A woefully underpowered machine, the H.F. 20 Series planes could only be used on observation flights in France. It also served as a trainer, and in secondary theaters, notably in German East Africa where an H.F.22 variant participated in the hunt for the Konigsberg.
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In 1915, when the British Empire forces (mostly Indians and Australians) attacked the Turks in Mesopotamia, they needed aircraft. Or wanted them; perhaps it was a matter of national pride, that every modern army ought to have air support. At any rate, the Rajah of Gwalior underwrote the expense of the air contingent – a handful of outdated bombers, among them 2 Maurice Farman M.F. 7s. The desert heat and sand were tough on the Renault engines, and the “Longhorns” spent a lot of time in the shop. Continue reading
The Farman Brothers were among the pioneers in French aviation, Henri Farman winning several of the prizes offered in the first years of aviation development with his early machines. He came to this country for one of the International meets but, being a very conservative flyer, proved a disappointment to American spectators. From this beginning, the Farman establishment has grown to a factory which has 5000 employes and which is said to produce ten machines a day, all of the parts being turned out of the same plant.
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Early in 1909 Maurice Farman, a brother of the pioneer. Henri Farman, began his career as an aeroplane constructor, rivaling in due time his brother. Although up to the late summer of 1910 they conducted their business separately, the Farman brothers then worked in partnership, the H. Farman and the M. Farman being two airplanes made by the same firm.
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Henri Farman on this machine established the world’s record for duration of flight, when on December 18th, 1910, he flew continuously for almost eight hours and a half. This achievement was made possible by the great weight-lifting capacity of this type, enabling him to carry almost 450 pounds of fuel in an enormous tank. Continue reading
The Farman III (or Farman 3) was the first airplane to use ailerons (or flaps) as control surfaces, a great improvement over the Wrights’ method wing-warping.
Henri Farman had purchased a biplane, the Voisin-Farman I, from the Voisin company, and was ready to buy another, but Voisin sold Farman’s plane to another customer. Angered, Farman began his own aircraft company. His first plane, the Henri Farman III, took flight on April 6, 1909. Continue reading