Farman F.40

The Farman F.40 was a French pusher biplane reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft was also used as light bomber aircraft in the early part of World War I and later it was used as a trainer.

F.40
A Farman F.40 in American service during World War I
General information
Type	reconnaissance/observation biplane
Manufacturer	Farman Aviation Works
Designer	Henry Farman
History
Introduction date	1915
Retired	1922

Development

Developed from a mix of the Maurice Farman-designed MF.11 and the Henry Farman-designed HF.22, the F.40 (popularly called the Horace Farman) had an overall smoother crew nacelle. An open tail boom truss supported a horizontal tailplane and a curved fin. The aircraft went into production in 1915.

Operational history

Portuguese Farman F.40 in Mozambique

Forty French Air Force escadrilles (squadrons) were equipped with F.40s. They operated for just over a year, but were replaced in early 1917.

The F.40 was also operated by the No. 5 Wing of the Royal Naval Air Service, Belgian forces in France, and also by the Russians. The Portuguese Forces in Mozambique included a small squadron of F.40, which participated in the East African Campaign.

A number of 120 Farman F.40s were purchased by Romania. These included the Type 42 and Type 60 variants of which 57 equipped with 130 hp (97 kW) De Dion engines, 46 with 130 hp (97 kW) Renault engines, and 17 with 160 hp (120 kW) Renault engines. The Farmans were assigned to squadrons of Grupul 1, Grupul 2 and Grupul 3 and were used until 1920.^[1] A Farman F.40 was also used to deliver some important documents for the Union with Transylvania to the Romanian National Council in 1918.^[2]

Italian aircraft maker Savoia-Marchetti built F.40s for use by the police force until 1922.

Variants

F.40 with Le Prieur rockets

Data from:French aircraft of the First World War^[3]

F.40

2-seat reconnaissance aircraft with 130 hp (97 kW) Renault 130 hp, 17.59 m (57.7 ft) span.

F.40

2-seat reconnaissance aircraft with 130 hp (97 kW) De Dion-Bouton 12B, 17.59 m (57.7 ft) span.

F.40H

2-seat seaplane trainer with 130 hp (97 kW) Renault 130 hp, 17.67 m (58.0 ft) span.

F.40bis

2-seat reconnaissance aircraft with 160 hp (120 kW) Renault 8Gc, 17.59 m (57.7 ft) span.

F.40ter

2-seat reconnaissance aircraft with 150 hp (110 kW) Lorraine 8A, 17.59 m (57.7 ft) span.

F.40 QC

2-seat reconnaissance aircraft with 130 hp (97 kW) Renault 130 hp, 17.59 m (57.7 ft) span and elongated tail.

F.40P

adaption to fire Le Prieur rockets

F.41

2-seat reconnaissance aircraft with 80 hp (60 kW) Renault 8B, 16.32 m (53.5 ft) span.

F.41 H

2-seat seaplane with 80 hp (60 kW) Renault 8B, 16.32 m (53.5 ft) span.

F.41bis

2-seat reconnaissance aircraft with 110 hp (82 kW) Lorraine 6AM, 16.32 m (53.5 ft) span.

F.41bis H

2-seat seaplane with 110 hp (82 kW) Lorraine 6AM, 16.32 m (53.5 ft) span.

F.1,40

2-seat trainer powered by an 80 hp (60 kW) Renault 8B, 17.67 m (58.0 ft) span.

F.1,40bis

2-seat floatplane trainer powered by a 110 hp (82 kW) Lorraine 6AM, 17.67 m (58.0 ft) span.

F.1,40bis

2-seat trainer powered by a 160 hp (120 kW) Renault 8C, 17.67 m (58.0 ft) span.

F.1,40

2/3-seat trainer powered by a 130 hp (97 kW) Renault 130 hp, 17.67 m (58.0 ft) span.

F.1,40ter

2-seat trainer powered by a 160 hp (120 kW) Lorraine 8Aby, 17.67 m (58.0 ft) span.

F.1,41

2-seat trainer powered by an 80 hp (60 kW) Renault 8B, 16.39 m (53.8 ft) span.

F.1,41 H

2-seat floatplane trainer powered by an 80 hp (60 kW) Renault 8B, 16.39 m (53.8 ft) span.

F.1,46

2-seat dual-control trainer powered by an 80 hp (60 kW) Renault 8B, 17.67 m (58.0 ft) span.

F.2,41

2-seat trainer powered by a 275 hp (205 kW) Lorraine 8Bd, 17.67 m (58.0 ft) span.

Army type numbers

The French Army applied type numbers to aircraft types in service. Initially these were used in a similar fashion to individual serial numbers, later used to denote similar aircraft types.

Army Type 42

F.40

Army Type 43

F.40

Army Type 44

F.41bis with 110 hp (82 kW) Lorraine 6AM engine.

Army Type 51

F.41.

Army Type 51 E2

F.1,41 with wings of altered camber.

Army Type 56

F.40bis.

Army Type 57

F.40ter.

Army Type 60

F.1,40bis.

Army Type 61

F.1,40ter.

Operators

Military operators

F.41 seaplane of the Brazilian Navy

Romanian Farman F.40 in flight

 Belgium

• Belgian Air Force

 Brazil

• Brazilian Naval Aviation

 France

• Armée de l'Air

Greece

• Hellenic Air Force

Kingdom of Italy

• Corpo Aeronautico Militare

 Netherlands

• Royal Netherlands Air Force One aircraft only.

 Norway

• Norwegian Army Air Service

 Portugal

• Portuguese Air Force

 Romania

• Romanian Air Corps

 Russia

• Imperial Russian Air Force

Serbia

• Serbian Air Force

 Soviet Union

• Soviet Air Force - Taken over for the Russian Air Force.

 United Kingdom

• Royal Naval Air Service

 United States

• American Expeditionary Force

 Venezuela

• Venezuelan Air Force - Two aircraft only.
• Venezuelan Navy

Civil operators

 Colombia

• Compañía Colombiana de Navegación Aérea (CCNA)

Specifications (F.40 with Renault 130 hp engine)

Data from French aircraft of the First World War,^[3] The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Length: 9.25 m (30 ft 4 in)
• Wingspan: 17.59 m (57 ft 9 in)
• Height: 3.9 m (12 ft 10 in)
• Wing area: 52 m² (560 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 748 kg (1,649 lb)
• Gross weight: 1,120 kg (2,469 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Renault 130 hp V-12 air-cooled piston engine, 97 kW (130 hp)
• Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch pusher propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 135 km/h (84 mph, 73 kn) at 2,000 m (6,600 ft)
• Range: 420 km (260 mi, 230 nmi)
• Endurance: 2 hours 20 minutes
• Service ceiling: 4,050 m (13,290 ft)
• Time to altitude: 2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 15 minutes

Armament

• Guns: 1x or 2x 7.70 mm (0.303 in) Lewis machine-gun
• Rockets: (F.40P) 10 × Le Prieur rockets
• Bombs: 240 kg (530 lb) of bombs