Ford Tri-motor

[230RN]

Former Royal Australian Air Force (33 Squadron) Ford 5-AT-C A45-1 displayed at the National Museum and Art Gallery, Port Moresby.

Almost looks like it ground-looped.

I left the image full-sized for details.

199 built, 8 still airworthy.

[Brad Johnson]

Nose-over. Ground loop usually ends up with wing damage.

Cool plane. A Tri-Motor was in Lubbock recently doing ride-alongs.

Brad

[Boomhauer]

Island Airlines used them until the ‘80s in passenger service

[230RN]

Nose-over. Ground loop usually ends up with wing damage.

Cool plane. A Tri-Motor was in Lubbock recently doing ride-alongs.

Brad

As a groundlubber, I was surprised to find that pilots needed a special training regime for tail-wheeled aircraft.

[Brad Johnson]

As a groundlubber, I was surprised to find that pilots needed a special training regime for tail-wheeled aircraft.

Yup. Taildraggers are a different animal in terms of ground handling. They had HUGE rudder surface relative to plane size because the rudder was most of the ground-based directional control.

I learned to fly in Dad's Cessna 140 (5350C). I had a lot of unofficial time in that plane, so much that I had to relearn ground controls when I went to an "official" flight school that used tricycle-geared aircraft. I also had to learn VFR flight. Because I started learning so young I was too small to see over the instrument panel. As a result I essentially started as an instrument-only pilot and stayed in that mindset even after I was physically big enough to have a decent view. My instructor was forever swatting me on the arm and telling me to get my eyes off the guages and take a look around.

Brad

[230RN]

Fascinating story.

"My instructor was forever swatting me on the arm and telling me to get my eyes off the guages and take a look around."

Couldn't resist:  "gauge" is spelled alphabetically, as in A, e, i, o, U.  (Alternatively, "gage" is also correct.)

It is said that the trimotor needed three engines because of the drag introduced by the corrugated skin.  Oookay, I can almost see that... or maybe just from the extra weight.

[Boomhauer]

As a groundlubber, I was surprised to find that pilots needed a special training regime for tail-wheeled aircraft.

It’s just an endorsement by a CFI. You have to have an endorsement for complex (think retractable gear), tailwheel, and high performance aircraft, or for high altitude flights. All can be given by a CFI, IIRC.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[230RN]

Flight in "City of Wichita":

https://youtu.be/FHIlP5_Yf_s

Nicely appointed interior.