Ford 4-AT-D Trimotor

Ford Motor Company · United States · first flew 1927 · airliner

The Ford 4-AT-D Trimotor is a later production sub-variant of the Ford Trimotor, representing continued refinement of the basic 4-AT design through the late 1920s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	3 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	15.19 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Late 4-AT series sub-variant of the Ford Tin Goose
All-metal corrugated skin with fixed spatted undercarriage
Three-engine high-wing layout with nose and wing radials

Visually identical to other 4-AT sub-variants; all share the immediately distinctive corrugated aluminium skin, high-wing trimotor configuration, and rectangular fuselage.

Specifications

The Ford 4-AT-D Trimotor has a length of 15.19 m (50 ft).
It has a wingspan of 22.56 m (74 ft).
Its maximum speed is 185 km/h (115 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Ford produced the Trimotor in a series of progressively improved batches, and the 4-AT-D reflects the accumulation of minor engineering changes made during the type's production life. The Trimotor family as a whole sold in sufficient numbers to make Ford a major player in early US commercial aviation before the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2 rendered it obsolete.

Variants

Later in the 4-AT series, preceding the final 4-AT-E; the parallel 5-AT series used more powerful Pratt & Whitney Wasp engines.

Where you'll see it

Operated by US commercial airlines and charter operators in the late 1920s and early 1930s.

Related aircraft

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