Farman MF.7

MF.7

Role: Reconnaissance
Manufacturer: Farman Aviation Works
Designed by: Maurice Farman
Introduction: 1913
Retired: 1915
Primary users: French Air Force Royal Flying Corps

The Maurice Farman MF.7 Longhorn is a French reconnaissance biplane developed before World War I, which served in both the French and British air services in the early stages of the war before being used as a trainer aircraft.

Design and development

It had a single Renault "pusher" engine. Its name derived from the distinctive front-mounted elevator and elongated skids.

Operational history

Sixty MF.7s were sold to Norway and served with the Norwegian Army Air Service.
A Greek plane was converted to a hydroplane and named Nautilus. Flown by Michael Moutoussis and with Aristeidis Moraitinis as observer, it carried out the world's first air-naval co-operation mission during the First Balkan War.
The Farman was used by the Imperial Japanese forces in the World War I Battle of Tsingtao, with one downed by the German force's sole working aircraft.

Operators

Australia

Australian Flying Corps
Mesopotamian Half Flight
Central Flying School AFC at Point Cook, Victoria.

Belgium Denmark France Mexico

French Air Force

Greece Italy Japan Norway

Norwegian Army Air Service operated 60 aircraft until the late 1920s.

Russia Spain United Kingdom

Royal Flying Corps
No. 2 Squadron RFC
No. 3 Squadron RFC
No. 4 Squadron RFC
No. 9 Squadron RFC
No. 14 Squadron RFC
No. 16 Squadron RFC
No. 19 Squadron RFC
No. 23 Squadron RFC
No. 24 Squadron RFC
No. 25 Squadron RFC
No. 29 Squadron RFC
No. 30 Squadron RFC
No. 65 Squadron RFC

Survivors

Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace, Paris
Norsk Teknisk Museum, Oslo

Specifications (MF.7)

Data from Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft

General characteristics

Crew: Two (pilot & observer)
Length: 11.35 m (37 ft 2 in)
Wingspan: 15.40 m (50 ft 5 in)
Height: 3.45 m (11 ft 4 in)
Loaded weight: 855 kg (1,885 lb)
Powerplant: 1x— Renault 80 hp 8-cylinder air-cooled inline engine, 52 kW (70 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 95 km/h (51 knots, 59 mph) at sea level
Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
Endurance: 3.5 hours

Armament

None

Related development

Farman MF.11

Farman MF.7 Pictures and Farman MF.7 for Sale.

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Source: WikiPedia