolf
Does anyone know if any of the old "China Clipper" flying boats are still around? I think Pan Am used to fly them out of San Diego.

I've always wanted to look around inside one of those, but I was born just a little late.
There was a documentary recently on the Discovery Wings Channel about the Clippers. There is ONE left in existence, somewhere on the West Coast, and it's being restored. They showed the inside, and it is AMAZING. Talk about luxurious; it makes first class on a triple-7 look like a Greyhound bus!
 
Reply
FTE Stories

Ford Trucks for Ford Truck Enthusiasts

story-0

Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-3

Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

 Brett Foote
story-4

10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-6

Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

 Brett Foote
story-9

Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

 Joe Kucinski
Old May 29, 2003 | 07:48 PM
  #9  
truckman79's Avatar
truckman79
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
From: Escondido Ca.
Ford Tri-Motor

Ya, Ive seen a tri motor up close, me and my dad and uncles got to ride in one! It was awesome! They had one at the Oshkosh Air show in Wisconsin and for like $50 to $75 you could go for a 25 min ride in one then come back down. Its like driving my old truck, compared to driving a new one. Rattles, shakes, and really loud, but strong.
 
Reply
Old May 29, 2003 | 07:58 PM
  #10  
NRAJOE's Avatar
NRAJOE
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 559
Likes: 0
From: Toledo, Ohio
Ford Tri-Motor

I got to ride on one when I was a kid. There was one in Port Clinton, Ohio and the guy gave rides for money. It was scary and very cool at the same time! The guy died and I don't know what happened to the plane...probably in a museum now!
 
Reply
Old May 29, 2003 | 09:04 PM
  #11  
Ironbelly's Avatar
Ironbelly
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 494
Likes: 0
From: Big Bear CA. 6,800 elev. Mountain Retreat.
Ford Tri-Motor

Here's a cool link ..Some good Tri Motor there..http://www.airzoo.org/5at.htm



Caric....Ain't that Russian Kamov design neat?
There is a Sickorski Sky Crane that fights fires around here. It draws water right out of the lake. Great timt to rent a boat.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Curated Content Editor
General NON-Automotive Conversation
0
Sep 25, 2017 11:23 AM
christop43
General NON-Automotive Conversation
3
May 28, 2003 06:39 AM
franktheman
General NON-Automotive Conversation
8
Mar 7, 2003 07:27 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:52 AM.

story-0
Top 10 Fords at 2026 Carlisle Ford Nationals

Slideshow: Top 10 Fords at 2026 Ford Nationals

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-09 11:10:08


VIEW MORE
story-1
3 Best / 3 Worst Parts of Modern Ford Ownership

Based on years of owning multiple modern Ford products.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 10:53:36


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Amazing Upgrades That Solve Common Ford Truck Owner Headaches

SPONSORED: From muddy boots to rain-soaked cargo, these upgrades address some of the most common frustrations Ford truck owners face every day.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-06-08 18:50:34


VIEW MORE
story-3
Every 2026 Ford Engine Explained

Here's everything you need to know about every Ford engine available for the 2026 model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-05 12:58:01


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Ugly Ford Trucks That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Ford trucks that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 09:51:16


VIEW MORE
story-5
10 Things Every Truck Owner NEEDS (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: the best gifts for dads & grads

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:58


VIEW MORE
story-6
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath

Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-06-03 11:38:36


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Expensive Ford Trucks Ever Sold on Bring a Trailer

Slideshow: 10 most expensive Ford trucks ever sold on Bring a Trailer.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:24:34


VIEW MORE
story-8
2027 Ford Super Duty Buyer's Guide (Every Model, Engine, & Package)

Here's everything that has changed for the latest model year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-05-27 16:17:28


VIEW MORE
story-9
Top 10 Ford Truck Tragedies

Slideshow: Top 10 Ford truck tragedies.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-18 19:34:33


VIEW MORE