Farman

On November 9,1907 Henri Farman, in a Voisin-50 Antoinette biplane, made the first powered flight in Europe to last over a minute. At a 1909 Reims meeting he flew his own Farman III, the first aircraft with effective ailerons. Brother Maurice was also a designer; the two formed Avions Henri et Maurice.

The French aircraft manufacturer Socété des Avions H. M. et D. Farman, with factories at Billancourt (Seine), began aircraft engine design and manufacture aimed at civil aviation shortly after WWI.

Farman Brothers Article

Maurice Farman designed the MF-7 Longhorn (1913) and MF-11 Shorthorn (1914), both used as trainer and observation aircraft by the Allied forces. Farman F.20 and F.40 developed, the latter with streamlined two-seat nacelle and powered by 135hp Renault engine. Farman F.50 night bomber followed; four-engined F.140 night bomber introduced 1925, replaced by F.221 and F.222 in 1937, the latter used subsequently by Vichy air force after June 1940 as a transport. Civil airliners included the F.60 Goliath. Twin-engined F.180 biplane, F.190 single-engined monoplane introduced 1928, three-engined F.300 in 1930.

In France, the Socialist Government of the so-called Popular Front brought all the companies building military aircraft, aero engines and armament under its control in 1936. The immediate result was the socialized oblivion of such established companies as Marcel Bloch, Bleriot, Nieuport, Potez, Dewoitine, Hanriot and Farman within half a dozen nationalized groups or Societies Nationales, named ac-cording to their geographical location (Nord, Ouest, Centre, Midi and so on). Hanriot joined Farman at Billancourt in 1936, eventually nationalized in 1937, to become SNCA du Centre.

Farman becoming part of SNCAC.

After nationalization, in 1939 the Farman brothers acquired the license to manufacture the Stampe SV.4 trainer biplane. Although SNCAC was assigned manufacturing rights postwar, Farman retained license and with Jean Stampe the Societe Anonyme des Usines Farman developed Monitor I monoplane powered by 140 hp Renault engine. Variants included the II, III and IV, the latter being taken over by Stampe et Renard, Brussels.