A trimotor is a propeller-driven aircraft powered by three internal combustion engines, characteristically one on the nose and one on each wing. A compromise between complexity and safety, such a configuration was typically a result of the limited power of the engines available to the designer. Many trimotors were designed and built in the 1920s and 1930s as the most effective means of maximizing payload.
Other - and uncommon - configurations include engines above the wing, as on seaplanes, including in pusher configuration, and an engine on each wing and one on the tail.
The best known trimotors are the Fokker F, Ford AT, and Junkers Ju series aircraft.
Gallery
List of trimotors Aircraft name Country of origin Year Developed AD Seaplane Type 1000 UK 1916 Airspeed Ferry UK 1932 Airworthy Terrier US 1928 Anatra DE Russia 1916 ANF Les Mureaux 140T France 1932 Armstrong Whitworth Argosy UK 1926 Avia 51 Czechoslovakia 1933 Avia 57 Czechoslovakia 1935 Aviméta 132 France 1927 Avis BGV-1Krickl, Dr. Robert Die Flugzeuge der "Avis" Flugzeug- und Autowerke, Verlag Brüder Hollinek, 2012, Austria 1924 Avro 618 Ten UK 1929 Avro 619 Five UK 1929 Avro 624 Six UK 1930 Bach 3-CT Air Yacht US 1927 Barcala-Cierva-Díaz BCD.3 Spain 1919 Batson Air Yacht/Dragonfly US 1913 Beardmore Inflexible UK 1928 Beechcraft Model 18 Tiara engine testbed US 1966 Bellanca 28-92 US 1937 Bernard 60 France 1929 Bernard 160 France 1932 Bernard SIMB AB 16 France 1927 Besson MB.36 France 1930 Blackburn Iris UK 1926 Blackburn Perth UK 1933 Blackburn Sydney UK 1930 Bloch MB.60 France 1930 Bloch MB.120 France 1932 Bloch MB.300 France 1935 Blohm & Voss BV 138 Germany 1937 Boeing Model 80 US 1928 Boulton Paul P.32 UK 1931 Bratu 220 Romania 1932 Breda A.14 Italy 1928 Breda Ba.32 Italy 1931 Breda Ba.46 Italy 1934 Breda CC.20 Italy 1929 Breguet XI France 1916 Breguet 393T France 1931 Breguet 521 France 1933 Bresciani Bre.1 Italy 1915 Britten-Norman Trislander UK 1970 Brown-Mercury US 1928 CANT 6 Italy 1925 CANT 22 Italy 1927 CANT 23 Italy 1932 CANT Z.506 Italy 1935 CANT Z.508 Italy 1936 CANT Z.509 Italy 1937 CANT Z.1007 Italy 1937 CANT Z.1012 Italy 1938 Caproni Ca.1 Italy 1914 Caproni Ca.3 Italy 1916 Caproni Ca.4 Italy 1917 Caproni Ca.5 Italy 1917 Caproni Ca.95 Italy 1929? Caproni Ca.97 Italy 1927 Caproni Ca.101 Italy 1928 Caproni Ca.131 Italy 1934 Caproni Ca.132 Italy 1934 Caproni Ca.133 Italy 1934 Caudron C.25 France 1919 Caudron C.37 France 1920 Caudron C.39 France 1921 Caudron C.61 France 1921 Caudron C.81 France 1923 Caudron C.180 France 1930 Caudron C.183 France 1923 Charpentier C-1 France 1935 CNA DeltaThompson, Jonathan W. (1963). Italian Civil and Military aircraft 1930-1945. USA: Aero Publishers Inc. . p 131 Italy 1931 CNNA HL-8 Brazil 1943 Conroy Tri-Turbo-Three US 1969 Consolidated XPY-1 (prototype only) US 1929 Consolidated XP2Y-1 (prototype only) US 1932 Couzinet 10 France 1928 Couzinet 21 France 1931 Couzinet 22 France 1932 Couzinet 27 France 1928 Couzinet 30 France 1930 Couzinet 33 Biarritz France 1931 Couzinet 40 France 1932 Couzinet 70 France 1932 Couzinet 100 France 1933 Couzinet 101 France 1934 Couzinet 103 France 1933 Crawford Special US 1929 Curtiss Eagle I US 1919 Curtiss Model H prototype only US 1914 Curtiss NC prototype only US 1918 DAR 4 Bulgaria 1930 Dewoitine D.31 France 1932 Dewoitine D.332 France 1933 Dewoitine D.333 France 1934 Dewoitine D.338 France 1936 Dewoitine D.342 France 1939 Dewoitine D.430 France 1932 de Havilland DH.72 UK 1931 de Havilland Australia DHA-3 Drover Australia 1948 de Havilland Hercules UK 1926 Dornier Do 24 Germany 1937 Dornier Y Germany 1930 Dyle et Bacalan DB-70 France 1929 EMSCO B-2 US 1929 Fabre Trimoteur France 1908-9 Farman F.120 France 1926 Farman F.280 France 1931 Farman F.300 France 1930 Farman F.301 France 1930 Farman F.303 France 1930 Farman F.304 France 1931 Farman F.306 France 1931 Farman F.310 France 1931 Felixstowe Porte Baby UK 1916 Fiat BRG Italy 1931 Fiat G.2 Italy 1932 Fiat G.12 Italy 1940 Fiat G.212 Italy 1947 Fokker F.10 US 1927 Fokker F.VIIA/3m & F.VIIB/3m Netherlands 1925 Fokker F.IX Netherlands 1929 Fokker F.XII Netherlands 1930 Fokker F.XVIII Netherlands 1932 Fokker F.XX Netherlands 1933 Ford 4-AT/9-AT/11-AT Trimotor US 1926 Ford 5-AT/6-AT Trimotor US 1929 Ford 14-AT US 1932 Ford XB-906 US 1931 Grahame-White Ganymede UK 1919 Handley Page Type W.8e/f & W.9a UK 1921 Handley Page H.P.32 Hamlet UK 1926 Handley Page H.P.43 UK 1932 Helmy Aerogypt UK 1939 Hise Model A US 1929 Hodkinson HT-1 US 1929 Johns Multiplane US 1919 Junkers G 24 Germany 1924 Junkers G 31 Germany 1926 Junkers Ju 52/3m Germany 1932 Junkers Ju 252 Germany 1941 Junkers Ju 352 Germany 1943 Kawanishi H3K Japan 1930 Keystone Pathfinder US 1927 Keystone Patrician US 1929 Kreutzer Air Coach US 1928 LWF model H Owl US 1920 Lasco Lascondor Australia 1930 Latécoère 4 France 1920 Latécoère 5 France 1924 Latécoère 24 France 1927 Latécoère 340 France 1930 Latécoère 350 France 1931 Latécoère 500 & 501 France 1932 Latécoère 582 France 1935 Latham Trimotor France 1919 Lawson L-4 US 1924 Letov Š-32 Czechoslovakia 1931 Lioré et Olivier LeO H-15 France 1926 Loire 30 France 1932 Loire 60 France 1932 Loire 70 France 1933 Loring-Barrón Colonial T-III Trimotor Spain 1932 Macchi M.C.100 Italy 1939 Nieuport-Delage NiD.590 France 1932 Nieuport-Delage NiD.740 France 1930 Northrop N-23 Pioneer US 1946 Northrop C-125 Raider US 1949 NVI F.K.33 Netherlands 1925 Oeffag G6 aka Pola 'G' Austria-Hungary 1916 Ogden Osprey US 1930 P.Z.L. 27 Poland 1934 P.Z.L. 4 Poland 1932 Pander S-4 Postjäger Netherlands 1933 Piaggio P.16 Italy 1934 Piaggio P.23R Italy 1936 Piper PA-32-3M prototype US 1966 Potez X France 1922 Potez 40 France 1930 Prudden TM-1 US 1928 Prudden-Whitehead monoplane US 1930 Renard R.30 Belgium 1931 Renard R.35 Belgium 1935 Rohrbach Roland Germany 1926 Rohrbach Romar Germany 1928 Romano R-16 France 1933 Ryan Navion one off modification US 1961 SABCA S.11 Belgium 1931 Saunders Severn UK 1930 Saunders Valkyrie UK 1926 Saro Windhover UK 1930 Savoia-Marchetti S.66 Italy 1931 Savoia-Marchetti S.71 Italy 1930 Savoia-Marchetti S.72 Italy 1934 Savoia-Marchetti S.73 Italy 1934 Savoia-Marchetti SM.75 Italy 1937 Savoia-Marchetti SM.79 Italy 1934 Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 Italy 1934 Savoia-Marchetti SM.82 Italy 1939 Savoia-Marchetti SM.83 Italy 1937 Savoia-Marchetti SM.84 Italy 1940 Short S.8 Calcutta UK 1928 Short Rangoon UK 1930 Short Valetta UK 1930 Siemens-Schuckert R.I Germany 1915 Siemens-Schuckert R.II Germany 1915 Siemens-Schuckert R.III Germany 1915 Siemens-Schuckert R.IV Germany 1916 Siemens-Schuckert R.V Germany 1916 Siemens-Schuckert R.VI Germany 1916 Siemens-Schuckert R.VII Germany 1917 Sikorsky S-35 US 1926 SPCA 40T France 1929 SPCA 90 France 1932 SPCA Météore 63 France 1925 Spartan Cruiser UK 1932 Stinson Model A US 1934 Stinson Model T/SM-6000 US 1930 Stinson Model U US 1932 Stout 3-AT US 1926 Stout Bushmaster 2000 US 1964 Supermarine Air Yacht UK 1930 Supermarine Nanok/Solent UK 1927 Tellier 1100 ch/T7/Nieuport-Tellier TM France 1919 Tupolev ANT-9 USSR 1929 Tupolev MTB-1 USSR 1934 Vickers Viastra UK 1929 Westland IV & Wessex UK 1930 Weymann 66 France 1933 Wibault 280 France 1930 Zenith Albatross US 1927 Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.I Germany 1915 Zeppelin-Lindau Rs.II Germany 1916
See also Trijet
References