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Henri Farman (26 May 1874– 17 July 1958) was a British-French
aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
and aircraft designer and manufacturer with his brother
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 ...
. Before dedicating himself to aviation he gained fame as a sportsman, specifically in cycling and motor racing. Henri took French nationality in 1937.Obituary: ''Flight''


Family and early life

Henri Farman was born in Paris, France, and was baptised as Harry Edgar Mudford Farman. He was a son of Thomas Frederick Farman, the Paris correspondent of the ''
London Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...
.''"Aviators at Rheims. Personal Sketches: M. Henri Farman."
''London Evening Standard'', 24 August 1909, p. 8. The British Newspaper Archive: Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited in partnership with the British Library. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
"Chapter Three: Awakening in France."
''Contact! The Story Of The Early Aviators.'' p. 38. Unabridged republication of the revised edition of ''Contact! The Story Of The Early Birds,'' The Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 1987, Dover Publications 2002, New York. Accessed via Google books. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
His father was born in 1845 at
Layer Marney Layer Marney is a village and civil parish near to Tiptree, in the Colchester borough, in the county of Essex, England. Layer Marney has a Tudor palace called Layer Marney Tower and a church called Church of St Mary the Virgin. In 2001 the popu ...
, Essex, England."England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VF8G-DFL : 27 September 2019), Thomas Farman in entry for Frederick Mudford, 1871. Retrieved 13 August 2020. His mother, Sophia Ann Louisa Mudford, was born in
Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...
, Kent, on 9 September 1841. She was baptised on 16 July 1844 at St Pancras Old Church in London, and was a daughter of the author
William Mudford William Mudford (8 January 1782 – 10 March 1848) was a British writer, essayist, translator of literary works and journalist. He also wrote critical and philosophical essays and reviews. His 1829 novel ''The Five Nights of St. Albans: A Romance ...
, who by the time of Sophia's baptism was living at Harrington Square. Sophia and Thomas were married at St George's Hanover Square Church London, on 31 August 1868.of Westminster Archives Centre; London, England; Westminster Church of England Parish Registers; Reference: STC/PR/1/2."
Ancestry.com. ''Westminster, London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1935'' atabase on-line Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2020. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
Henri trained as a painter at the
École des Beaux Arts École may refer to: * an elementary school in the French educational stages normally followed by Secondary education in France, secondary education establishments (collège and lycée) * École (river), a tributary of the Seine flowing in région ...
, but soon became interested in the new mechanical inventions that were appearing at the end of the 19th century. He was able to pursue this interest as an amateur sportsman.


Cycling

He took part in cycle races from the age of fourteen, and started winning some races. Brother Maurice Farman also began cycle racing at the same age and started winning prizes. Henri became a championship cyclist, and won the Paris - Clermont-Ferrand race on 6 June 1892. On 6 October 1892 he won the French Championship, at the Vélodrome Buffalo in Paris, over a distance of 100 kilometres. On 25 June 1893, Henri went by bicycle from Paris to Madrid with the journalist, author, and French cyclist Edouard de Perrodil. Edouard had written an account of this journey, and a book was published by MM. C. Marpon and Flammarion, titled ''Vélo ! Toro! Paris-Madrid bicyclette en 1893,'' which included drawings by Farman. They were received by the French Ambassador, among others upon reaching Madrid. He then took part in tandem races with his brother
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 ...
, forming a successful partnership. On 31 January 1895, at the
Vélodrome d'Hiver The Vélodrome d'Hiver (, ''Winter Velodrome''), colloquially Vel' d'Hiv', was an indoor bicycle racing cycle track and stadium (velodrome) on rue Nélaton, not far from the Eiffel Tower in Paris. As well as a Track cycling, cycling track, it was ...
, the Farman brothers broke the tandem bicycle record, covering 44.906 kilometres in an hour. They announced their retirement from cycling in November 1896.


Motor racing

At around the same time as his brother Maurice, Henri discovered
motor racing Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of two ...
. On 17 February 1901, he won the light car class (400 – 650 kg) ''Grand Prix du Palais d'Hiver,'' of the ''Circuit du sud-ouest.'' Maurice Farman won the heavy car class of the race. On 29 May 1901, Henri took part in the Paris-Bordeaux race and finished in seventh place. This was an open-entry race held concurrently with the 1901 Gordon Bennett Cup, and over the same course. Fifth place was taken in the 1901 Paris to Berlin Race. Henri won the heavy class section of the 1902 Paris - Vienna race.
Marcel Renault Marcel Renault (14 May 1872 – 26 May 1903) was a French racing driver and industrialist, co-founder of the carmaker Renault. He was the brother of Louis and Fernand Renault. Renault was born in Paris; he and his brothers jointly founded the ...
came first in the general classification of this race. He took third place in the 1903 Gordon Bennett Cup. He had an accident during the elimination trials for the 1905 Gordon Bennett Cup, on 16 June, over the hilly Auvergne circuit. While on the last round of this circuit, descending the Clermont Ferrand hill, on one of the turns in that descent, his car skidded. Henri and his chauffeur were lifted from the car, and ended up on top of a tree. Many onlookers believed he had been killed. But Henri was unharmed, came down from the tree and smoked a cigarette. He believed his car had ended up at the bottom of a ravine after this accident, but was not certain about the final destination of it.


Aviation

He started practising in 1907 with a homemade biplane glider on the sandhills of
Le Touquet Le Touquet-Paris-Plage (; pcd, Ech Toutchet-Paris-Plache; vls, 't Oekske, older nl, Het Hoekske), commonly referred to as Le Touquet (), is a commune near Étaples, in the Pas-de-Calais department, northern France. It has a population of 4, ...
, after first experimenting with model aeroplanes of different sizes. Henri then decided he wanted a machine powered plane, and ordered a
Voisin 1907 biplane 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 ...
on 1 June 1907. He used this aircraft to set many official records for both distance and duration. On 26 October 1907, at
Issy-les-Moulineaux Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called ''Isséens'' in French. It is one of Paris' entrances and is located from Notre-Dame Cath ...
, France, he made flights, among others, of 363, 403, and 771 metres in the plane. And he also started to turn the plane in the air on this date. The distance of 771 metres was completed in 52 seconds. It was the longest flight in the world that year, and won Farman the Ernest Archdeacon Cup. He made a complete circular flight of 1,030 metres, in 1 minute 14 seconds on 10 November 1907 at Issy. This was the first time that a European aeroplane had completed a full circle. And the first time that an aeroplane, other than a Wright brothers one, had stayed in the air for longer than a minute. The ''Voisin-Farman I'' was also the first biplane in Europe to fly a circular circuit of 1 kilometre, over a predetermined course, on 13 January 1908.I."
''Encyclopædia Britannica,'' Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., Tom D. Crouch, 27 January 2010. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
This again occurred at
Issy-les-Moulineaux Issy-les-Moulineaux () is a commune in the southwestern suburban area of Paris, France, lying on the left bank of the river Seine. Its citizens are called ''Isséens'' in French. It is one of Paris' entrances and is located from Notre-Dame Cath ...
, France, and won Henri the 50,000 franc Grand Prix d'Aviation offered by
Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe Henri Deutsch de la Meurthe (; 25 September 1846 – 24 November 1919), born Salomon Henry Deutsch, was a successful French petroleum businessman (known as the "Oil King of Europe"Howard, Fred, ''Wilbur & Orville: A Biography'', Dover Publicati ...
. And on 21 March 1908, at the same place, he made a flight of 2.004 kilometres.of Mechanical Flight"
''Flight'', 2 January 1909, p. 12. Accessed via the Internet Archive, Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
On 30 October 1908, Farman went on to make the first cross-country flight in Europe. Henri flew from his hangars at
Camp de Châlons The camp de Châlons, also known as camp de Mourmelon, is a military camp of about 10,000 hectares at Mourmelon-le-Grand, near Châlons-en-Champagne. It was created at the behest of Napoleon III and opened August 30, 1857 during the Second French ...
,
Bouy Bouy () is a commune of the Marne department in northeastern France. Population International relations Bouy is twinned with the English village of Everton in Nottinghamshire, UK. left, tribute to Henri Guillaumet. See also *Commune ...
,"Henri Farman, 1874–1958: Farman Chronology"
Early Aviators.com. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
to
Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...
, landing at the cavalry ground. It was a distance of 27 kilometres.Farman.The First Passengers and the First Cross-Country."
Retrieved 12 August 2020.
By early 1909, Farman fell out with
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 ...
because Voisin had sold an aircraft that had been built to Farman's specifications 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- ...
. This aircraft was named the ''Bird of Passage'' by Brabazon. So Henri started manufacturing aircraft to his own design. The first of these, the
Farman III The Farman III, also known as the Henry Farman 1909 biplane, was an early French aircraft designed and built by Henry FarmanIII."
''Encyclopædia Britannica,'' Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., Tom D. Crouch, 4 April 2008. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
In 1909, he opened a flying school at Châlons-sur-Marne at which
George Bertram Cockburn George Bertram Cockburn Order of the British Empire, OBE (8 January 1872 – 25 February 1931) was a research chemist who became an aviation pioneer. He represented Great Britain in the first international air race at Rheims and co-founded the ...
was the first pupil. In this same year he made further record breaking flights. One of 180 kilometres in just over 3 hours, at
Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...
on 27 August. And one of 232 kilometres in 4 hours 17 minutes and 53 seconds, at
Mourmelon-le-Grand Mourmelon-le-Grand () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. Population Camp de Châlons The ''camp de Châlons'', also known as ''camp de Mourmelon'', is a military camp of circa 10,000 hectares near Mourmelon-le-Grand ...
on 3 November. In October 1909 he appeared at the Blackpool Aviation Week, Britain's first
air show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The largest air show m ...
, at which he won over £2000 in prizes. In partnership with his two brothers
Maurice Maurice may refer to: People * Saint Maurice (died 287), Roman legionary and Christian martyr * Maurice (emperor) or Flavius Mauricius Tiberius Augustus (539–602), Byzantine emperor *Maurice (bishop of London) (died 1107), Lord Chancellor and ...
and Richard (Dick), he built a highly successful and innovative aircraft manufacturing plant. Their 1914 model was used extensively for artillery observation and reconnaissance during World War I. The
Farman Aircraft 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 ...
company's ''Goliath'' was the first long-distance passenger
airliner An airliner is a type of aircraft for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an ...
, beginning regular Paris-London (
Croydon Airport Croydon Airport (former ICAO code: EGCR) was the UK's only international airport during the interwar period. Located in Croydon, South London, England, it opened in 1920, built in a Neoclassical style, and was developed as Britain's main air ...
) flights on 8 February 1919. He was made a
chevalier Chevalier may refer to: Honours Belgium * a rank in the Belgian Order of the Crown * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold * a rank in the Belgian Order of Leopold II * a title in the Belgian nobility France * a rank in the French Legion d'h ...
of the French
Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
in 1919. Along with Maurice, he retired in 1937 when the French Popular Front government nationalised the aircraft industry; Farman's company becoming part of the '' Societe Nationale de Constructions Aeronautiques du Centre''. Henry Farman took French nationality in 1937. He died in Paris on 17 July 1958 and is buried in the
Cimetière de Passy Passy Cemetery (french: Cimetière de Passy) is a small cemetery in Passy, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, France. History The current cemetery replaced the old cemetery (''l'ancien cimetière communal de Passy'', located on Rue Lekain), w ...
in Paris. In 1988, Farman was inducted into the
International Air & Space Hall of Fame The International Air & Space Hall of Fame is an honor roll of people, groups, organizations, or things that have contributed significantly to the advancement of aerospace flight and technology, sponsored by the San Diego Air & Space Museum. Sin ...
at the
San Diego Air & Space Museum San Diego Air & Space Museum (SDASM, formerly the San Diego Aerospace Museum) is an aviation and space exploration museum in San Diego, California, United States. The museum is located in Balboa Park and is housed in the former Ford Building, ...
.Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. ''These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame''. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. .


See also

*
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 ...
*
Farman III The Farman III, also known as the Henry Farman 1909 biplane, was an early French aircraft designed and built by Henry FarmanFarman 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 ...
* Farman F.121 Jabiru *
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 ...
*
Farman F.222 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 ...
* Farman F 402 * Léon Lemartin – Farman's support engineer for the ''
Gnome Omega The Gnome 7 Omega (commonly called the Gnome 50 hp) is a French seven-cylinder, air-cooled aero engine produced by Gnome et Rhône. It was shown at the Paris Aero Salon held in December 1908 and was first flown in 1909. It was the world's f ...
'' rotary engine.


Notes and references

;Notes ;References * * *


External links


A more extensive telling of the Farman brothers story
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farman, Henri 1874 births 1958 deaths British aviation pioneers French people of English descent French aerospace engineers British aviators Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur Burials at Passy Cemetery French aviation record holders