The legendary Ford Tri-Motor gave the young Northwest its first step up to “trunkliner” service with a full passenger cabin and multi-motor power. While the fleet only totaled five frames, it was well photographed and used heavily in advertising. Arguably, this was the aircraft that cemented NWA as a major carrier. While its tenure only lasted from 1928 to 1935, the Tri-Motor pioneered the route to Seattle that would become the company’s commercial heart for the next twenty years.
If you use these photos, please credit the Northwest Airlines History Center – please also contact us to let us know how you’re using them and if we can be of further help!
NC7416 over the St. Anthony Falls along the northern edge of downtown Minneapolis. Spring 1928 Northwest publicity photo by Joe Quigley. James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.NC7416 over Nicollet Island in Northeast Minneapolis. Spring 1928 Northwest publicity photo by Joe Quigley. James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.With snow on the ground and what we infer is the first mail loaded on a Northwest Ford flight, the timing is likely February 1928 and the aircraft would be NC7416. Photographer unknown, via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.NC7416 resting at Minneapolis, Summer 1928. Joe Quigley photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC7416 over the State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota. Fall 1928 Northwest publicity photo by the St. Paul Dispatch. James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Winter 1928 shot of company employees with recently-delivered NC7739 (second Ford in the fleet) at Minneapolis. Photo from the CW Holman family, via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC7739 at Minneapolis, winter 1928-29. From the James Borden Photography Collection.February 1929 shot of NC7416 in the snow at Minneapolis, after windshield re-build. Chad Smith and Robert Johnston are noted in the photo. From the James Borden Photography Collection.NC7416 in February 1929, with Eddie Midpaugh, Bobby Johnston, and Chad Smith. Dick Palen photo via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.NC7739 in winter 1929. No photographer or location noted but this does look like Minneapolis. From the James Borden Photography Collection.Tri-Motor NC7416 over the Mississippi River between St. Paul and Minneapolis. 1929 Northwest publicity photo. NWAHC collection.NC7416 over the grain elevators and rail yards next to the University of Minnesota. 1929 Northwest publicity photo. NWAHC collection.James LaVake photo of NC7739 at Minneapolis in spring 1929. From the James Borden Photography Collection.NC7416 over downtown St. Paul, Minnesota. Summer 1929 Northwest publicity photo by Joe Quigley. James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.1929 shot of unidentified ship at Minneapolis. From James LaVake, via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.NX6926 at rest. 1929 Northwest publicity photo. NWAHC collection.NC9607 showing a rather familiar stripe along its window line; alas, a red tail hadn’t been conceived of yet. 1929 Northwest publicity photo. NWAHC collection.The first ship in the Tri-Motor fleet, NC7416, met its end on the bluff overlooking the St. Paul airport from the north. The aircraft broke up and crashed on Mounds View Boulevard, June 24, 1929. The area then and now was heavily populated. Frank Geng photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.The first ship in the Tri-Motor fleet, NC7416, met its end on the bluff overlooking the St. Paul airport from the north. The aircraft broke up and crashed on Mounds View Boulevard, June 24, 1929. The area then and now was heavily populated. Frank Geng photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.The first ship in the Tri-Motor fleet, NC7416, met its end on the bluff overlooking the St. Paul airport from the north. The aircraft broke up and crashed on Mounds View Boulevard, June 24, 1929. The area then and now was heavily populated. Frank Geng photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC8410 at Minneapolis in summer 1930. Robert Johnstone is in the doorway. Frank Geng photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC8410 at St. Paul in late winter / early spring 1932. From the James Borden Photography Collection.NC8410 cruising over Minnesota. From the upgraded engine cowling we believe this to be summer of 1932. NWAHC collection.Summer 1932 inflight shot of NC8410. Photo from Joe Quigley via the James Borden Photography Collection.Summer 1932 inflight shot of NC8410. NWAHC collection.NWA scouts out the route between the Twin Cities and Seattle in January 1933 using one of the carrier’s Ford Tri-Motors. From left, Co-Pilot Joe Kimm, Pilot Hugh Rueschenberg, Amelia Earhart, and Mal Freeburg, who had just been promoted to Operations Officer. NWAHC collection.Aircraft at St. Paul base coming in for maintenance, March 1933. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Ford interior in early 1933 before updating. Note lack of interior lighting, and velour slipcovers over cane seats. From the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Overhead view of cockpit, with the fairing removed while in maintenance at St. Paul, March 1933. Pilot is identified as Mal Freeburg, Co-Pilot Bert Ritchie. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Elevator repair at the St. Paul base in March 1933. Note “Station KNWA” sign on the radio shop! From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Engine repair underway at St. Paul, March 1933. The landing gear strut was big enough for this worker to balance on! From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.George Johnson promotional shot of Railway Express freight being loaded onto a Tri-Motor at St. Paul in April 1933. Via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.George Johnson promotional shot of Railway Express freight being loaded onto a Tri-Motor at St. Paul in April 1933. Via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.George Johnson promotional shot of Railway Express freight being loaded onto a Tri-Motor at St. Paul in April 1933. Via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Al Erickson atop the wing of NC8419 loading fuel at St. Paul in April 1933. G. Johnson photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.Mechanic Reuben Peterson secures an exhaust pipe to a newly-overhauled Pratt & Whitney engine at the St. Paul base, behind the Tri-Motor’s massive forward wheel, April 1933. NWA was one of the first carriers to switch from conventional treaded tires to “balloon” air wheels on their Ford fleet. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.NC9676 taking on passengers at St. Paul in May 1933. Photo by G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection.May 1933 shot of Ford NC8419 departing St. Paul while Hamilton NC134E is attended to. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Boarding is underway at St. Paul on NC8410, May 1933. G. Johnson photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.Loading passengers onto NC9676 at St. Paul, May 1933. G. Johnson photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.May 1933 photo from St. Paul showing Ronald Stelzig dispatching a Ford. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC8419 preparing to depart St. Paul with a last-minute passenger about to board, May 1935. G. Johnson photo via the James Borden Photography Collection. No hearing protection at this work station! Bumping out a Ford cowling at St. Paul, July 1933. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Re-caning the Ford’s seats, July 1933, St. Paul base. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Cowling pieces at the St. Paul base, August 1933. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.Cowling pieces at the St. Paul base, August 1933. The aircraft is starting to be put back together. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.View of the flight deck from the cabin, October 1933. Placards on the pockets of airsickness bags say “For the Convenience of Passengers.” From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.October 1933 view of the Ford’s interior upgrades, including lighting at each seat and new slipcovers. This standing-view gives a good impression of the impression the wing spar would make on one’s head if not careful moving forward! From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.October 1933 view of the Ford’s interior upgrades. This view closer to the seats makes the embroidery “Northwest Airlines, Inc.” on the seat back more visible. Room for airsickness bags in each seatback, too. From G. Johnson via the James Borden Photography Collection at the NWAHC.NC8410 on a snowy Boeing Field ramp, December 1933. Photo from G. Williams / Boeing, via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC9676 at Seattle’s Boeing Field, June 7, 1934. G. Williams / Boeing, via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC9676 at Seattle’s Boeing Field, June 7, 1934. G. Williams / Boeing, via the James Borden Photography Collection.Dusky Boeing Field hosts NC9676 on Sept. 14, 1934. G. Williams / Boeing via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC8410 at Boeing Field, Monday, January 14, 1935. Photo from G. Williams / Boeing, via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC8410 at Boeing Field, Monday, January 14, 1935. Photo from G. Williams / Boeing, via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC8410 at Boeing Field, August 1935. Photo from G. Williams / Boeing, via the James Borden Photography Collection.NC8410 at Boeing Field, August 1935. Photo from G. Williams / Boeing, via the James Borden Photography Collection.
30th Anniversary restoration and tour:
NC8419 was sold in 1935 to Northern Air Transport of Fairbanks, Alaska and it served for ten years under several operators in that territory before moving to Michigan (adopting the N8419 registration) and finally in 1950 to Johnson Flying Service of Missoula, Montana.
In 1956, Northwest leased N8419 for a special 30th anniversary celebration, first bringing it back to St. Paul for a complete overhaul and refurbishing. In October, NWA flew the restored aircraft on a 20-stop, coast-to-coast tour of the carrier’s key stations, replete with celebrity and politician photo opportunities and media interviews with longtime Northwest staff.
After the NWA tour, 8419 went back to Montana for a variety of jobs, including supporting firefighting work with cargo-hauling and even flying smokejumpers! In such a mission on August 4, 1959 she crashed into trees and caught on fire; a write-off and that might have been her end, but Kal-Aero of Kalamazoo, Michigan purchased her frame and parts. The aircraft was restored in 1991 to flying condition, grounded for wing spar corrosion in 2001, but refurbished again in the early 2010s and flew for a while before finally retiring in February 2018 to the Kalamazoo Air Zoo.
N8419 at the St. Paul maintenance base, completing updates and repainting at the beginning of October 1956. From the James Borden Photography Collection.N8419 rolls out of the St. Paul shops, Oct. 1956. Logan Coombs photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.N8419 preparing to depart St. Paul, October 5, 1956. L.E. Koerner photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.N8419 attracting a crowd of interested onlookers at Cleveland, Oct. 1956. MacDonald Studio photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.N8419 meets company DC-4 N95411 at Cleveland, Oct. 1956. United Convair 340 N73110 in background would later fly for Aero Spacelines! Also note construction for Hopkins’ new terminal in the upper right. MacDonald Studio photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.N8419 meets a company Stratocruiser (registration unreadable) at Milwaukee, October 1956. It appears the B-377 also has a 30th Anniversary roundel next to the boarding door! John Gapfeo photo via the James Borden Photography Collection.N8419 shows off at Milwaukee, Oct. 1956. Either Capt. Mel Swanson or Capt. Bob Bean is having his picture snapped by the photographer at far right. Robert Blanch image (one of NWA’s contracted photographers), via the James Borden Photography Collection.Robert Blanch photo of N8419 of what looks like Milwaukee on its Oct. 1956 publicity stop. Automobile with its headlights on in background has a lit sign on its dashboard saying “TV Newsreel.” Via the James Borden Photography Collection.N8419 arriving Seattle-Tacoma, captured by Art Forde, Northwest’s publicity photographer for the Pacific Northwest. From the James Borden Photography Collection.
