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The Bach Air Yacht was a trimotor airliner produced in the United States in the 1920s. Typical of its day, it was a high-wing braced monoplane, with fixed tailwheel undercarriage. Unusual for airliners of the late 1920s (due to legislation that forbade carrying passengers in wooden aircraft), the Air Yachts were constructed almost entirely of wood with steel fittings, undercarriage, and struts. Different models were powered by varying combinations of
The Bach Air Yacht, ''Flight'', 9 August 1928
{{Bach Aircraft 1920s United States airliners Trimotors High-wing aircraft
Wright
Wright is an occupational surname originating in England. The term 'Wright' comes from the circa 700 AD Old English word 'wryhta' or 'wyrhta', meaning worker or shaper of wood. Later it became any occupational worker (for example, a shipwright i ...
, Ryan-Siemens, Kinner, Comet
A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that, when passing close to the Sun, warms and begins to release gases, a process that is called outgassing. This produces a visible atmosphere or coma, and sometimes also a tail. These phenomena ...
, and Pratt & Whitney engines, a large engine in the nose of the aircraft, and two smaller "helpers" under the wings in nacelles supported by struts. As with so many aircraft companies of the late 1920s, the Bach Aircraft Company succumbed to the Great Depression, thus further development of the Air Yacht was abandoned after the 3-CT-9.
On 26 July 1929, a 3-CT-9 model piloted by Waldo Waterman 200px, Waldo Waterman in 1920
Waldo Dean Waterman (June 16, 1894 – December 8, 1976) was an inventor and aviation pioneer from San Diego, California. He developed a series of tailless swept-wing aircraft incorporating tricycle landing gear, culm ...
set a new altitude record, lifting a 1,000 kg payload to 20,820 ft (6,347 m).
Variants
;3-CT-2 :Variant with oneWright J-5
The Wright R-790 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical Corporation, with a total displacement of about and around . These engines were the earliest members of the Wright Whirl ...
and two Ryan-Siemens 9 engines.
;3-CT-3
:Variant with one Pratt & Whitney Wasp
The Pratt & Whitney Wasp was the civilian name of a family of air-cooled radial piston engines developed in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Gunston 1989, p.114.
The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company (P&W) was founded in 1925 by Frederick B. Rentsc ...
and two Ryan-Siemens 9 engines, one built.
;3-CT-4
:Variant with one Pratt & Whitney Wasp
The Pratt & Whitney Wasp was the civilian name of a family of air-cooled radial piston engines developed in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Gunston 1989, p.114.
The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company (P&W) was founded in 1925 by Frederick B. Rentsc ...
and two Ryan-Siemens 9 engines, two built.
;3-CT-5
:Variant with one Pratt & Whitney Wasp
The Pratt & Whitney Wasp was the civilian name of a family of air-cooled radial piston engines developed in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Gunston 1989, p.114.
The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company (P&W) was founded in 1925 by Frederick B. Rentsc ...
and two Comet 100hp engines, one built.
;3-CT-6
:Variant with one Pratt & Whitney Hornet
The Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet was a widely used American aircraft engine. Developed by Pratt & Whitney, 2,944 were produced from 1926 through 1942. It first flew in 1927. It was a single-row, 9-cylinder air-cooled radial design. Displacemen ...
and two Comet 100hp engines, five built.
;3-CT-8
:Variant with one Pratt & Whitney Hornet
The Pratt & Whitney R-1690 Hornet was a widely used American aircraft engine. Developed by Pratt & Whitney, 2,944 were produced from 1926 through 1942. It first flew in 1927. It was a single-row, 9-cylinder air-cooled radial design. Displacemen ...
and two Wright J-6 engines, four or five built.
;3-CT-9
:Variant with one Pratt & Whitney Wasp
The Pratt & Whitney Wasp was the civilian name of a family of air-cooled radial piston engines developed in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Gunston 1989, p.114.
The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company (P&W) was founded in 1925 by Frederick B. Rentsc ...
and two Wright J-6 engines, three built.
;3-CT-9K
:Variant of the 3-CT-9 with one Pratt & Whitney Wasp
The Pratt & Whitney Wasp was the civilian name of a family of air-cooled radial piston engines developed in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Gunston 1989, p.114.
The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company (P&W) was founded in 1925 by Frederick B. Rentsc ...
and two Kinner C-5
The Kinner C-5 was an American five cylinder radial engine for small general and sport aircraft of the 1930s.
Design and development
The C-5 was a development of the earlier R-5 with greater power and dimensions. The main change was the increas ...
engines, ten built.
;3-CT-9S
:Deluxe variant of the 3-CT-9 with engine cowls, wheel spats, and custom interior, one built.
;3-CTS
:Variant with one 3-CT-8 modified with a Pratt & Whitney Wasp
The Pratt & Whitney Wasp was the civilian name of a family of air-cooled radial piston engines developed in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.Gunston 1989, p.114.
The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company (P&W) was founded in 1925 by Frederick B. Rentsc ...
and two Wright J-5
The Wright R-790 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by Wright Aeronautical Corporation, with a total displacement of about and around . These engines were the earliest members of the Wright Whirl ...
engines, one built.
;T-11P
:Three aircraft, being single-engined conversions (formerly NC219H, NC53M, and 34998 built from spare parts)
;Note:
:As it was common practice to upgrade airframes as improvements became available, some 'N' numbers and/or serial numbered airframes were redesignated as different or new models. Total number of Bach Air Yachts built verified by Air Commerce Bureau and FAA records is 21.
Specifications (3-CT-6)
See also
References
* * * *External links
The Bach Air Yacht, ''Flight'', 9 August 1928
{{Bach Aircraft 1920s United States airliners Trimotors High-wing aircraft