![Close-up view of Henri Farman seated at the controls of one of his biplanes circa](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Close-up_view_of_Henri_Farman_seated_at_the_controls_of_one_of_his_biplanes_circa.1913.jpg)
Farman Aviation Works (french: Avions Farman) was a French
aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air. It counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines ...
company founded and run by the brothers
Richard
Richard is a male given name. It originates, via Old French, from Frankish language, Old Frankish and is a Compound (linguistics), compound of the words descending from Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic ''*rīk-'' 'ruler, leader, king' an ...
,
Henri
Henri is an Estonian, Finnish, French, German and Luxembourgish form of the masculine given name Henry (given name), Henry.
People with this given name
; French noblemen
:'' See the 'List_of_rulers_named_Henry#France, List of rulers named Henry ...
, and
Maurice Farman
Maurice Alain Farman (21 March 1877 – 25 February 1964) was a British-French Grand Prix motor racing champion, an aviator, and an aircraft manufacturer and designer.
Biography
Born in Paris to English parents, he and his brothers Richard and ...
. They designed and constructed aircraft and engines from 1908 until 1936; during the French nationalization and rationalization of its aeronautical industry, Farman's assets were assigned to the
''Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre'' (SNCAC).
In 1941 the Farman brothers reestablished the firm as the "''Société Anonyme des Usines Farman''" (SAUF), but only three years later it was absorbed by
Sud-Ouest. Maurice's son, Marcel Farman, reestablished the SAUF in 1952, but his effort proved unsuccessful and the firm was dissolved in 1956.
The Farman brothers designed and built more than 200 types of aircraft between 1908 and 1941. They also built cars until 1931 and boats until 1930.
Background
In 1907, Henri Farman bought his first aircraft from
Gabriel Voisin
Gabriel Voisin (5 February 1880 – 25 December 1973) was a French aviation pioneer and the creator of Europe's first manned, engine-powered, heavier-than-air aircraft capable of a sustained (1 km), circular, controlled flight, which was made ...
and soon began to improve the design of the aircraft; as a result it was known as either Farman I or
Voisin-Farman I
The 1907 Voisin biplane (designated the Voisin II by the 1913 edition of ''Jane's All the World's Aircraft''), was the first successful powered aircraft designed by aeronautical engineer and manufacturer Gabriel Voisin. It was used by the F ...
. In 1908, after further modifications which included re-covering it with
Continental
Continental may refer to:
Places
* Continent, the major landmasses of Earth
* Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US
* Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US
Arts and entertainment
* ''Continental'' (al ...
rubberized fabric and the addition of side-curtains, the aircraft was re-designated Farman I-bis.
Ailerons
An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in Flight dynamics, roll (or ...
were fitted after
Wilbur Wright's flying demonstration at
Le Mans
Le Mans (, ) is a city in northwestern France on the Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the province of Maine, it is now the capital of the Sarthe department and the seat of the Roman Catholic diocese of Le Man ...
in August 1908.
A second aircraft, to be called Farman II, was built by the Voisin brothers incorporating design refinements to Farman's specification. Voisin sold this aircraft to
J.T.C. Moore-Brabazon
Lieutenant-Colonel John Theodore Cuthbert Moore-Brabazon, 1st Baron Brabazon of Tara, , HonFRPS (8 February 1884 – 17 May 1964), was an English aviation pioneer and Conservative politician. He was the first Englishman to pilot a heavier-than- ...
, who exported it to England, where it was renamed the ''Bird of Passage''. This episode angered Farman, who in early 1909 ended his association with Voisin and started building his own aircraft.
Aircraft designed and built by Henri Farman had a HF prefix, while examples designed and built by his brother Maurice carried a MF prefix.
List of aeroplanes
![Farman F-430-Spanish Republican Air Force](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/Farman_F-430-Spanish_Republican_Air_Force.jpg)
*
Farman III
The Farman III, also known as the Henry Farman 1909 biplane, was an early French aircraft designed and built by Henry Farman[Farman MF.7 Longhorn
The Maurice Farman MF.7 ''Longhorn'' is a French biplane developed before World War I which was used for reconnaissance by both the French and British air services in the early stages of the war before being relegated to service as a trainer.
D ...]
(1913)
*
Farman MF.11 Shorthorn (1913)
*
Farman HF.14
The Farman HF.14 was a French two seat reconnaissance type produced by Farman Aviation Works before World War I.
Design and development
Designed by Henry Farman and built at the Farman factory in Boulogne-Billancourt north of Paris, the HF.14 w ...
- two-seat floatplane (1912)
*
Farman HF.20
The Farman HF.20 and its derivatives were a family of reconnaissance aircraft produced in France shortly before and during the First World War. It was a refined version of the Farman MF.11 "Shorthorn" that did away with the type's distinctive ...
- reconnaissance biplane (1913)
*
Farman HF.30
The Henry Farman HF.30 was a two-seat military biplane designed in France around 1915, which became a principal aircraft of the Imperial Russian Air Service during the First World War. Although it was widely used on the Eastern Front, and by th ...
- two-seat military biplane (1915)
*
Farman F.40
The Farman F.40 was a French pusher biplane reconnaissance aircraft.
Development
Developed from a mix of the Maurice Farman designed MF.11 and the Henry Farman designed HF.22, the F.40 (popularly dubbed the Horace Farman) had an overall s ...
(1915) - single-engined reconnaissance aircraft
*
Farman F.30
The Farman F.30A C2 was a two-seat biplane designed as a fighter in France in 1916 and powered by a single, water-cooled radial engine. It showed poor flight characteristics and only one was built, though it was modified twice. It should not b ...
- fighter biplane (1916)
*
Farman F.31 - fighter prototype (1918)
*
Farman F.50
The Farman F.50 was a French twin-engined night bomber designed and built by Farman as a replacement for the single-engined Voisin pusher biplanes in service with the French Air Force.
Development
The twin-engined F.50 flew for the first ti ...
- biplane bomber (1918)
*
Farman F.60 Goliath
The Farman F.60 Goliath was a French airliner and bomber produced by the Farman Aviation Works from 1919. It was instrumental in the creation of early airlines and commercial routes in Europe after World War I.
Design and development
The ''G ...
bomber/airliner, development of the F.40 (1919)
**Farman F.60 Torp - torpedo carrying floatplane version (1920s)
*
Farman Moustique
The Farman Moustique is a family of French monoplanes built by the Société des Aéroplanes Henry et Maurice Farman at Billancourt.
Shortly after the end of World War I, Farman introduced a low powered single seat monoplane for sport and to ...
- sports, touring aircraft (1919)
*
Farman Sport
The Farman FF 65 Sport was a French built light biplane, with a single engine and tandem seats, intended for sport and touring. First flown in 1919, it achieved modest sales at home and abroad in the early 1920s. Two unusual modifications produ ...
- sports, touring biplane (1919)
*
Farman B.2 __NOTOC__
The Farman B.2 was a 1920s French biplane designed as a light day bomber. Only one was built.
Development
Farman Aviation Works designed and built in 1924 what was a bulky unequal span two-bay biplane for use as a day bomber. The pilo ...
- light day bomber biplane (1920s)
*
Farman BN.4 __NOTOC__
The Farman BN.4, a.k.a. Super Goliath, was a very large 1920s French biplane designed by Farman as a long-range night bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-grou ...
- long-range night bomber biplane (1922)
*
Farman F.80
The Farman F.80 was a 1920s French biplane designed by Farman
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 aircr ...
- basic training biplane (1921)
*
Farman F.90
The Farman F.90 was a single engine biplane transport, carrying 6 passengers. It was built and developed in France in the early 1920s. Though it had some competition successes, it was not put into production
Design and development
The F.90 p ...
- passenger transport aircraft (1921)
*
Farman F.110 - artillery observation biplane (1921)
*
Farman F.51 __NOTOC__
The Farman F.51 was a 1920s French maritime reconnaissance flying boat designed and built by Farman. The F.51 was an unequal-span four-bay biplane flying boat with a crew of four. It was powered by two Lorraine 8bd engines mounted in ...
- maritime reconnaissance flying boat (1922)
*
Farman F.120
The Farman F.120 and its derivatives were a family of multi-engine airliners and bombers of the 1920s built by the Farman Aviation Works in France.
Design and development
The Jabiru, which was named after a Latin American stork, was a fixed- ...
- 4-engined bomber/airliner (1923)
*
Farman F.140 Super Goliath
The Farman F.140 Super Goliath was a very large, four engine biplane night bomber, designed in France in the mid-1920s. Nine flew with the French Air Force until concerns about structural weakness grounded them in 1930. The prototype set several ...
- heavy night bomber (1924)
*
Farman A.2 __NOTOC__
The Farman F.160 A.2 (sometimes referred only as the A.2 from the French military specification A = reconnaissance 2 = two-seater) was a 1920s French sesquiplane designed as a military reconnaissance and observation aircraft. Only one w ...
- observation monoplane (1924)
*
Farman F.130
The Farman F.130 was a 1920s French biplane designed by Farman as a long-range day bomber
A bomber is a military combat aircraft designed to attack ground and naval targets by dropping air-to-ground weaponry (such as bombs), launching tor ...
- long-range night bomber (1925)
*
Farman F.170 Jabiru
The Farman F.170 Jabiru was a 1925 single-engine airliner evolved from the F.121 Jabiru, built by the Farman Aviation Works.
Design and development
The F.170 Jabiru was a single-engine evolution of the 1923 F.3X/ F.121. In the early 1920s, ther ...
- single-engined airliner (1925)
*
Farman F.150 __NOTOC__
The Farman F.150 was a 1920s French twin-engined biplane designed by Farman as a day bomber.
Development
The F.150 was a twin-engined unequal-span biplane to the B.3 specification, which could be fitted with fixed landing gear or float ...
- day bomber biplane (1926)
*
Farman F.160 __NOTOC__
The Farman F.160 was a heavy bomber aircraft developed in France in the late 1920s. It was essentially an attempt by Farman Aviation Works to modernise its tremendously successful F.60 Goliath design of the immediately postwar years. Th ...
- torpedo bomber floatplane (1928)
*
Farman F.180 __NOTOC__
The Farman F.180 ''Oiseau Bleu'' (en: Bluebird) was a 1920s French biplane airliner. The F.180 was designed to fly non-stop between Paris and New York, but when the crossing attempt was cancelled three aircraft were built as luxury tran ...
- airliner biplane (1928)
*
Farman F.190
The Farman F.190 was a utility aircraft built in France in the 1920s and 1930s. It was a high-wing, strut-braced monoplane of conventional configuration with a fully enclosed cabin and fixed, tailskid undercarriage. Popular both as a private aircr ...
- civil utility aircraft (1928)
*
Farman F.200
The Farman F.200 was a civil utility aircraft produced in France in the 1930s. Derived from the F.190, it featured a revised fuselage that did away with its predecessor's enclosed cabin. Instead, it was a parasol-wing monoplane with open cockpits ...
- civil utility aircraft (1929)
*
Farman F.230
__NOTOC__
The Farman F.230 and its derivatives were a family of light touring aircraft built in France in the 1930s. They were low-wing cantilever monoplanes of conventional configuration, with fixed tailskid undercarriage and two open cockpits ...
- touring aircraft (1930)
*
Farman F.250 - passenger transport aircraft (1931)
*
Farman F.280
The Farman F.280 was a three engine, cantilever wing monoplane designed in France as a mail carrier in the early 1930s. Underpowered and slow, only two were built and briefly used.
Design and development
The F.280 was a relative, though not a m ...
- mail plane (1931)
*
Farman F.211 - day/night bomber aircraft (1932)
*
Farman F.220
The Farman F.220 and its derivatives were thick-sectioned, high-winged, four engined monoplanes from Farman Aviation Works. Based on the push-pull configuration proven by the F.211, design started in August 1925 and the first flight of the prot ...
- 4-engined high-wing heavy bomber (1932)
*
Farman F.1000, F.1001 & F.1002 single-engined, pressurised, high altitude research aircraft (1932-5)
*
Farman F.1010 - experimental cannon carrier aircraft (1933)
*
Farman F.1020
The Farman F.1020 was an experimental aircraft built in France in 1933 to investigate the behaviour of a semi-circular wing fitted with unconventional controls. It had a short career and only one was constructed.
Design
The Farman F.1020 was b ...
- experimental aircraft (1933)
*
Farman F.270 __NOTOC__
The Farman F.270 was a prototype French bomber/torpedo-bomber designed and built by the Farman Aviation Works for the French Air Force
The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and spa ...
- bomber/torpedo bomber floatplane version (1934)
*
Farman F.300
The Farman F.300 and F.310 were airliners built in France in the early 1930s. They were high-wing strut braced monoplanes with fixed tailskid undercarriage with a trimotor layout popular with several manufacturers of the time. The cockpit and p ...
- airliner (1930)
*
Farman F.370 __NOTOC__
The Farman F.370 was a French single-seat racing monoplane designed and built by the Farman Aviation Works
Farman Aviation Works (french: Avions Farman) was a French aircraft company founded and run by the brothers Richard, Henri, ...
- single-seat racing aircraft (1933)
*
Farman F.380 __NOTOC__
The Farman F.380 was a French single-seat racing monoplane designed and built by the Farman Aviation Works
Farman Aviation Works (french: Avions Farman) was a French aircraft company founded and run by the brothers Richard Farman, ...
- single-seat racing aircraft (1933)
*
Farman F.400
The Farman F 400 was a 1930s French three-seat cabin high-winged monoplane which was designed and built by Farman.
Design and development
The Farman series "400" was a revolution for its builder because it had a thin, cantilever-constructed, hi ...
- four-seat cabin monoplane (1934)
*
Farman F.420
The Farman F.420 was a twin engine monoplane, built in France in the mid-1930s to compete in a government contest for an aircraft capable of fulfilling bomber, fighter and reconnaissance roles. Two prototypes were constructed but no production f ...
- multi-role aircraft (1934)
*
Farman F.430
The Farman F.430 was a 1930s French light transport designed and built by the Farman Aviation Works. Two variants with different engines were known as the F.431 and F.432.
Design and development
The F.430 was a low-wing cantilever monoplane wit ...
- light transport aircraft (1934)
*
Farman F.460 Alizé
The Farman F.460 Alizé ( en, Tradewind) was a 1930s French civil training and touring monoplane designed and built by Farman to meet a French air ministry requirement.
Design and development
In the early 1930s the French air ministry issued a s ...
- training, touring aircraft (1930s)
*
Farman F.480 Alizé - training, touring aircraft (1936)
*
Farman NC.470 and NC.471 - six-seat trainer and coastal reconnaissance floatplane (1938)
*
Farman F.500
The Farman F.500 Monitor was a 1950s Franco-Belgian two-seat training aircraft.
Development
Farman had earlier produced the Stampe SV.4 under licence, and with the co-operation of Stampe designed a two-seat training monoplane using SV-4 compon ...
- two-seat trainer aircraft (1952)
Cars
![Farman A 6 1923 schräg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Farman_A_6_1923_schr%C3%A4g.jpg)
The Farman firm designed and built a number of , including:
*
Farman 12 CV
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 nationa ...
(1902)
* (1919–1923)
*
Farman A 6 B
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 ...
(1923–1927)
*
Farman NF
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 ...
(1927–1929)
*
Farman NF 2
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 ...
(1929–1931)
Boats
During the 1920s, Farman Aviation briefly dabbled in building
airboat
An airboat (also known as a planeboat, swamp boat, bayou boat, or fanboat) is a flat-bottomed watercraft propelled by an aircraft-type propeller and powered by either an aircraft or automotive engine. In early aviation history the term ''airboat ...
s (known generally by the French term "hydroglisseurs"). Farman's boat-building followed directly from its aircraft experience. During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Farman-built aircraft engines and propellers from
Farman MF.7
The Maurice Farman MF.7 ''Longhorn'' is a French biplane developed before World War I which was used for reconnaissance by both the French and British air services in the early stages of the war before being relegated to service as a trainer.
D ...
s were used to build airboats that were successfully used during the
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, troops from Britain, Australia and the vast majority from British India, against the Central Powe ...
fought by Britain and her colonial subjects against the forces of the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
in Mesopotamia (modern day
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
). Following the success of these improvised airboats, Britain began ordering purpose-built airboats from Farman and
Charles de Lambert's company for use on the
Tigris and Euphrates
''Tigris and Euphrates'' (german: Euphrat und Tigris) is a tabletop eurogame designed by Reiner Knizia and first published in 1997 by Hans im Glück. Before its publication, it was highly anticipated by German gamers hearing rumors of a "ga ...
rivers.
Farman Aircraft began producing civilian airboats in the 1920s. Its first non-military airboat sailed in 1920, though its first civilian airboat for sale was ''Le Ricocheur'' (pictured at right), a closed-cabin prototype capable of carrying 12 passengers at speeds of up to . Farman marketed airboats for use as
water taxi
A water taxi or a water bus is a watercraft used to provide public or private transport, usually, but not always, in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or o ...
s and as light cargo vessels or
patrol boat
A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and the ...
s for French colonial governments, particularly on the
Mekong
The Mekong or Mekong River is a trans-boundary river in East Asia and Southeast Asia. It is the world's List of rivers by length, twelfth longest river and List of longest rivers of Asia, the third longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , ...
and
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languages[freeboard
In sailing and boating, a vessel's freeboard
is the distance from the waterline to the upper deck level, measured at the lowest point of sheer where water can enter the boat or ship. In commercial vessels, the latter criterion measured relativ ...](_blank)
s, and lacked a protective cage surrounding the propeller.
Farman's airboats sold for 25,000 to 50,000
francs
The franc is any of various units of currency. One franc is typically divided into 100 centimes. The name is said to derive from the Latin inscription ''francorum rex'' (King of the Franks) used on early French coins and until the 18th centu ...
depending on the model,
a price that proved too steep for potential buyers; the company pulled out of the boat business by the end of the 1920s.
See also
*
Société Générale des Transports Aériens
The Société Générale des Transports Aériens (SGTA) was a French airline founded in 1919. It operated until 1933 when its assets were incorporated in the newly created Air France airline.
History
Initially known as the ''Lignes Aériennes Fa ...
— airline initially formed as ''Lignes Aériennes Farman'' ("Farman airlines")
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
* Opdycke, Leonard E. ''French Aeroplanes Before the Great War'' Atglen, PA: Schiffer 1999
External links
A brief introduction about Farman, and links to most of their work
{{Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France
Defunct aircraft manufacturers of France