The FORD 4-AT NC3443 Page of the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register Website

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The Congress of Ghosts is an anniversary celebration for 2010. It is an historical biography, that celebrates the 5th year online of www.dmairfield.org and the 10th year of effort on the project dedicated to analyze and exhibit the history embodied in the Register of the Davis-Monthan Airfield, Tucson, AZ. This book includes over thirty people, aircraft and events that swirled through Tucson between 1925 and 1936. It includes across 277 pages previously unpublished photographs and texts, and facsimiles of personal letters, diaries and military orders. Order your copy at the link.

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Forden, Lesley. 1972. The Ford Air Tours 1925-1931: A Complete Narrative and Pictorial History of the Seven National Air Tour Competitions
for the Edsel B. Ford Reliability Trophy. THE NOTTINGHAM PRESS. Available for sale here.

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FORD 4-AT NC3443

THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO PLACE AN AIRPLANE AT TUCSCON

This airplane is NOT recorded in the Davis-Monthan Airfield Register. However, we know it was there because we have it on movie film on the ground at Tucson. It was flown to the Airfield on July 10, 1928 by Frank Hawks as airplane #2 in the Ford Reliability Tour of 1928. Follow this link to see a motion picture film of the 1928 Tour landing at Tucson. You will see Hawks' Ford Trimotor just briefly, and be able to note the registration number, NC3443, under the left wing, as well as The Texas Company corporate logo.

Below, NC3443 on the ground at Indianapolis, IN during the Tour visit to that city. This photograph is shared with us by site visitor J.W. Tretter. According to the Forden reference, left sidebar, chapter 4, the Tour passed through Indianapolis on June 30th, about ten days before it was filmed at Tucson.

**Ford Trimotor NC3443 on the Ground at Indianapolis, IN, Ca. June 30, 1928** (Source: Tretter)

NC3443 was built by the Stout Metal Airplane Co., Dearborn, MI November 20, 1927 as S/N 4-AT-14. It left the factory with three Wright J-5 engines (S/Ns 8101, 8112, 8063) of 200HP each. It sold on February 15, 1928 to The Texas Company, New York, NY, "for passenger carrying". The Texaco Company named their airplane "Texaco No. 1." The NASM record states that it was, "Used by Capt. Frank M. Hawks for promotional work."

Indeed he did, as the 1928 Tour passed through many states. The photograph below shows 3443 on the ground probably later in the Tour at Spokane, WA ca. July 18. The source for this photo is the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah. I can make out pilot Frank Hawks in knickers standing third from left among the men aligned under the wing. As well, the hangar in the background belongs to Boeing Air Transport.

**Ford Trimotor NC3443 on the Ground at Tacoma, WA, Ca. July 18, 1928** (Source: Link)

**Lincoln Sunday Star** **(NB) December 30, 1928** (Source: Woodling)

NC3443 was reported, "Washed out" in an accident at Floresville, TX on December 29, 1928. No report of injuries. The airplane was barely a year old. A news article from the Lincoln Sunday Star (NB) December 30, 1928, left, reported on the accident. No further information.

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Dossier 3.1.16

THIS PAGE UPLOADED: 12/28/07 REVISED: 11/22/10, 12/11/19

YOU CAN HELP

I'm looking for photographs of this airplane to include on this page. If you have one or more you'd like to share, please use this FORM to contact me.

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Thanks to Guest Editor Bob Woodling for help researching this page.

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Art Goebel's Own Story by Art Goebel (edited by G.W. Hyatt) is written in language that expands for us his life as a Golden Age aviation entrepreneur, who used his aviation exploits to build a business around his passion. Available as a free download at the link.

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Winners' Viewpoints: The Great 1927 Trans-Pacific Dole Race is available at the link. What was it like to fly from Oakland to Honolulu in a single-engine plane during August 1927? Was the 25,000 dollar prize worth it? Did the resulting fame balance the risk? For the first time ever, this book presents the pilot and navigator's stories written by them within days of their record-setting adventure. Pilot Art Goebel and navigator William V. Davis, Jr. take us with them on the Woolaroc, their orange and blue Travel Air monoplane (NX869) as they enter the hazardous world of Golden Age trans-oceanic air racing.

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Clover Field: The First Century of Aviation in the Golden State. With the 100th anniversary in 2017 of the use of Clover Field as a place to land aircraft in Santa Monica, this book celebrates that use by exploring some of the people and aircraft that made the airport great.

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