Ford 15P, Claudio Luchina, 1/72 Scratchbuild

The Ford Company involvement in the aviation industry had some bizarre, lesser known sides that are probably much more interesting than the Fokker-like proverbial trimotor.

Among those ventures was the Ford 15P flying wing. This design followed the same pattern of the Flivver, aiming to provide an affordable ride to every-day people and in doing so supposedly replicate the success of the Ford automobile.

Not many photos exist to document the 15P. There was a mock-up with a faked registration and then the real thing. The lines were very attractive; the engine was behind the two-seat side-by-side cockpit and transmitted power to the tractor propeller via a shaft. And in case you are asking yourself yes, the engine was indeed a Ford V-8 engine.

For 1932 the design does really look futuristic, with those curvaceous, trousered landing gear legs and the tear-drop blended fuselage.