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8 photos from Wikimedia Commons · credits & licences
- 1. 4-AT Trimotor: Bill Larkins· CC BY-SA 2.0
- 2. Ford 4AT Trimotor: Bzuk ( talk )· Public domain
- 3. RCAF Ford 6-AT-A trimotor G-CYWZ msn 6-AT-1: SDASM Archives· No restrictions
- 4. Scenic Trimotor: Bzuk ( talk )· Public domain
- 5. Ford Trimotor - MET DP72736 (cropped): H. C. White Co.· CC0
- 6. Ford Trimotor - MET DP72736: H. C. White Co.· CC0
- 7. Ford Trimotor - MET DP72737: H. C. White Co.· CC0
- 8. Ford Trimotor of Golden State Airways - Clover Field Los Angeles 1929-30: John Robert McPherson· CC0
what is it?
The Ford Trimotor (also called the "Tri-Motor", and nicknamed the "Tin Goose") is an American three-engined transport aircraft. It made its first flight on June 11, 1926. Production started in 1925 by the companies of Henry Ford and ended on June 7, 1933, after 199 had been made.
How to recognise it: 3 piston engines with propellers · 22.6 m wingspan
base stats
Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).
fun facts
- First flew 100 years ago, in 1926.
- Top speed is 1.6× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
- Wingspan of 22.6 m: about 5 cars parked nose to tail.
piston: A car-like piston engine turning a propeller: simple and cheap, the classic small plane.
spec sheet
- first flight
- 1926-06-11
- introduced
- 1926
- retired
- 1933
- status
- retired
- number built
- 199
- role
- transport aircraft
- makers
- Henry Ford
- engines
- 3× Wright J-6-9 Whirlwind
- crew
- 3
- passengers
- 11
- length
- 15.2 m
- wingspan
- 22.6 m
- height
- 3.6 m
- max take-off weight
- 4,595 kg
- top speed
- 212 km/h
- cruise speed
- 172 km/h
- range
- —
- ceiling
- 5,029 m
Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.
Sources: Wikidata Q744306, Wikipedia: Ford Trimotor (CC BY-SA 4.0).Updated 2026-10-24.