Johnny Louck's 5-AT-C Tri-Motor, 1961 EAA Fly-in, Rockford, IL.

Johnny Louck's 5-AT-C Tri-Motor, 1961 EAA Fly-in, Rockford, IL.

TWA Tin Goose at Mills Field, now San Francisco International. Photo from: SFO Museum

The Ford C-3 photographed during parachute testing 'while assigned to the Fairfield Air Depot (1931-1932).' The depot was adjacent to Wright Field. The fuselage says 'F.A.D. Ford C-3', probably for Fairchild Air Depot. Photo from: US Air Force

Date 'circa 1934'. Aircraft to SCADTA of Colombia in 1935. Photo from: SFO Museum

Bomber model of Ford 5-AT-C with curious XB-906 designation. Single-pilot cockpit, two dorsal open gun positions, internal bomb racks. Markings have a military look, but the reg is civil and the photo is assumed taken at Dearborn as the aircraft crashed near the Ford airport during factory testing on 19 September 1931. Both wings detached after a steep turn at high speed. Ford chief test pilot Roy Manning and a mechanic killed. No series production undertaken. Photo from: National Museum of the US Air Force

The first Tri-Motor for the US Army Air Corps, an early 4-AT-A. Ex NC3444, it arrived at Wright Field on 8 February 1928, then officially designated as the XC-3. Remained in service until July 1932. By 1931 it no longer wore code P-506. The Army ordered seven 4-AT-Es as C-3As, later modified to C-9 standard. The sole C-4 was a 5-AT-B model and was followed by four 5-AT-Ds as C-4As. There was also a bomber prototype called XB-906, civil reg NX9652. Photo from: US Air Force

Stout's airline at first operated as Detroit-Grand Rapids Airline and Cleveland-Detroit Airline. This early Tri-Motor crashed near Toledo, Ohio on 16 January 1929 following an in-flight fire. The aircraft carried 2500 pounds of mail. Photo from: Cleveland Public Library

When D-1167 Bremen ended its transatlantic flight at remote Greenly Island, frozen Lac Nairne (then Lac Sainte-Agnès) became a busy transit hub. Floyd Bennett caught pneumonia here after flying in this Tri-Motor from Detroit with fellow hero Bernt Balchen. Bennett died on 25 April and Balchen carried the Bremen flyers from Lac Nairne to Washington, DC on 27 April to attend his funeral. The Tri-Motor was flying for the North American Newspaper Alliance (NANA) but Ford surely appreciated the publicity. This airframe became the oldest surviving Tri-Motor as N1077.

This aircraft was never a military plane, but it has been restored to replicate an Army Air Corps C-4A. 9 June 1929: First flight. Purchased by Northwest Airlines, later to Air Alaska and Monroe Airlines, MI. 1951: Johnson Flying Service, Missoula, MT with c/r N8419. Used by the United States Fire Services. 4 Aug 59: Crashed with smoke jumpers on board at Granville, ID. 1984 to 1991: Restored with parts from several other wrecked Ford Trimotors. 5 Mar '92: Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Kalamazoo, MI.

This aircraft was never a military plane, but it has been restored to replicate an Army Air Corps C-4A. 9 June 1929: First flight. Purchased by Northwest Airlines, later to Air Alaska and Monroe Airlines, MI. 1951: Johnson Flying Service, Missoula, MT with c/r N8419. Used by the United States Fire Services. 4 Aug 59: Crashed with smoke jumpers on board at Granville, ID. 1984 to 1991: Restored with parts from several other wrecked Ford Trimotors. 5 Mar '92: Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Kalamazoo, MI.

This aircraft was never a military plane, but it has been restored to replicate an Army Air Corps C-4A. 9 June 1929: First flight. Purchased by Northwest Airlines, later to Air Alaska and Monroe Airlines, MI. 1951: Johnson Flying Service, Missoula, MT with c/r N8419. Used by the United States Fire Services. 4 Aug 59: Crashed with smoke jumpers on board at Granville, ID. 1984 to 1991: Restored with parts from several other wrecked Ford Trimotors. 5 Mar '92: Kalamazoo Aviation History Museum, Kalamazoo, MI.

A venerable Tri-Motor for Compañía Dominicana de Aviación. CDA was established, with Pan Am involvement, in 1944. This 4-AT served with Cubana de Aviación since 1930 and still wears its Cuban registration NM-4 here. Dominican reg not certain. The historic Dominican register shows a couple of 5-ATs but only one 4-AT, HI-2. If NM-4 was CDA's first Tri-Motor, delivered in May 1944, the 1946 dating of the photo is off. Photo from: Smithsonian Institution

Aircraft reportedly given in 1930 by roller bearing manufactuer Henry Tinken to his son, who was trained to fly it by Lt Ralph Wickford. Apparently this Tri-Motor won a race for 'transport ships' at the National Air Races in 1931. By July 1933, it was the largest plane owned by Shell and flown on a tour around New England that summer by Maj Ervin and Wickford again, taking Shell distributors, dealers and friends on pleasure flights. It was furnished with six leather and wicker chairs and a large green leather divan. Sold to Colombian air force in 1935. To AN-AAD in Nicaragua, XH-TAI in Honduras. Photo by: Leslie Jones / Boston Public Library

'First passenger plane to run between Boston and NYC.' Colonial Air Transport was slow to upgrade from Fairchild FC-2 mailplanes to true airliners on the CAM-1 route. Juan Trippe had ordered Fokker Trimotors for Colonial as early as 1925, but he was fired by the conservative board. This Ford first flew on 20 March 1929. The aircraft name worn here was changed just before or after the naming ceremony - see other photos of NC9675. Photo by: Leslie Jones / Boston Public Library

Photo dated July 1929 and Colonial's new Trimotor now wears a smart logo on the tailfin and wingtips. As illustrated by the other photos of N9475, the aircraft name has been changed from Nokomis to Nagomos, or Nacomos according to the only reference we found, but at close inspection the third letter looks like a G here. We have no idea what Nagomos or Nacomos is. NC9675 crashed into Boston Harbor immediately after take-off on 5 June 1930. One passenger was killed. Photo by: Leslie Jones / Boston Public Library

A painter in a Curtiss overall is changing the name of this new Tri-Motor from Nokomis to Nagomos or perhaps Nacomos - see other photos of NC9675. The press reported the plane was christened Nakomis (sic) on Sunday 14 April 1929. The name change was done that very day or the next day. The photo is dated 15 April, but it seems likely that the ladies and the press photographer were present at the naming ceremony. Nokomis is a female Native American name. We have no clue what Nagomos or Nagomos is, but as we see here a name was chosen that required minimal changes. Photo by: Leslie Jones / Boston Public Library

This is one of my favorite rare Ford photos. It is on Virginia Street in downtown Reno, Nevada, on September 13, 1983. For two years, at the start of the National Championship Air Races, the main street was blocked off by the casinos to exhibit the Ford and other planes. The Ford was dismantled and trucked in to the site and then re-assembled.