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RR-5 Tri-Motor
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Photo: Robert
Deering 4/18/2015 National Museum of Naval Aviation NAS Pensacola (NPA) Pensacola, Florida |
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One of the most successful aircraft in history, the famed Ford Tri-Motor was
used by more than 100 airlines worldwide,
and many operated for more than a half
century. Nine Tri-Motors, in five different
models, were operated by the Navy and Marine
Corps between 1927 and 1935. Designated RR-2
through 5 by the Navy, the first example was
ordered in March 1927.
Derived from designs by William B. Stout, the famous Ford Tri-Motor came
into being following Henry Ford's purchase
of the Stout Aircraft Company. Designated
the 4-AT, the design followed an earlier,
unsuccessful aircraft, the 3-AT, which
engineers Harold Hicks and Tom Towle
reworked to produce the iconic aircraft. The
resulting Tri-Motor went from the drawing
boards to flight in just over four months,
its first flight in June 1926.
The Navy became interested in the aircraft as a potential transport or cargo
carrier, ordering a single example of the
4-AT-A in March 1927. Designated XJR-1 the
aircraft was tested in 1928 and served until
retired in 1930. Meanwhile, improvements
were being made so rapidly that it was said
that no two Tri-Motors were the same. Two
4-AT-Es were purchased in 1929. Designated
JR-2s, they were assigned to the Marines and
were powered by three 300 horsepower Wright
J6-9 engines rather than the original 200
horsepower J-4 engines of the prototype,
giving them improved performance. In 1930,
three JR-3s, with enlarged wings and Pratt &
Whitney Wasp engines were purchased, one for
the Navy and the other two for the Marines.
Shortly after, the aircraft were
redesignated RR-2 and RR-3. A single Model
5-AT-C was later purchased and designated
RR-4. Finally, two Model 4-AT-Ds were
acquired, one each for the Navy and Marines,
and designated RR-5s.
While very useful to the Navy and Marine Corps, the Tri-Motor is best known
for its contribution to the growth of U.S.
commercial aviation. It, and the
Curtiss-Wright Condor, made commercial
airlines practical and profitable a decade
before the advent of Douglas' DC series or
the Boeing 247. |
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