The Farman F.40 was a French pusher biplane reconnaissance aircraft.

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

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

Variants

Data from:French aircraft of the First World War

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.

Military operators

Civil operators

Specifications (F.40 with Renault 130 hp engine)