History

The Farman factory was founded at about 1908. The two brothers Henry and Maurice Farman showed three aircraft, designed by Henry Farman, at several air shows in August 1919.
In 1914 the factory employed about 600 employees.
Due to personal problems both brothers had their own, strictly segregated design bureaus.

The aircraft, designed before World war I by Henry Farman, showed a great resemblance.
All types were of the pusher type with a rotating engine,  a wingspan of the lower wing being half of the wingspan of the upper wing, a open fuselage for the crew and two tail booms..
Main differences were wingspan an engine type.

The Farman HF-20 had a wingspan of 13,5 m and had also skates between the wheels.

The Farman HF-22 showed a great resemblance with the HF-22, but had a larger wingspan of 15,58 m and lacked both skates.

 

Technical information: Farman HF-20
Dimensions:
Lenght: 8,26 m Wingspan: 13,5 m
Height: 3,2 m Wing area: 35 m2
Weights:
Empty weight: 365 kg Max. start weight: 640 kg
Performance:
Cruising speed: - km/hr Max. speed: 110 km/hr
Climping speed: - m/min    
Service ceiling: 315 m Range: 250 km
Miscellaneous:
Crew: TWo men: one aviator plus one observer
Engine type: Eén Gnôme Lambda van 80 pk.
Armament: one machine gun

 

Technical information Farman HF-22
Dimensions:
Lenght: 8,8 m Wingspan: 15,58 m
Height: 3,2 m Wing area: 46 m2
Weights:
Empty weight: 385 kg Max. start weight: 710 kg
Performance:
Cruising speed: km/hr Max. speed: 105 km/hr
Climping speed: - m/min    
Service ceiling: - m Range: 300 km
Miscellaneous:
Crew: Two men: one aviator plus one observer
Engine type: One Gnôme rated 80 hp.
Armament:  

 


In service with LVA; RNLNAS and NEIAF.

In service with LVA.

In May 1913 Captain Walaardt Sacre, Lieutenant Van Heyst and ir Roozendaal visited in France several aircraft factories in search of equipment for the Aviation Department (Luchtvaart Afdeeling) of the Dutch Army (known as LVA) , which had to be established.
After evaluating products from Farman, Caudron and Bleriot, the Farman HF-20 was selected.
Three aircraft of this type were bought and delivered in September 1913 with the registration LA2 through LA4.

The Farmans were all used for training purposes.
The LA2 crashed on September 27, 1915, killing both pilots Lt Hofstee and Lt. Polis. On June 26 the LA3 crashed at Soesterberg, the lt Schlimmer was badly wounded, the mechanic Corporal Van de Wal, was only slightly injured.
The remaining LA4 was re-serialled HF26 early 1918 and went out of service mid-1919.

Early 1914, six aircraft of a larger, improved version, the Farman HF-22 were ordered. Due to the outbreak of war, just four examples were delivered.
Three of them received the LVA serials LA6 to LA8. The fourth went to the Navy with the registration M1. Oddly enough, two sets had an 60 hp engine, the other two had a 80 hp engine. The engine of 60 horsepower was soon replaced by a 80 hp engine.

The Naval Farman M.1 was already on 25 May 1915 transferred to the LVA, where the registration was LA9.

Aircraft Factory NV Nederlandsche Trompenburg, owned by Henri Wijnmalen, was requested to built new aircraft as Wijnmalen had obtained the licensing rights for Farman.

On June 22, 1915 was the first Trompenburg-Farman HF22, serialled LA10 was delivered. The last Trompenburg-Farman, serialled LA27 was delivered on April 26, 1916. Trompenburg built eleven aircraft for the LVA, ie LA10, LA11, LA15 t/m LA21 and LA26 and LA27, and three pieces for the Navy.

Early 1918, the remaining Farmans were reserialled with new registrations HF10 to HF20. Crashed aircraft were used by the technical department of the LVA, to build two new aircraft, LA30 and LA32, later serialled HF15.
At the end of 1918, all remaining Farman were decommissioned and sold.

Over time, the Gnome engines replaced by Swedish Thulin A 80-100 hp engines.

In service with RNLNAS.

The first aircraft of the Dutch Navy, a Farman HF-22, entered service on July 28, 1914 with serial MA1. 

It was used intensively at Soesterberg as a trainer, so after one year a complete overhaul was necessary. It was handed over to the LVA, which gave it the new serial LA9.

At the end of July 1915 a second Farman, with serial M1 was received, soon followed by five other aircraft. These were built under license at the Trompenburg aircraft factory at Amsterdam. The Farmans received new serials  in 1917, A1 till A6.

In October 1918 the Farmans were transferred to the new Naval Air Station "De Kooy" and kept in service as trainers till mid 1919.

In service with NEIAF.

 


Serial overview LVA; RNLNAS and NEIAF.

Serial overview NEIAF

 
Serial 2nd Serial Constr. nr. Date in service Date out of service Notes
De Brouckére reconnaissance aircraft,an improved Farman HF-20/22, which had a strong resemblance with the original aircraft.
K1     07-1914 02-12-1914 Used in the Netherlands for training purposes.
K2     25-07-1914 1915 Used in the Netherlands for training purposes.
Farman HF-20
K3     06-1913 1916 Used in the Netherlands for training purposes. In 1916 to LVA as LA21 (II)
K4     1916 17-11-1917 Used in the Netherlands for training purposes. To LVA as possibly LA21;
Collision with Albatros B.II LA39 and wrecked; written off.

 

Serial overview LVA.

Serial
Serial
2e Serial
2e Serial
Constr. nr.
Constr. nr.
Date in service
Date in service
Date out of service
Date out of service
Notes
Notes
The serials of the LVA used in combination with a letter, didn't have a hyphen. e.g : LA34, D405. Relation between the LA-serials and the new serials is not known in case it concerns more aircraft of one type.
The regulations are lost.
Farman HF-20
LA2     03-10-1913 27-09-1915 Fallen down and wrecked; Written off
LA3     04-10-1913 26-07-1917 Farman HF-20; Fallen down and wrecked; Written off
LA4     08-10-1913 01-11-1919 07-05-1918 emergency landing and wrecked; Written off 01-01-1919
LA6     28-07-1914 28-01-1916 Fallen down and wrecked; Written off
LA26 HF19   16-03-1916 11-1918 Collided over Soesterberg with Caudron V427; Written off.
Farman HF-22
LA7 HF10   02-08-1914 11-1919 Written off
LA8     02-08-1914 17-08-1916 Written off
LA9 HF11   28-05-1915 11-1919 Written off
LA10 HF12   05-06-1915 11-1919 Written off
LA11 HF13   23-08-1915 11-1919 Written off
LA15 HF14   10-1915 11-1919 Written off
LA16 HF15   31-10-1915 11-1919 Written off
LA17     29-11-1915 11-1919 Written off
LA18 HF16   17-12-1915 06-1916 Involved in a collision and written off.
LA19     29-12-1915 24-10-1916 Crashed and written off.
LA20 HF17   28-01-1916 11-1919 Written off
LA21     18-02-1916   Probably delivered to NEIAF as K-4
LA21 HF18   1916 11-1919 Possibly ex-K3, NEIAF
LA27 HF20   25-04-1916 11-1919 Written off
LA30     1916 28-07-1916 LVA built. Wrecked in landing and written off.
LA32 HF25     28-07-1916 LVA built; Written off

 

Serial overview RNlNAS.

Serial
Serial
2e Serial
2e Serial
3e Serial
3e Serial
Constr. nr.
Constr. nr.
Date in service
Date in service
Date out of service
Date out of service
Notes
Notes
MA-1       28-07-1914 28-05-1915 Farman HF-22; Went to LVA as LA9.
M-1 M.A.1 A-1   30-07-1915 14-03-1919 Accident at Naval Air station De Kooy; Written off.
M-2 M.A.2 A-2   16-10-1915 31-03-1919 Written off
M-3 M.A.3 A-3   1916 15-11-1917 Entered service 1916; Crashlanding at Soesterberg and written off.
A-4       28-11-1917 17-02-1922 Written off
A-5       6-12-1917 09-03-1920 Written off
A-6       16-12-1917 31-03-1919 Written off

 


1/72nd Scale

Kits

  • Luedemann
    • Kit L4001: a resin kit of Farman HF20/22/23
  • Omega
    • Kit PR72271: Farman HF20 (LVA) (Dutch AF, Belgian AF).
    • Kit PR72048; a resin model of Farman HF22
    • Kit PR72047; a resin model of Farman HF20
  • Skuld
    • Kit XX: a vacu formed model of Farman MF-20/HF-23

Modelling add-on

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Decals

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1/48th Scale

Kits

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    • Kit --:--

Modelling add-on

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    • Set --: --

Decals

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    • Set --: --

 


Scheme Colour name FS-number BS-number Humbrol XtraColor Vallejo Model Color Vallejo Model Air
Standard #1 Linen parts Clear dope     41   70.918  
Wooden parts Varnish            
Fuselage White     34   70.951 71.001

Check www.paint4models.com for an extensive conversion table with lots of colour and paint systems.

 

 


Literature.

AVIA: 34e jaargang nummer 3: Vliegtuiginformatie: Farman HF-22 Thijs Postma & F. Zandvliet Pag. 92 - 96 1975 Uitgevers Wyt, Rotterdam
AVIA: 34e jaargang nummer 6: Lezers schrijven: Farman - 2 Harm J. Hazewinkel Pag. 209 1975 Uitgevers Wyt, Rotterdam
AVIA: 34e jaargang nummer 6: Lezers schrijven: Farman - 1 Frits Gerdessen Pag. 208 1975 Uitgevers Wyt, Rotterdam
Zestig jaar Marineluchtvaartdienst in Beeld. Hugo Hooftman Pag. 1 - 2 1977 Uitgever: Europese Bibliotheek, Zaltbommel
Nederlandse Militaire Luchtvaart in Beeld. deel 1. Hugo Hooftman Pag. 1; 6 - 8 1977 Uitgever: Europese Bibliotheek, Zaltbommel
Militaire Luchtvaart in Nederlandsch-Indië in beeld. Deel 1 Hugo Hooftman Pag. 3 1978 Uitgever: Europese Bibliotheek, Zaltbommel
Nederlandse Marinevliegtuigen Thijs Postma & Nico Geldhof Pag. 6 1978 Uitgever: Omniboek, 's Gravenhage
AviaHobby; eerste jaargang 1980: De vliegtuigen van de Luchtvaartafdeling F. Gerdessen   1980 Uitgevers Wyt, Rotterdam
Nederlandse vliegtuigen naar buitenlands ontwerp Theo Wesselink & Thijs Postma Pag. 17 - 20 1984 Uitgever: Romen Luchtvaart, Haarlem
40 Jaar luchtvaart in Indië Gerard Casius & Thijs Postma Pag. 19 1986 Uitgeverij De Alk, Alkmaar
Van Luchtvaartafdeling tot Koninklijke Luchtmacht 75 jaar Militaire Luchtvaart in Nederland Koos van de Berg Pag. 6 1987 Uitgever: Rebo Produkties, Sassenheim
KLu Vliegtuigen: De vliegtuigen van de Koninklijke Luchtmacht vanaf 1913 Wim Schoenmaker & Thijs Postma Pag. 9 1987 Uitgeverij De Alk, Alkmaar
70 Jaar Marine-LuchtvaartDienst Nico Geldhof Pag. 11 1987 Uitgeverij Eisma b.v., Leeuwarden
Vliegen voor de Vloot; 70 jaar Marineluchtvaartdienst Harm J. Hazewinkel Pag. 4 - 6 1987 Uitgever: Rebo Produkties, Sassenheim
Nederlandse Militaire Luchtvaart V Farman HF-20/HF-22/F-40 Harm J. Hazewinkel Pag. 1990 Uitgever: St. Vrienden v.h. Mil. Luchtv. Museum, Soesterberg
Squadrons van de Koninklijke Luchtmacht (derde herzien druk) Willem Helfferich Pag. 11 - 13 1994 Uitgevers Wyt, Rotterdam
Camouflage en Kentekens J.Greuter e.a.   1997 Bonneville – Bergen (NH)
85 Jaar Marineluchtvaartdienst in beeld Van Farman tot NH 90 Helikopter Peter Korbee Pag. 8 - 9 2002 Uitgever: Korbee MLD Promotie, Valkenburg

 

Websites.