Stan Stokes, in his painting, 1934 American Classics, created
exclusively for The Stokes Collection, beautifully portrays a
Hollywood movie star and her pet dog embarking on a chartered Ford
Trimotor from the Grand Central Air Terminal (owned and operated by
Curtis-Wright) in California. Probably bound for a weekend visit to
San Simeon, the palatial retreat of the publishing magnate, William
Randolph Hearst, the trip to San Luis Obispo will take only ninety
minutes. The early afternoon rains have left puddles on the tarmac,
but fair skies have returned to the San Gabriel mountains, and the
trip should be a smooth one. During the Great Depression the Packard
Company introduced some of its most stunning and high performance
automobiles. The 1934 Packard LeBaron Speedster, pictured in the
painting, was one such machine. Costing nearly $8,000 the Packard
LeBaron Speedster was about two to three times the price of a nice
three bedroom house. Only the very wealthy could afford such
luxuries during the Depression. Note that the Speedster's fenders
are reminiscent of the wheel covers on racing planes during the era
of the Thompson Trophy Air Races. The Speedster was powered by a 160
HP V-12 engine which displaced 445 cubic inches. Around this time it
is believed that among the Hollywood notables that owned Packard
Speedsters were both Clark Gable and Douglas Fairbanks. The Ford
Trimotor was introduced in 1926 and between 1926 and 1933 Ford
produced approximately 200 of these capable aircraft. Ford Trimotors
remained in service long after they were made technically obsolete
by more modern aircraft, and it is reputed that one aircraft built
in 1928 was still in regular service as late as 1970. Admiral Byrd
utilized a 4-AT version of the Trimotor for his 1929 Antarctic
expedition. The Ford Trimotor played an important role in
introducing commercial aviation to the general public during the
years of the Great Depression. The basic model carried eleven
passengers and a crew of two, had a cruising speed of 107 MPH, an
operational ceiling of 16,500 feet, and a range of 570 miles. Due to
its corrugated metal exterior skin the Trimotor was affectionately
known as the "Tin Goose." The Tin Goose had a wingspan of nearly 78
feet, and was fifty feet in length. In 1930 Transcontinental and
Western Air (TWA) began the first coast-to-coast commercial service
utilizing Ford Trimotors. The trip took "only" thirty-six hours, if
the weather was cooperative.
