The museum's Tri-Motor was manufactured by Ford Motor Company in
Dearborn, Michigan and first flown on December 10, 1928. It was
delivered to Pan American Airways in January 1929, and served in
the Carribean and Mexico before returning to the United States in
1966. In 1976 it was acquired by Scenic Airlines to commemorate
early Scenic flights over the Grand Canyon for the bi-centennial
celebration. On August 16, 1981, it was severly damaged by a
windstorm while parked in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was donated to the
San Diego Aerospace Museum August 30, 1982 by Scenic's owners, John
and Elizabeth Seibold.
In August 1984, over 100 volunteer craftsmen began working to restore the
aircraft. The project took 15 years to complete, and on July 28, 1999, it
was lifted over the museum walls and placed in the Pavillion of Flight. The
San Diego Aerospace Museum is indebted to the volunteers who made this
restoration posible.
The installation of this Ford Tri-Motor was made possible by the generous
support of Ford Motor Company, San Diego County Ford Dealers and the Ford
Division.
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