The Towle TA-3 was an

amphibious aircraft An amphibious aircraft or amphibian is an aircraft (typically fixed-wing) that can take off and land on both solid ground and water, though amphibious helicopters do exist as well. Fixed-wing amphibious aircraft are seaplanes ( flying boats ...

based on the

Towle TA-2 The Towle TA-2 was an amphibious aircraft based on the T owle WC built for a 1929 round-the world flight. Development Thomas Towle was an engineer that had been involved with many early aircraft designs. Having just co-designed the Eastman E- ...

Development

Thomas Towle was an engineer that had been involved with many early aircraft designs. Having just co-designed the

Eastman E-2 Sea Rover The Eastman E-2 Sea Rover, also called the Beasley-Eastman E-2 Sea Rover, was a light seaplane built in the late 1920s for business and shuttle use. Development The E-2 was designed by former Ford engineer Thomas Towle for industrialist Jim ...

. The TA-3 was a six-seat follow-on to the

which crashed on its first flight. The wing from the TA-2 prototype was salvaged and reused on the TA-3.

Design

The TA-3 featured two

diesel Diesel may refer to: * Diesel engine, an internal combustion engine where ignition is caused by compression * Diesel fuel, a liquid fuel used in diesel engines * Diesel locomotive, a railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engin ...

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. It resembles a stylized star when viewed from the front, and is ca ...

s on tall struts above the wings. Diesel engines were relatively new and were touted as being safer because they used a less volatile fuel than gasoline. The engines were provided on loan from the Packard Motor Car Company. The salvaged all-metal wing featured internal bracing based on the

Ford Trimotor The Ford Trimotor (also called the "Tri-Motor", and nicknamed the "Tin Goose") is an American three-engined transport aircraft. Production started in 1925 by the companies of Henry Ford and ended on June 7, 1933, after 199 had been made. It w ...

design that Towle had worked on previously. The tail used two rudders placed in the slipstream of the engines.

Operational history

The prototype was built at

Grosse Ile Municipal Airport Grosse Ile Municipal Airport is two miles south of Grosse Ile, in Wayne County, Michigan. It is owned by the Township of Grosse Ile. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems for 2017–2021 categori ...

and first flew in May 1930 piloted by George Pond. The prototype was leased to Kohler Airlines for two years before being flipped in a gear-down water landing in 1932. The aircraft was later sold and used in running liquor from the Bahamas to Florida during prohibition until it was destroyed in a storm at

Bimini Island Bimini is the westernmost district of the Bahamas and comprises a chain of islands located about due east of Miami. Bimini is the closest point in the Bahamas to the mainland United States and approximately west-northwest of Nassau. The populat ...

Specifications (Towle TA-3)

References

External links

Images of the Towle TA-3:-

{{Towle Marine Aircraft Engineering aircraft Amphibious aircraft