Henri Farman

On May 26, it was 150 years since the birth of the world-renowned aviation pioneer Henri Farman.

He was born in Paris in 1874. Although the whole world considers him French, in reality, Harry Edgar Mudford Farman was born into an English family. His father, Thomas, worked in the French capital as a correspondent for several English newspapers, while his mother, Sophie, took care of the family. They had three sons, whom their father registered at the embassy of their country as British subjects. Henri received French citizenship only in 1937.

Henri had an art education, graduating from the Paris School of Fine Arts. However, from a young age, he was passionate about sports and technology. In 1892, he won the prestigious Paris-Clermont-Ferrand bicycle race and quickly became a star of French cycling. At the beginning of the 20th century, Henri switched to auto racing and also achieved significant success. However, in 1904, he was injured in a serious accident and stopped competing.

After recovering, Henri took up an even more dangerous activity - aviation. In 1907, he bought an airplane from Gabriel Voisin, learned to fly with minimal help from an instructor, and that same year set several European records on this aircraft. The following year, he actively toured with demonstration flights and even visited the USA. Henri himself improved the airplane, equipping it with ailerons.

From 1909, he began building airplanes himself, and the next year, together with his brothers Dick and Maurice, he founded the Farman Avions aircraft manufacturing company in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt. The first airplane produced there was the Farman III. It and its development, the Farman IV, were successful and brought the brothers their first commercial success.

Additionally, Henri founded an aviation school in the city of Châlons-sur-Marne, which quickly gained popularity. Students at the school included not only French citizens but also foreigners, including some from Ukraine. For example, it was there that the Odessa native Mikhail Efimov received his pilot's license.

Farman Avions saw significant development during World War I. The company's aircraft were mass-produced both in France and under license in other countries. For instance, the Farman HF.20 was built in Odessa at Arthur Anatra's factory.

As is known, France was among the main victors in that war. For his contribution to the victory, Henri was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1919.

However, in the post-war years, military orders virtually collapsed. In this challenging business situation, Henri and his brothers managed to keep their company afloat. To quickly enter the civil aviation market, they converted the heavy bomber Farman F.60 Goliath into a passenger plane. The brothers also founded their own airline, Société Générale de Transport Aérien, and started producing luxury cars.

In the 1920s and 1930s, under the leadership of Henri and Maurice, who served as the company's chief designers, several experimental and serial aircraft were created. The greatest success was the heavy bomber Farman F.220, which first flew in 1932. Up to 80 units of this aircraft family were built, serving until World War II and even participating in the initial raids on German territory.

In 1937, the left-wing government of France nationalized the Farman brothers' aircraft manufacturing company, incorporating it into the Société Nationale de Constructions Aéronautiques du Centre. Although there were subsequent attempts to revive the Farman brand, they were not particularly successful.

Henri Farman retired from business. He lived quietly for another 20 years and died in Paris on July 18, 1958.

Photos:

1 - Henri Farman, 1915

2 - Farman III airplane

3 - Reconnaissance aircraft Farman HF.20

4 - Heavy bomber Farman F.221