Scenic Airways Ford 5-AT-B Tri-Motor Tin Goose

Additional Information:

The Ford Tri-motor, nicknamed the “Tin Goose”, is an American three-engine transport aircraft. Production began in 1925 by the companies of Henry Ford and ended on June 7, 1933 after 199 aircraft were built. The aircraft was designed for the civil aviation market but also saw service with military units.

In 1925, Ford bought the Stout Metal Airplane Company and their aircraft designs. The single-engine Stout monoplane was turned into a Trimotor and became the Stout 3-AT with three Curtiss-Wright air-cooled radial engines. After a prototype was built and test-flown with poor results, the “4-AT” and “5-AT” models then emerged.

The model 5-AT-B was a 5-AT-A model powered by larger 420 hp Wasp C-1 or SC-1 radial engines. It carried up to 15 passenger and 41 were eventually built.

This antique Scenic Airways Ford 5-AT-B Trimotor was leased by Harrah’s Museum in Reno, Nevada to make a special commemorative anniversary flight to all of the airports that TWA flew to on its original route. Albuquerque was one of the stopovers in September 6, 1985 on the original route. A German TV camera crew that was filming a television series for Germany came along for the ride. A de Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter flew as the support aircraft for the flight.

Historical Note: The Tri-motor was also Scenic Airways first commercial aircraft to land at Albuquerque on the way from the Ford plant in Michigan to the airport at Flagstaff, Arizona in 1929.

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