Our goal to establish a Ford Tri-Motor museum in Port Clinton is becoming a reality! Thanks to a generous donation from the George V. Woodling Foundation, a brand new museum facility is currently under construction on the SE corner of the Erie-Ottawa Regional Airport. The museum will be opening in Summer 2012 and will exhibit our on-going Tri-Motor restoration, historic memorabilia and other items of related interest. Also housed at the new facility will be Liberty Aviation Museum's flying B-25 bomber, a variety of WWII displays AND the Tin Goose Diner, a fully restored 1950's diner where visitors can enjoy a some terrific food!
Tri-Motor Project Work Sessions
If you'd like to help build our Tri-Motor or just want to stop by to see the project, here's your chance!
Regular Tri-Motor Work Sessions
Monday & Thursday 7:00 - 11:00 PM
( Everyone is welcome! )
Tri-Motor Project History
In an effort to preserve the rich heritage and local history of the Ford Tri-Motor, EAA "Tin Goose" Chapter 1247 has teamed up with Maurice Hovious to build a flying Ford Tri-Motor from the ground up! For over 30 years, Maurice has had a special fondness for Tri-Motors and is a recognized expert in the repair and restoration of these historic aircraft.
This unique opportunity came about after Chapter member Ken Benjamin met with Maurice back in January 2003 at his shop in ichigan. At that meeting, Maurice made an incredible offer...
If our Chapter would agree to provide the volunteer labor and arrange for a suitable workplace, he would provide the necessary materials, fixtures, tooling, training and technical help to build a flying 5-AT Ford Tri-Motor.
Needless to say, our Chapter accepted his generous offer and has been working on the project ever since!
September 2003
Our "new" Tri-Motor arrives in Port Clinton.
2004
Our restoration project begins with a three day training workshop in Michigan under the supervision of Plant Manager, Mike Westveer. Chapter volunteers learned first hand how to use tools for bending, cutting, drilling and riveting aluminum. At the end of our three days, we came home with the first completed pieces of our plane!
Change of plans....Instead of rebuilding the original fuselage, we decided to build our plane from scratch and use the old fuselage as a template to reverse engineer each part.
Image:
Image:
May 2007
Project volunteers said "goodbye" to the original fuselage. (Work had progressed to the point it was no longer needed.) In its place, we received a new fixture, some additional parts and training to begin construction of the outer wing spars.
Image:
2008
Another fixture and more parts were delivered allowing construction to begin on the center wing spars.
Image:
Image:
2010
Volunteers continue building the fuselage, wing spars and attempt to master the skill of "crimping" with a new machine delivered from Michigan.
Image:
2011
A full time mechanic was hired this Spring to help expedite the project and work with volunteers. Assembly of the main center & outer wing spars is 90% complete. Work is now focused on the assembly of all secondary wing spars and skinning the fuselage.
Photos will be updated throughout the building process.
