Search
- Passengers aboard Ford Tri-Motor Airplane, 1929 - Americans initially wondered if air travel was safe. Fatal crashes by barnstorming pilots were well publicized, and wood and cloth airplanes did not inspire confidence. But when Henry Ford began making planes, the industrialist's solid reputation eased people's fears. Ford's all-metal Tri-Motors were rugged, dependable and safe. By the late 1920s these planes were the backbone of the budding airline industry.

- April 30, 1929
- Collections - Artifact
Passengers aboard Ford Tri-Motor Airplane, 1929
Americans initially wondered if air travel was safe. Fatal crashes by barnstorming pilots were well publicized, and wood and cloth airplanes did not inspire confidence. But when Henry Ford began making planes, the industrialist's solid reputation eased people's fears. Ford's all-metal Tri-Motors were rugged, dependable and safe. By the late 1920s these planes were the backbone of the budding airline industry.
- Model Airplane Plans for the 1926-1931 Ford Tri-Motor Model "5-AT-C," circa 1955 - Model airplanes have been a popular hobby since the 1920s. Early modelers built from scratch, but entrepreneurs soon saw the business possibilities in making and selling model kits. Balsa wood was a favorite building material due to its strength, light weight, and the ease with which it could be shaped.

- circa 1955
- Collections - Artifact
Model Airplane Plans for the 1926-1931 Ford Tri-Motor Model "5-AT-C," circa 1955
Model airplanes have been a popular hobby since the 1920s. Early modelers built from scratch, but entrepreneurs soon saw the business possibilities in making and selling model kits. Balsa wood was a favorite building material due to its strength, light weight, and the ease with which it could be shaped.
- Eben G. Tileston and Charles E. Graham with the "Dearborn Inn" Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-48 Airplane, July 1931 - Independence Air Tours, in connection with the Dearborn Inn, operated an aerial tour service from Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan. Note the headphones hanging above each seat. They allowed passengers to hear the tour narrator's commentary. Three engines, combined with an uninsulated cabin, made a flight in a Ford Tri-Motor a noisy experience.

- July 18, 1931
- Collections - Artifact
Eben G. Tileston and Charles E. Graham with the "Dearborn Inn" Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-48 Airplane, July 1931
Independence Air Tours, in connection with the Dearborn Inn, operated an aerial tour service from Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan. Note the headphones hanging above each seat. They allowed passengers to hear the tour narrator's commentary. Three engines, combined with an uninsulated cabin, made a flight in a Ford Tri-Motor a noisy experience.
- Eben G. Tileston and Charles E. Graham with the "Dearborn Inn" Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-48 Airplane, July 1931 - Independence Air Tours, in connection with the Dearborn Inn, operated an aerial tour service from Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan. Note the headphones hanging above each seat. They allowed passengers to hear the tour narrator's commentary. Three engines, combined with an uninsulated cabin, made a flight in a Ford Tri-Motor a noisy experience.

- July 14, 1931
- Collections - Artifact
Eben G. Tileston and Charles E. Graham with the "Dearborn Inn" Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-48 Airplane, July 1931
Independence Air Tours, in connection with the Dearborn Inn, operated an aerial tour service from Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan. Note the headphones hanging above each seat. They allowed passengers to hear the tour narrator's commentary. Three engines, combined with an uninsulated cabin, made a flight in a Ford Tri-Motor a noisy experience.
- Eben G. Tileston and Charles E. Graham with the "Dearborn Inn" Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-48 Airplane, July 1931 - Independence Air Tours, in connection with the Dearborn Inn, operated an aerial tour service from Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan. Note the headphones hanging above each seat. They allowed passengers to hear the tour narrator's commentary. Three engines, combined with an uninsulated cabin, made a flight in a Ford Tri-Motor a noisy experience.

- July 14, 1931
- Collections - Artifact
Eben G. Tileston and Charles E. Graham with the "Dearborn Inn" Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-48 Airplane, July 1931
Independence Air Tours, in connection with the Dearborn Inn, operated an aerial tour service from Ford Airport in Dearborn, Michigan. Note the headphones hanging above each seat. They allowed passengers to hear the tour narrator's commentary. Three engines, combined with an uninsulated cabin, made a flight in a Ford Tri-Motor a noisy experience.