Is this a Farman aeroplane?

[Rob Ruggenberg]

Dear Forum members,

I would like to put this picture on my website next week.

Is this a Farman aeroplane? Does anyone know more details?

I think the picture was made in France in 1917.

Thanks beforehand!

Rob

[Dolphin]

Rob

What a fascinating photograph! The trademark 'F' on the tail, as well as the shape of the rudder, certainly indicate that it's a Farman, and the clear doped linen finish suggests that it's no later than mid 1917, but that's all.

The Farman company did design a couple of tractor two-seaters, the F.30 and F.31, but they were fitted with a Salmson radial engine and a Liberty in-line, respectively - the engine in the photo doesn't look like either of these powerplants. However, there are definite similarities bewteen the nose of the Farman 31 and the nose of your aircraft (see below). Both the 30 and 31 had fixed vertical fins, and not just a rudder on its own like the machine in your photo.

Whatever the aeroplane was, I don't think that it advanced much beyond the prototype stage.

Witrh luck, someone else will have more information.

Regards

Gareth

[Adrian Roberts]

Rob

I was busy searching the net at the same time as Gareth; the best I could come up with was the attached picture of a Henry Farman showing the rudder, which is the same shape as the one on your machine.

If, as Gareth suggests, it is an F31 with a Liberty engine of 400hp, then I hope no-one attempted to fly it with no fixed vertical tail sufaces and the rudder from a Henry Farman of 80 hp. No wonder it was only a prototype.

Adrian

[Dolphin]

Adrian/Rob

I don't think it is a Farman 31, it's just that the nose contours of the two aeroplanes look as if they started life on the same drawing board. The original aeroplane in question appears to be have been built well before the 31; the observer's gun mounting (if that's what it is) looks to pre-date the 1918 standard Scarff ring.

I hope someone has a photgraph of the complete machine.

Gareth

[Guest R Pope]

That's not a Liberty engine. The exhaust manifold sticking straight up suggests an inline six. The airfoil looks crude for 1917, as does the tail and the gun mount. Side radiators further date the design. I would guess it to be a 1916 design at the latest. Haven't found anything similar to it yet, still looking.

[Rob Ruggenberg]

Thank you guys for your assistance !

As mentioned now on http://greatwar.nl I am indebted to you.

I'll keep an eye open in case more details come up.

Rob

[vb136]

In the book French aircraft of the first world war by Davilla and Soltan, there are at least two Farman aircraft that might fit the bill: One is an "unknown prototype" and the other is a reconnaissance aircraft called Farman F 45, which did not reach production.