Explorers The Planes: 1926 Fokker Trimotor

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Dimensions:
Length: 49' 2";
Wingspan: 63' 3";
Weight (empty): 6,800 lbs.

Construction Materials: Metal tubing and fabric fuselage, wooden wings
Builder: Netherlands Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation, Netherlands
Cost: Approximately $40,000
Number Built: 42 (this one is serial #1)
Engine Type: Three Wright Whirlwind, 9-cylinder, 200-horsepower, radial, air-cooled internal combustion engines
Engine Builder: Wright Aeronautical Company, Patterson, New Jersey
Configuration: 2-pilot/10-passenger tractor monoplane
Maximum Speed: 118 m.p.h.
Maximum Range: 1,600 miles

The Josephine Ford
Because Edsel Ford funded Byrd’s trip to the Arctic, the plane was named for his daughter, Josephine. Tony Fokker, the manufacturer, wanted to be sure no one mistook the plane for a Ford, so he painted the giant “FOKKER” on the wings and fuselage. There’s no heater in this plane, so temperatures inside the cabin could have easily reached -50° F while flying through the Arctic sky.

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