1950s Ford Tri-Motor N8407 EAA's Tin Goose
Bradley Field Boise 4.5x2.75"
Still Flying Today... The EAA's Own Famous Trimotor, Caught Mid-Career in IdahoDESCRIPTIONThis is an original vintage photograph of a Ford Tri-Motor 4-AT-E, registration N8407, parked on the ramp at Bradley Field in Boise, Idaho, with a period sedan and a mechanic working beneath the nose engine.The mount measures approximately 4 1/2 x 2 3/4 inches overall, with a printed image area of approximately 4 1/8 x 2 3/8 inches, please review all photos for exact framing and condition before offerding.The fuselage carries the "AIRCRAFT SERVICE CO." and "BRADLEY FIELD - BOISE" lettering directly beneath the registration, and this is the same aircraft now famous as the Experimental Aircraft Association's flying Ford Tri-Motor, the "Tin Goose," still touring the country today giving paid rides at airshows nationwide, more than 95 years after it first left the factory floor.Built in 1929 as the 146th Trimotor off Ford's Dearborn assembly line, this airplane was sold within days of its first flight to Pitcairn Aviation, and when Pitcairn's passenger operations were absorbed into Eastern Air Transport that same year, N8407 became the very first aircraft in that airline's fleet, the direct ancestor of Eastern Airlines.In 1930 it was leased to Compania Nacional Cubana de Aviacion, inaugurating air service between Havana and Santiago de Cuba, and it was later flown by the government of the Dominican Republic before returning to the United States in 1949 for barnstorming work.This photograph captures the airplane during its hardest working chapter.In 1950 it was moved to Phoenix and refitted with larger engines for crop dusting, becoming the most powerful Ford 4-AT ever flown, and in 1955 it relocated to Idaho, fitted with twin 275-gallon tanks and bomb doors to serve as an aerial firefighting tanker.The Boise field pictured here, Bradley Field, was built in 1946 by the very same Aircraft Service Company named on the fuselage, and named for the Bradley family, whose Idaho mining interests first put them into the flying business. In other words, this photo shows the airplane parked at a home field literally built by its own operator, a tight, verifiable piece of Idaho aviation history.The print is on period photographic paper consistent with a mid-to-late 1950s original, and the reverse carries a period archive number in ink, "A.55098," along with the pencil notation "8407" and identification notes reading "Ford" and "A-AT-E."Every effort is made toward fact checking and provenance, including background research through news and historical archives. If any listing is incorrect in any way and you are unsatisfied with the item, please connect with me and I will make it right.Orders placed before Noon CDT will ship same day Ground Advantage with tracking so you know exactly when it will arrive. Returns accepted on all items exceeding $25 in cost. Rigid, professional packaging on all shipments sealed and protected in acid free protectors. Shipping is free and already built into the price, so the BIN price is exactly what you pay, no surprise shipping costs at checkout.CONDITIONOriginal vintage photographic print in generally strong condition for its age. Please review all photos closely, as they are the best representation of true condition. Minor corner and edge wear consistent with age and handling, with the image itself clean and well defined throughout. No creases, tears, or writing on the image area. A light surface mark is visible on the mount, shown in photos. Please zoom in on all photos provided, as they are part of the description.
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