Diagram of Ford Tri-Motor Airplane "Floyd Bennett" Flown by Richard E. Byrd in Antarctica, December 1929

THF701461 / Diagram of Ford Tri-Motor Airplane "Floyd Bennett" Flown by Richard E. Byrd in Antarctica, December 1929
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Artifact Overview

On November 28-29, 1929, explorer Richard Byrd made the first flight over the South Pole in the Ford Tri-Motor Floyd Bennett. The airplane, named for the late pilot on Byrd's North Pole expedition of 1926, was designed for long flights in Antarctic weather. With the heavy wooden skis, Byrd could land on snow and ice.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Photographic print

Date Made

08 December 1929

Subject Date

08 December 1929

Location

By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center

Object ID

84.1.1660.P.189.7010

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ford Motor Company.

Material

Paper (Fiber product)
Linen (Material)

Technique

Gelatin silver process

Color

Black-and-white (Colors)

Dimensions

Height: 7.5 in
Width: 11 in

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    1928 Ford 4-AT-B Tri-Motor Airplane, "Floyd Bennett," Flown Over the South Pole by Richard E. Byrd

    The Ford Tri-Motor was the most popular airliner of the late 1920s and early 1930s. Its rugged dependability led Richard Byrd to choose a Tri-Motor for his attempt to be the first person to fly over the South Pole. On November 28-29, 1929, Byrd and a crew of three achieved that goal in this plane.