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Страна: Франция

Год: 1916

J.Davilla, A.Soltan French Aircraft of the First World War (Flying Machines)

Farman F.45

  In 1916 the technical service of the French air service asked the Farman brothers to develop a reconnaissance aircraft and specifically requested a tractor layout. The main flaw of Farman's pusher designs was that it made the aircraft vulnerable to rear attacks - a fact that was exploited by German fighters. Surprisingly, it has been reported that the Farman brothers were reluctant to change to a tractor layout. Commander Dorand of the STAe then requested that Captain Le Pere begin design work on a tractor reconnaissance aircraft which would subsequently become known as the A.R.1 and replace the F.40s.
  Apparently, the Farman brothers eventually realized that they would need to abandon the pusher layout that had served them so well and decided to initiate work on a new reconnaissance aircraft. No fewer than five designs with a tractor layout were produced - the F.30, F.45, F.47, F.48, and F.49.
  The F.45 was powered by a 170-hp Renault 8Gc engine and was built in 1916. The aircraft had a large exhaust pipe extending from the engine over the top of the wing. The pilot's cockpit was below the top wing with the observer's cockpit immediately behind. The trailing edges of both wings and the stabilizer had scalloped edges. The single-bay wings were of unequal span with the upper being significantly longer than the lower. Ailerons were on the upper wing only. The fuselage, constructed of metal and wood, was suspended midway between the wings.
  As with the other tractor aircraft mentioned above, the F.45 had poor flying qualities and inferior performance. It was not accepted by the Aviation Militaire. The Farman company then switched to building A.R.1s under license.


F.45 Two-Seat Reconnaissance Plane with 170-hp Renault 8Gc
   Span 15.47 m; length 8.62 m; height 3.79 m; wing area 49 sq. m
   Empty weight 760 kg; loaded weight 1,200 kg
   Maximum speed: 153 km/h
   One built



Farman F.47

  The Farman F.47 was yet another attempt to produce a reconnaissance aircraft with a tractor engine. Powered by a 220hp Lorraine 8Ba engine, it was produced in 1917. Armament consisted or a Hotchkiss machine gun and bombs on underwing racks. As in the preceding F.45, the fuselage was suspended between the wings. There were separate cockpits, the pilot's under the top wing and the observer behind the wings. No series production was undertaken.


F.47 Two-Seat Reconnaissance Plane with 220-hp Lorraine 8Ba
   Span 15.47 m; length 8.18 m; height 3.82 m; wing area 39 m
   Empty weight 760 kg; loaded weight 1,260 kg
   Maximum speed: 180 km/h
   Armament: a Hotchkiss machine gun and bombs
   One built



Farman F.48

  The F.48 was another design with a tractor configuration intended for reconnaissance missions. It was built in 1917 and, as with the F.47, was powered by a 220-hp Lorraine 8Ba engine. The F.48 appears to have been a modified F.47, the main difference being the much smaller wing on the F.48. The span was 3.40 m less than on the F.47, and the wing area was 2 sq. m smaller. Otherwise, the performance and weights were identical. It is possible that the changes introduced on the F.48 were created in response to problems discovered during flight testing of the F.47. However, because of the type's relatively poor performance, the F.48 was not selected for use by the Aviation Militaire.


F.48 Two-Seat Reconnaissance Plane with 220-hp Lorraine 8Ba
   Span 12.07 m; length 8.18 m; height 3.30 m; wing area 37 sq. m
   Empty weight 760 kg; loaded weight 1,260 kg
   Maximum speed: 180 km/h
   One built



Farman F.49

  With the decision to replace the F.40 series of reconnaissance planes with the A.R.1, the STAe had delivered a serious blow to the Farman firm. The Farmans attempted to recover by producing a series of two-seat reconnaissance planes with tractor configurations. The Farman F.49 was the last of the series to be built.
  The F.45, F.47, and F.48 had all failed to meet the A2 specification because of poor performance. The F.49 may have been intended to correct these problems by having a more powerful engine - a 275-hp Lorraine 8Bd. It was a considerable improvement over the 220-hp Lorraine 8Ba used on the F.47 and F.48. Unfortunately for Farman, the F.49's performance was still inferior, and it was not selected for production. Development was abandoned in 1918.


F.49 Two-Seat Reconnaissance Plane with 275-hp Lorraine 8Bd
   Span 13.00 m; length 8.80 m; height 3.10 m; wing area 46 sq. m
   Loaded weight 1,288 kg; payload 150 kg
   Maximum speed: 130 km/h at 4,000 m; climb to 4,000 m in 16 minutes; endurance 3 hours
   One built



Farman Unknowns

  A review of the Musee de l'Air archives revealed four previously unknown Farman aircraft.
   1. A sleek tractor biplane with a lightly cowled engine. The tail was conventional and the landing gear featured short skids on the inner side of each wheel.
   2. A tractor biplane with prominent skids and dual mainwheels under the wing. An additional pair ol wheels was located al the end of each skid. It appears to have a communal cockpit. The appearance strongly suggests a primary trainer.
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  • J.Davilla, A.Soltan French Aircraft of the First World War (Flying Machines)