ford4atb

The ill-fated sole Ford 4-AT-C NC7862 (c/n 4-AT-47) built for Sunbeam Air Transport. This aircraft would crash and be destroyed approximately 10 miles north of Spur, Texas. The December 1, 1928 crash killed all five persons aboard, including the President of Sunbeam Air Transport, Homer D. Ballard. The 4-AT-C was unusual in that it used two types of engines, consisting of a single 450 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial in the nose, and two 220 horsepower Wright J-5 Whirlwind radials under the wings. See: aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19281201-1 Here is a photo of the crash in the SDASM's collection:

Maddux Air Lines, Ford 4-AT-B Trimotor, reg. NC7118 (c/n 4-AT-32). See: www.dmairfield.com/airplanes/NC7118/index.html

When I was born, this is what an airliner looked like. Now, when I fly on a jumbo jet, I think about those old tri-motors. We've come a long way.

I've heard stories about Ford Trimotors that crashed, and were rebuilt. They were not very fast, usually cruising at about 100 mph. They probably had a stall speed of about 60. (Guessing). At that speed, landing in a cow pasture might not destroy the whole plane.