Triple-engined Ford ..

[OzJavelin]

I never knew that Ford built an airplane .. well AT LEAST one type (maybe more?) .. and not just building other companies planes under license like during the war.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Trimotor

In the late 1920s, the Ford Aircraft Division was reputedly the "largest manufacturer of commercial airplanes in the world." [7] Alongside the Ford Trimotor, a new single-seat commuter aircraft, the Ford Flivver or "Sky Flivver" had been designed and flown in prototype form but never entered series production.[7] The Trimotor was not to be Ford's last venture in aircraft production. During World War II, the largest aircraft manufacturing plant in the world was built at the Willow Run, Michigan plant, where Ford produced thousands of B-24 Liberator bombers under license from Consolidated Aircraft.[8]

The tri-motor "Tin Goose". One of the guys on the AMC forum posted a photo of one at his local airport. Apparently 1 of 199 built?

[wulos]

The Tri motor is one of the most significant aircraft built.
From memory there is a tie in with Edsel Ford investing in an aircraft company (that later became a part of FoMoCo).
I think that Charles Lindberg gave Henry Ford his first taste of flying in the spirit of St Louis? the first aircraft to fly non stop across the atlantic? as well.

Back in the day, Motor companies were in close ties with aviation / shipping etc. New technology & all that other good stuff..

[OzJavelin]

Aircraft manufacturing heritage .. stick that BMW!!

[wulos]

Originally Posted by OzJavelin

Aircraft manufacturing heritage .. stick that BMW!!

Hahaha - where do you think that BMW got their badge from??

[Luke Plaizier]

Given that many production lines in the US gave themselves over to aircraft and weapons production in WWII, I'm suprised there's not more to be said for planes made by Ford, GM and Chrysler.

Chrysler even made rockets for awhile! http://www.allpar.com/history/milita...-and-NASA.html

And don't forget, the Rocket made by Elon Musk's SpaceX company (Inventor of PayPal, MD of Tesla Motors) that took the first commercial spacecraft to the ISS last week - was called a FALCON. Now there's a tie-in for Ford.... (Pity it was named after the Millenium Falcon, but I can conveniently ignore that to suit my own agenda.)

Either that, or I see your 3-engined Ford, and raise you a 9-engined Falcon.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falcon_9

Each of those engines is good for nearly 2000kW - so 18 000kW in a Falcon. Not bad. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(rocket_engine)



Lukeyson

[2011G6E]

Soon as I saw that "triple engined Ford" I suspected what it probably was. They're a magnificent airplane aren't they?

A lot of people mistake Charles Kingsford Smiths' "Southern Cross" at Brisbane airport for a Ford Trimotor, when in fact it is a Fokker Trimotor...virtually identical to one another anyway.

[Jim Goose]

Ford also built aircraft components here in Australia in WW2 under licence....

Saab orginally built aircraft before moving onto cars as well.

BMW as mentioned built aircraft engines.

Rolls Royce also builds (still today) aircraft engines.

Mitsubishi built fighters/ bombers up until WW2 then moved onto cars.

[Pis-ton broke]

i think Mitsubishi make everything, earthmoving to electronics don,t they.

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by Pis-ton broke

i think Mitsubishi make everything, earthmoving to electronics don,t they.

yea have seen a wide variety of items bearing their name.... washer/ dryers/ computers/ tv's/ trains too i believe?

[Stagg]

Hyundai is also big in heavy industry. Trains, cargo ships, and manufactuging machinery too

[Stagg]

Hyundai is also big in heavy industry. Trains, cargo ships, and manufactuging machinery too

[Neale]

Originally Posted by wulos

Hahaha - where do you think that BMW got their badge from??

The Bavarian Flag, where the company started!

[Nikked]

Good old Tri-motor...

brings back memories of my Take-off collection.

IIRC, only 3 exsist in flyable condition?

[Neale]

Ford built a fair few aircraft, although most of them never went past the prototype stage or were variations of the Ford Trimotor.

The Ford Trimotor resembled the earlier Fokker Trimotor, but the ford was all metal, & was alot more advanced than the Fokker & was claimed to be the safest airliner around at the time.

I think alot of inspiration was from this one which was sponsored by Edsel Ford for a trip to the Antartic & is now in the Ford Museum



But in the late 1920s, the Ford Aircraft Division was reputedly the "largest manufacturer of commercial airplanes in the world."

Here are a few of Fords aircraft. More can be found about them on this website:-http://www.aerofiles.com/_ford.html

Ford 3AT
[IMG]http://www.aerofiles.com/ford3at.jpg[/IMG]

Ford 5TAT-CS


Ford 8TAS


Ford 11AT


Ford 14a


Ford 15P


Ford C-3
[IMG]http://www.aerofiles.com/ford-c3.jpg[/IMG]

Ford C-4A


Ford Flivver



Ford X-B-906 Bomber


Ford-Stout 2-AT


Ford-Stout Dragonfly

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Neale

Ford 15P

[2011G6E]

Mitsubishi made some great planes in WW2...notably the Zero. Might have been an enemy plane, but it was still a very respected plane.

Hyundai makes an amazing list of goods...everything from huge ships to cars to pistols and military equipment.
http://en.wia.co.kr/main/index.asp
http://en.wia.co.kr/product/special_land.asp

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Neale

The Bavarian Flag, where the company started!

This is the truth...the propellor story stems from an BMW advert in the 20's of a plane.

But the badge is older then that add.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Mitsubishi made some great planes in WW2...notably the Zero. Might have been an enemy plane, but it was still a very respected plane.

The Zero struck fear into the hearts and minds of US fighter pilots.

[Luke Plaizier]

Yes, but it's advantage was being very light weight and with little armour so it could be fast and nimble. It was better than most US fighters at the time.

But it wasn't developed during the war, so when planes like the P-51 Mustang came along, itself developed off the Spitfire and using Spitfire Merlin engines, it was diabolocally outclassed.

Tells a tail similar to the Mitsubishi story in Australia doesn't it. Lightweight small engined Magna at the start, insufficient development, outclassed by other American product - and in the case of the Commodore, with European origins.


Lukeyson

[Nikked]

I think too, Japan lack quality pilots at the critical time aswell.

[pottery beige]

Originally Posted by Nikked

I think too, Japan lack quality pilots at the critical time aswell.

quality pilots.. my plane became a bomb.. boom tish....

[aquahead2001]

During WWII, Ford built and operated the then world's largest aircraft factory, Willow Run. They made B24 Liberators there in the world's largest enclosed space at an astonishing 650 aircraft per month. Pilots and crews used to sleep at the end of the production line wating for an aircraft to be finished, where they would fly it off.

[Moby Vic]

There's a Ford Tri-Motor at the Fantasy of Flight Museum. Any of you who visit Disney World should spend a day at Fantasy of Flight. It's a short drive (maybe an hour).

I don't know if they still do it, but in the '90s there was a company in Titusville (on the Atlantic coast—not far from Orlando) that used a Tri-Motor to fly parachute jumpers.

Regarding the Mitsubishi Zero, it was a copy of the American Seversky P-35. The Japanese bought a few in the '30s and did what they do. Because of those sales, Seversky got in trouble and was absorbed into Republic, which later built the P-47 Thunderbolt. The P-47 is clearly an evolution of the P-35 design.

As has been mentioned, the Zero had no armor plating. It also didn't have self-sealing gas tanks. The Japanese overestimated their own skill and underestimated the number of Allied pilots opposing them.

Whereas the Zero was notoriously fragile, the Thunderbolt was possibly the most durable fighter aircraft of the war. I've heard stories of them being completely riddled with bullets yet still flying. They had large, thick armor plating behind the cockpit that saved many a life.

[BLKPHN]

Well you learn something new everyday. I had no idea Ford made Planes, very interesting though.

[Road_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

yea have seen a wide variety of items bearing their name.... washer/ dryers/ computers/ tv's/ trains too i believe?

Yep, Kawasaki as well, the WA Police helicopter is a Kwaka!

[Vesper Martini]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

yea have seen a wide variety of items bearing their name.... washer/ dryers/ computers/ tv's/ trains too i believe?

I think they are one of the larger Banks in Japan too, there was talk about them coming here and offering cheaper home loans to Australian customers

[XP6]

Its a wonder Samsung doesnt make cars... or do they

[IDT]

Originally Posted by wulos

Hahaha - where do you think that BMW got their badge from??

The Bavarian Flag. My understanding is that BMW has never had nor ever claimed to have had anything to do with Aviation. That is a public misconseption that they did.

[Road_Warrior]

Yes they do...for the Korean domestic market...

[Jim Goose]

Originally Posted by WAForce8

The Bavarian Flag. My understanding is that BMW has never had nor ever claimed to have had anything to do with Aviation. That is a public misconseption that they did.

Ahh... BMW made engines for aircraft for decades.... including ww2 fighters.
So I dont know what public misconception you mean?