Flight, July 1928

THE PARIS AERO SHOW 1928

The Farman Machines

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   Designed for "family touring" or light commercial work, the Farman F.190 is a high-wing strut braced monoplane of the popular American type, with conduite interieure, and seating accommodation for four passengers. The engine is one of the new Gnome-Rhone 230-h.p. "Titan" models. This little machine is of very neat and clean appearance, and should have a variety of uses. Its main dimensions are: Span, 14 m. (45 ft. 11 in.); length, 10 m. (32 ft. 10 in.); wing area, 39m.2 (420 sq. ft). Tare weight, 750 kg. (1,650 lb.); fuel, 300 kg. (660 lb.); useful load, 550 kg. (1,210 lb.). Total loaded weight, 1,600 kg. (3,520 lb.). Maximum speed, 185 km./h. (115 m.p.h.); absolute ceiling, 5,400 m. (17,700 ft.). Normal range, 800 km. (500 miles). The ratio of load carried, to tare weight is remarkable, i.e., 1-13, and one rather wonders how such a low structure weight is attained with a monoplane wing.

Flight, October 1928

THE BERLIN AERO SHOW 1928

The Farman F.190

   As it was exhibited at the Paris Show in July, there is little need to give here a very detailed description of the Farman F.190 "Family Touring" or small passenger machine. It is, however, interesting to learn from the Farman representative on the French stand at the I.L.A. that the machine has now been flight tested, and that as a result of these tests seven machines have been ordered, thus marking in a small way the beginning of mass production.
   The Farman F. 190 is a high-wing, strut-braced monoplane mainly of wood construction, and fitted with one of the new Gnome-Rhone 230 h.p. "Titan" engines. The machine is of very neat appearance, and quite small and compact for its normal load of pilot and four passengers. The wing has a span of 14 m. (45 ft. 11 in.) and an area of 39 sq. m. (420 sq. ft.). The tare weight is 750 kg. (1,650 lbs.), and the permissible load of 850 kg. (1,870 lbs.) may be made up of 300 kg. (660 lbs.) of fuel and oil and 550 kg. (1,210 lbs.) of useful load in the form either of pilot and four passengers or pilot and freight to the equivalent weight. The ratio of useful load to tare weight is astonishing if these figures are correct. One almost suspects that the 1,210 lbs. of useful load must represent an overload, and that the normal useful load is much smaller. For instance, the weight of pilot and four passengers, assuming each to weigh 160 lbs., would only amount to 800 lbs. The top speed is given as 185 km. 'h. (115 m.p.h.), and the absolute ceiling as 5,400 m. (17,700 ft). With the amount of fuel quoted, the range is stated to be 800 km. (500 miles).

Flight, June 1929

OLYMPIA AERO SHOW 1929

The Farman F. 190

   This machine was first shown in public at the last Paris Aero Show. Since then it has been adopted by several air routes in France, and also the type has a number of notable flights to its credit, of which it will suffice if we mention the flight from Paris to Indo-China in 10 days, piloted by M. Bailly. The Farman F.190 can be equipped with various power plants of 230/250 h.p. At Olympia it is shown with the Gnome-Rhone "Titan" of 230 h.p.
   The F.190 is mainly of wood construction, and is a high-wing strut-braced monoplane. The two wing-halves are attached to the top longerons of the fuselage, and are braced from the bottom longerons by sloping struts of duralumin. The attachment of the undercarriage is very neat: A bent axle and a radius rod on each side are hinged to the lower longerons. The telescopic strut is attached, at its upper end, to the front wing bracing strut, and the side load on the latter is avoided by running a strut from this point to the front spar at the point where the latter meets the top of the fuselage. The whole structure is thus triangulated, and this is accomplished with the smallest number of struts possible.
   Another feature of the Farman F.190, which is not, however, evident from external inspection, is the extraordinarily low tare weight, and ratio of gross weight to tare weight. This results in a machine very economical to operate. Although having accommodation for pilot and three passengers, the F.190 weighs empty but fully equipped with seats, etc., 950kg. (2,100 lbs.). The permissible gross weight is 1,688 kg. (3,700 lbs), which leaves 1,600 lbs. for disposable load. According to range desired and load carried, this may vary in its composition, but a typical division is the following: Pilot, 80 kg. (175 lbs.), fuel and oil, 220 kg. (485 lbs.). This leaves a pay load of 438 kg. (960 lbs.), and as the range with this quantity of fuel is 850 km. (530 miles) such a pay load is unusually good (more than 4 lbs. h.p.) for a machine of this class.
   The main dimensions of the Farman F.190 are: Length o.a., 10 m. (32-8 ft.); wing span, 14-1 m. (46 ft.); wing area, 40 sq. m. (430 sq. ft.).
   Near the ground the machine has a full speed of 185 km./h. (112-5 m.h.p.). At 3,000 ft. the speed is 183 km.h. (111 m.p.h.), and at 2,000 m. (6,600 ft.) the speed is 178 km./h. (110 m.p.h.). The climb to 6,600 ft. occupies 17 mins. 48 secs. The cruising speed is 100 m.p.h., and the minimum speed 50 m.p.h.

Flight, October 1933

THE FARMAN 390

A Cabin Machine for Pilot and Three Passengers

   FARMAN BROS, have recently produced a new Cabin Monoplane, called the Farman 390. It has been designed to incorporate the improvements derived from the experience gained by the Farman 190, and to furnish the maximum comfort for tourist flying.
   It is a high-wing monoplane capable of carrying three passengers. The fuselage is constructed of wood covered with plywood. The cabin is 7 ft. 9 in. in length, 3 ft. 4 in. in width, and 4 ft. 9 in. high; it is fitted with a skylight and a large lateral sliding window on each side. One of the passengers sits beside the pilot on a swivel seat and the other two behind, side by side. The walls of the cabin are lined with a specially prepared light rubber material, of about an inch in thickness, which deadens the noise of the engine and allows the passengers to converse without inconvenience. The cabin is also cooled by a series of intakes leading from the wings, and can be warmed in cold weather by pipes heated from the exhaust.
   The wings are constructed of wood and covered with fabric. They are joined on each side to a centre section, which forms part of the roof of the cabin, and they are braced in addition by oblique struts, two on either side, attached to the lower part of the fuselage. These struts are constructed of duralumin and encased in a streamlined covering of wood. The fuel tanks, of a capacity of 30 gall., are installed in the wings. The undercarriage is of semi-cantilever construction composed of duralumin struts, also encased in streamlined coverings and fastened to the wing struts and the fuselage. It has a track of 9 ft. 9 in., and is fitted with Farman oleo-pneumatic shock absorbers. The wheels, which are covered with fairings, are equipped with brakes and low-pressure balloon tyres.
   The 390 has been designed so that it can be equipped with either the new Farman 150-h.p. seven-cylinder engine, or the 220-h.p. nine-cylinder. The valves and rocker arms of these engines are covered with hoods which prevent the oil spray being thrown against the cabin windows or the pilot's windscreen. A four-bladed propeller fitted to a reduction gear (ratio 2-1) has been found to give the highest efficiency. The petrol consumption of the machine, when fitted with either of these two engines, is about 12 gall, to the mile.

Length 32 ft. 6 in.
Wing spread 45 ft. 10 in.
Height 9 ft. 9 in.
Wing surface 422 sq. ft. 5 sq.
Weight (empty) 2,200 lb.
Weight (loaded) 3,520 lb.
Performance. 150 h.p. engine.; 220 h.p. engine.
   m.p.h. m.p.h.
Maximum speed 109 125
Cruising speed 92 109
Landing speed 31 31
Flight radius 750 ml. 750 ml.
   (The 220 h.p. engine weighs 132 lb. more than the 150 h.p. engine.)

Flight, November 1934

THE FOURTEENTH PARIS AERO SHOW

THE EXHIBITS DESCRIBED

Large Civil Machines

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   The last machine to be included in the "larger civil" category is the Farman 393. This is the latest model of the well-known high-wing monoplane with the Farman 190 h.p. engine, and seats five passengers not including the pilot. Machines of this type have flown all over the world, as, for example, to Saigon piloted by Vicomte de Sibour.