William Bushnell Stout started in aviation working for Packard on the Liberty engine during World War I.

He promoted early innovative designs, based on the 1915 innovations of German aviation engineer Hugo Junkers, such as a blended wing concept, and pioneered all-metal aircraft construction in America using Junkers-devised concepts.

The aircraft featured wallpaper, padded seats, semi-circular opening windows, and a bathroom.

The aircraft was outfitted with a nickel-plated Liberty engine bought from a trophy case at the Marmon assembly plant.

[10] Ford Air Transport served routes between Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland.

[11] The "Maiden Detroit" entered Contract Air Mail service on February 15, 1926.

The aircraft flew from Detroit to Cleveland with the first commercial transport of air mail.

On May 18, 1926, at Argo, Illinois, a Ford Air Transport 2-AT Maiden Deaborn I was involved in the first fatal accident for a commercial US aircraft.

The Contract Air Mail pilot crashed and was killed due to flight into poor weather conditions.