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Farman MF.11 Shorthorn

1914 WORLD WAR 1

Fallman IF. 11 Short Stories

Falman MF. A development of French aeronautical engineering, the "Shorthorn" was essentially an early biplane with limited equipment and rear-engined. MF. The 11 was created before the Triple Entente (the "Allies" of World War I) developed synchronous breaker gears that allowed machine guns to fire through spinning propellers.

As such, her engines were fitted with a so-called "propeller" arrangement at the rear end of the nacelle (by contrast, conventional propeller-driven aircraft use a "tractor" engine arrangement), freeing up the forward area for weapons and Usually unrestricted visibility. Formally known as Farman MF.

Eventually, after her designer, Maurice Farman of Farman Aviation Works, turned 11, she became better known by the nickname "Shorthorn," which was derived from the previous MF. 7"Longhorn" design, although lacks the original front lift assembly and front skid plate. MF. The 11 would be the first armed aircraft platform to participate in air combat during World War I.

Farman Aviation Works, founded by brothers Henri and Maurice, built aircraft from 1908 to 1936. In 1941, following the nationalization of the French aviation industry, the company changed its name to Societe Anonyme des Usines Farman (SAUF). In 1944, the company was officially taken over by Sud-Ouest.

Although Marcel Farman (Maurice's son) attempted to revive the family business in 1952, by 1956 the new venture was considered a failure.

MF. The 11 features a centralized open-air nacelle that accommodates the engine compartment and two crew members seated side-by-side, as well as places for defensive weapons and applicable flight control systems. The nacelle is suspended in a network of parallel struts between the aircraft and the necessary cables, with the upper wing assembly passing over the crew and the lower wing assembly below. The cabin itself is slab-like, with a rounded front end and a small windshield on top. The building is typical of the time, with a wooden frame covered with solid canvas. The struts extend from the upper and lower wing assemblies and provide basic support for the empennage (tail), which is attached to a large horizontal plane on which a pair of vertical fins are mounted.

The engine was located in front of the tail system and behind the crew, driving a simple two-bladed wooden propeller. The fuselage's landing gear is typical of World War I -- a set of twin-tire, bicycle-like wheels held in place by a mesh of reinforced struts that connect to the underside of the lower wing assembly. Each "leg" of the landing gear was given a ski-like structure to prevent "nose roll" accidents on the ground. There is no tail wheel, and rear support is provided by a simple tail skid. This gives MF.

11 Distinct "nose up" appearance at rest.

In its early production form, the MF. On the 11th, the pilot sat in the front of the plane with the observer behind him. While this provided the pilot with an unobstructed and unparalleled view of the terrain ahead, it severely limited the defensive options and vantage points of the observer, who sometimes acted as a machine gunner when his position was armed.

It's only in the revised MF. The seating arrangement of the 11bis was reversed to give the observer/gunner better visibility and a better fire field at the front of the cabin, while the pilot and flight controls were moved to the rear.

The caliber of the machine gun is usually 7.5mm, but it is usually the model and manufacturer of the combat country (Hotchkiss, Lewis and Fiat types are known to be used).

A rickety MF like many other WWI aircraft. The 11 had a relatively short lifespan on the front lines and was quickly overtaken and surpassed by the new German Fokker monoplane in 1915. 11 - and her entire family - are often assigned to mentor fledgling aviation personnel.

Nonetheless, the Fallmann design made an important contribution to early operations in France, Britain, Italy, and Russia in the early days of European air warfare.

The MF entered service in 1914. 11 regularly participated in reconnaissance and light bombardment raids with numerous squadrons during his tenure. At one point, the MF formed about 37 French escadrilles (squadrons). 11 As a display weapon, it can bombard day and night if desired (MF.11 is capable of deploying a payload of 18 x 16 lb bombs).

In practice, her crew described her as a stable mount, exhibiting stable flying qualities even in choppy skies. The Royal Navy has at least 80 prototypes, several of which are based in the Dardanelles and Mesopotamia. MF. Eleven in service in Belgium were used to bomb German Zeppelin air bases and U-boat submarine stables. On December 21, 1914, her first bombing mission was recorded as a British MF.

11 Attacked German artillery positions in Ostend, Belgium. an MF. The 11 crew members were later believed to have shot down a German zeppelin in mid-air with machine gun fire. MF.

11 continued to serve in frontline combat until 1915, before being transferred to second-line duties and eventually retired.

Licensed production of MF. Eleven companies outside of France are handled by companies in the UK, Russia and Italy. While there are only minor variations between these types, such high volume production ensures that the MF. 11 has a long-lasting effect on non-French operators' inventories.

The British started naming MF. 11 as "S. 11", but that turns out to be a lesser-known identifier. She flew 2, 3, 4, 9, 14, 16, 19, 23, 24, 25, 2 with the Royal Flying Corps. 29th, 30th and 65th, and flying elements of the Royal Naval Air Service.

By default, the Commonwealth of Australia serves as the 5th Squadron, the Mesopotamian Semi-Flyer (the first Australian Air Force to enter service) and the Central Flying School AFC (the latter at Point Cook, Victoria. Australia was established in 1916 The first systems were purchased in 1999 for pilot and crew training, and they were used until better replacements appeared in 1919.

There are squadrons in Belgium, Italy, Greece, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine throughout Europe and outside of France. Far in the East, MF. 11 is also temporarily operated by the Russian Air Force. There were at least two MFs after the war.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia purchased 11 from Italy sometime in 1921.

Additional MF produced in Italy. 11 variants were licensed and tried to improve the design by implementing different types of engines with different horsepower. These include the SAI 5 powered by the 100 hp Fiat A. 10 series engine and the Farman Columbo (MF. C) powered by the 110 hp Colombo D. 110 series engine. The latter also has a revised oval cabin.

Italian manufacturer of MF. Eleven are Savoia, Fiat, Macchi, Zari and Vickers Terni and many Italian-born MFs. 11 were armed with machine guns of the Italian Fiat brand.

Falman MF. The 13 (aka MF. 130 hp) is another offshoot of the MF. 11, this one with a 130-horsepower engine - hence the name. MF. 14 (model 1914) are collectively assigned to MF. 11 and improved MF. The 11bis was designed with a 100 hp engine.