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The Farman F.120 and its derivatives were a family of multi-engine airliners and bombers of the 1920s built by the 
Farman F.121 Jabiru in Danish service
{{Farman aircraft 1920s French airliners F.0120 Sesquiplanes Trimotors Four-engined push-pull aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1923 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft
Farman Aviation Works
Farman Aviation Works (french: Avions Farman) was a French aircraft company founded and run by the brothers Richard Farman, Richard, Henri Farman, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 19 ...
in France.
Design and development
The Jabiru, which was named after a Latin American stork, was a fixed-undercarriagesesquiplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a ...
powered by either two, three or four engines, depending on the variant. It featured an unusually broad chord, low aspect-ratio main wing and a very deep fuselage. The tri-motor variant had the centerline engine mounted high, giving it an unusual appearance.
The F.121 or F.3X was the first version to fly, with four 180 hp Hispano-Suiza 8Ac
The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...
V8 engines mounted in tandem push-pull pairs mounted on stub wings, however this caused cooling problems for the rear engines and the F.120/F.4X version followed shortly afterwards, powered by three 300 hp Salmson Az.9 radial engines. Development continued and a single F.122, modified from an F.4X, was powered by two 400 hp Lorraine 12Db
The Lorraine 12D, also referred to as Lorraine-Dietrich 12D, was a series of water-cooled V12 engines produced by the French company Lorraine-Dietrich. The first variant began production in 1917, and the engines were used to power bombers for the ...
engines. Two military versions were also built, the F.123 with two 450 hp Hispano-Suiza 12Hb Hispano-Suiza piston aero-engines were predominantly piston engines produced by Hispano-Suiza in France, Spain, and under licence in the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia from the First World War through to the 1950s. Development of these ...
V12s, or F.124 with two 420 hp Gnome et Rhône 9Ad Jupiter radial engines.
Operational history
Despite being most commonly seen in lists of ugliest aircraft, following its first flight in 1923 it won a French airliner competition, the 1923 ''Grand Prix des Avions de Transports'' and its 500,000 francs first prize, before seeing service with several European airlines. The Jabiru was capable of carrying up to 9 passengers, and served on Farman airline's routeParis
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
-Brussels
Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...
-Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
, but also with Danish Air Lines
Det Danske Luftfartselskab A/S or DDL, trading in English as Danish Air Lines, was Denmark's national airline from 1918 until it merged to create Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in 1951. DDL was established on 29 October 1918, but started its f ...
between Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...
and Amsterdam. They served until the late 1920s.
Variants
;F.120: A single engined biplane bomber, powered by aLorraine 12Da
The Lorraine 12D, also referred to as Lorraine-Dietrich 12D, was a series of water-cooled V12 engines produced by the French company Lorraine-Dietrich. The first variant began production in 1917, and the engines were used to power bombers for th ...
engine. First flown in 1924, only two F.120 bombers were built.
;F.4X: The original designation of the F.120 Jabiru
;F.120 Jabiru: Four transport monoplanes powered by 3x Salmson 9AZ
Between 1920 and 1951 the Société des Moteurs Salmson in France developed and built a series of widely used air-cooled aircraft engines.Gunston 1986, p. 158.
Design and development
After their successful water-cooled radial engines, develope ...
water-cooled radial engines.
;F.3bis: A twin engined transport aircraft powered by 2x Lorraine 12Db
The Lorraine 12D, also referred to as Lorraine-Dietrich 12D, was a series of water-cooled V12 engines produced by the French company Lorraine-Dietrich. The first variant began production in 1917, and the engines were used to power bombers for the ...
engines, 1 built.
;F.3X: The original designation of the F.121 Jabiru prototype.
;F.121 Jabiru: Nine transport aircraft powered by 4x Hispano-Suiza 8Ac
The Hispano-Suiza 8 was a water-cooled V8 SOHC aero engine introduced by Hispano-Suiza in 1914, and was the most commonly used liquid-cooled engine in the aircraft of the Entente Powers during the First World War. The original Hispano-Suiza 8A ...
engines, one also modified from a F.120 Jabiru.
;F.122: A single transport aircraft powered by 2x Lorraine 12Db
The Lorraine 12D, also referred to as Lorraine-Dietrich 12D, was a series of water-cooled V12 engines produced by the French company Lorraine-Dietrich. The first variant began production in 1917, and the engines were used to power bombers for the ...
engines.
;F.123: A single three-seater bomber powered by 2x Hispano-Suiza 12Hb Hispano-Suiza piston aero-engines were predominantly piston engines produced by Hispano-Suiza in France, Spain, and under licence in the United Kingdom, the United States and Russia from the First World War through to the 1950s. Development of these ...
engines.
;F.124: A single three-seater bomber powered by 2x Gnome et Rhône 9Ad Jupiter engines.
Civil operators
; *Danish Air Lines
Det Danske Luftfartselskab A/S or DDL, trading in English as Danish Air Lines, was Denmark's national airline from 1918 until it merged to create Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) in 1951. DDL was established on 29 October 1918, but started its f ...
;
* Farman airlines
Farman Aviation Works (french: Avions Farman) was a French aircraft company founded and run by the brothers Richard, Henri, and Maurice Farman. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 1936; during the French national ...
Specifications (F.121)
Tom Bihn logo
American baggage manufacturerTom Bihn
Tom Bihn Inc. is an American baggage manufacturer, with products ranging from backpacks to travel accessories. It was founded in Santa Cruz, California in 1982 by Tom Bihn. Bihn had been designing and making bags since 1972. The company's headquar ...
uses a Farman F.121 Jabiru in its logo.
References
Bibliography
*External links
Farman F.121 Jabiru in Danish service
{{Farman aircraft 1920s French airliners F.0120 Sesquiplanes Trimotors Four-engined push-pull aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1923 Twin piston-engined tractor aircraft