Fokker Model 7 Trimotor

Although the Trimotor designation was also used for the Model 6 (the three-engined F.VII), this is a different aircraft.

When Anthony Fokker offered the F.VII Trimotor to the US Army Air Service, he considered transport, ambulance, and bomber versions. He designated them F.VIIA, F.VIIB, and F.VIIC. The 'B' and 'C' versions were equipped with a slightly forward-positioned open cockpit. This was because the AAS considered the cockpit under the wing in the propeller field dangerous.

During further development, a large number of other changes were made, justifying a new model designation.

The AAS ordered three aircraft as C-2s, and the Navy also ordered three as TA-1s. However, the decision-making process regarding the aircraft specifications had taken a long time. As a result, the first two Trimotors were destined for an airline. Juan Trippe had ordered them for Colonial Air Transport. They were to fly the New York-Hartford-Boston airmail route. Unfortunately, Trippe hadn't realized that the contract specified single-engine aircraft for this purpose. Consequently, Universals were ordered after all, making the Trimotors redundant.

The first was finally delivered, albeit with considerable delay, at the end of 1926. The second was sold to Pan American Airways shortly after delivery to Colonial. An old acquaintance also bought a Trimotor. That was Byrd, who wanted to make the first nonstop flight from New York to Paris with it.

However, the aircraft, piloted by Anthony Fokker, flipped over on its maiden flight in April 1927. Lindbergh and Chamberlin (heading to Germany) thus beat Byrd to it.

The Trimotor 'America' ended up in the Channel on the beach at Ver-sur-Mer when Paris could not be found.

Meanwhile, deliveries to the Army Air Service (now Air Corps) had also begun in the spring of 1927.

The aircraft for the Navy followed and were intended for the Marines fighting in Nicaragua.

Despite pressure from Fokker, the number of repeat orders remained limited. The Air Corps purchased ten more C-2As with larger wings, two of which were quickly transferred to the Marine Corps in Nicaragua. A third TA-2 was also purchased.

When one of those aircraft crashed quite quickly, Fokker ordered another TA-3 with a Wasp engine in the nose.

After it became apparent that Fokker had used a rejected Air Corps fuselage for this purpose, the order was cancelled.

Anthony Fokker was furious. But when a new hull was offered, it was rejected.

In 1929, the more powerful J-6 replaced the military version of the Wright J-5 engine. A number of C-2As were subsequently equipped with the new engine and designated C-7. The Navy followed suit by converting several TA-1 and TA-2 aircraft with this engine into RA-3s. At the same time, the transport designation was changed from T to R.

Famous flights were also made with this type of Trimotor. Besides Byrd's ocean flight, a C-2 flew from California to Hawaii. And in early 1929, a C-2A set a world endurance record for mid-air refueling.

Click on the photo to enlarge the photo

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Production of the first five Trimotors took place at the Atlantic Aircraft Corporation factory. The most advanced aircraft was the civilian "Chicago" for CAT.
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The 'Chicago' shortly after its completion. The cockpit is not yet roofed, and the two pilots have separate windshields.
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03

Colonial Air Transport had no use for its first Trimotor because it was not allowed to fly on mail routes. The canvas under the cabin windows indicates that the aircraft was tested as the "Voice of the Sky."
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04

After the introduction of civilian registrations, the Chicago was assigned the number NC55. Shortly afterwards, it crashed, and the wing was transferred to F.VII Trimotor, MSN 602.
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05

The 26-202, the first C-2 Trimotor for the Army Air Service in its original form. The aircraft would soon be converted for a long-distance flight from San Francisco to Hawaii.
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The 26-202 was converted at McCook Field. A large auxiliary tank was installed, and equipment unnecessary for flight was removed. A new paint scheme was also applied, and McCook number P463 was added.
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07

The flight to Hawaii as the Bird of Paradise was the first from the American mainland. The arrival in Hawaii is shown in the photo.
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08

Shortly after the first, the next two C-2s were also delivered. These were equipped as passenger aircraft.
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09

A look inside the cabin of the C-2 Trimotor.
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Byrd also ordered a Trimotor for a flight from New York to Paris. The aircraft had just left the factory and was still unpainted. Byrd didn't want to fly across the ocean with a "billboard for Fokker."
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At Roosevelt Field, LI, Byrd's plane was painted and named.
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A launch ramp was also erected at Roosevelt Field. This allowed for landings on the short runway, but it was a close call.
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Byrd and his three-man crew's flight across the Atlantic went well. Unfortunately, they couldn't find Paris. They then flew back to the coast of Normandy and landed in the water. After being pulled ashore, the plane was looted by souvenir hunters.
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The second Trimotor ordered by CAT was sold after the first one crashed. Pan American Airways, owned by Trippe, purchased the aircraft for its route from Miami to Havana, Cuba. It carried the registration NC53.
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A recently delivered TA-1 aircraft intended for the Marine Corps in Nicaragua is being prepared for a flight there. Previously, aircraft were delivered by ship.
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In Nicaragua, the TA-1s and later the TA-2s were given large numbers on their fuselages, ranging from 1 to 5.
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In the harsh conditions of Nicaragua, this TA-1 '2' suffered a minor squeak. Especially for tropical conditions, the engine power was rather meager.
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The C-2A was a development of the Trimotor, with a larger wing and the more powerful Wright J-5 engine. The overlapping propellers generated additional vibrations. The cause can be seen in the photo of the first in the series (28-119).
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The 28-119 was also used for navigation training for a while. A new cockpit roof was installed for this purpose.
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The most famous C-2A was the 28-120, dubbed "Question Mark." In January 1929, it set a new world record for an endurance flight with mid-air refueling. A trapeze was provided for engine maintenance during flight.
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The refueling of the Question Mark was provided by two Douglas C-1 aircraft.
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Later, the Question Mark was again used as a transport aircraft. The question mark continued to adorn the fuselage.
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The C-2A's overlapping propeller fields were resolved in later aircraft by moving the side engines further outboard. The 28-123 was the first to be modified for this purpose.
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The 28-123 was also used to test the engine cowling with a so-called NACA cowling. This proved inadequate for this type due to the engines' underwing position. Fokker subsequently lost confidence in this invention and only used the Townend ring.
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Not all C-2As were equally fortunate. But this one could provide the crew with some cooling on a hot day.
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The 28-124 is ready for a flight to the Canal Zone in Panama. The outboard engines are clearly visible.
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The final improvement to the C-2As was the Air Corps' installation of the more powerful Wright J-6 engine. The 28-126 was the first to receive this engine.
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The Marine Corps' counterpart to the C-2A was designated the TA-2. Because they were urgently needed in Nicaragua, the first two C-2As were delivered as TA-2s. Here, the A.8007 is undergoing testing.
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A beautiful view of the Fokkers' work area in Nicaragua. TA-2 '5' (A.8018) in the air.
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The TA-2 '5' off the coast of Nicaragua. Flying over the sea made them less vulnerable to fire from Sandino's rebels.
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The last TA-2, A.8018, was redesignated RA-3 when it received J-6 engines. The "T" for "Transport" was also changed to an "R" to avoid confusion with torpedo planes. Note the streamlining of the engines to the wing.
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Fokker Model 7 Trimotor

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