The Ford-Van Auken 1909 Monoplane was the first of a series of aircraft built with and for the

Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company (commonly known as Ford) is an American multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan, United States. It was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. The company sells automobi ...

Design and development

The Monoplane's design was started in 1908 by Charles Van Auken using plans of a

Blériot XI The Blériot XI is a French aircraft of the pioneer era of aviation. The first example was used by Louis Blériot to make the first flight across the English Channel in a heavier-than-air aircraft, on 25 July 1909. This is one of the most fam ...

as a guide. A

Ford Model T engine The Ford Model T used a sidevalve, reverse-flow cylinder head inline 4-cylinder engine. It was primarily a gasoline engine. It produced for a top speed of . It was built in-unit with the Model T's novel transmission (a planetary design), sha ...

with holes bored throughout to lighten the weight was used as a powerplant. The aircraft was a

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Term ...

-equipped, wire braced, mid-wing monoplane with a fabric covered

cruciform Cruciform is a term for physical manifestations resembling a common cross or Christian cross. The label can be extended to architectural shapes, biology, art, and design. Cruciform architectural plan Christian churches are commonly described ...

empennage The empennage ( or ), also known as the tail or tail assembly, is a structure at the rear of an aircraft that provides stability during flight, in a way similar to the feathers on an arrow.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third ed ...

and warping wings for roll control. The aircraft bore a striking resemblance to the

Operational history

In 1909, the aircraft was test flown by Van Auken in

Dearborn Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States per ...

, flying in ground effect before crashing into a fence. The engine was modified for more power and the aircraft was flown a second time in 1910 at the

Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...

parade grounds; after becoming airborne, Van Auken lost control and crashed into a tree.

Specifications (1909 Monoplane)

References

{{reflist Mid-wing aircraft Ford aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1909