Farman F.420

Farman · France · first flew 1934 · bomber

The Farman F.420 was a twin-engined monoplane built in France in the mid-1930s for a government contest for an aircraft that could serve as bomber, fighter and reconnaissance machine. Two prototypes were built and none went into production.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Rectangular-section fuselage with a fully glazed nose
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Wooden high wing with parallel-chord centre section and trapezoidal outer sections
Radial engines in long housings under the wing into which the main undercarriage retracted
Rectangular-section fuselage with a fully glazed nose

Look for a high-wing twin with 14-cylinder radial engines slung under the wing and a glazed nose, with a single fin and a braced tailplane on top of the fuselage.

Specifications

The Farman F.420 has a length of 14.5 m (48 ft).
It has a wingspan of 22 m (72 ft).
Its maximum speed is 350 km/h (217 mph).
Typical crew: 3.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The French Air Ministry issued the call in August 1933 for the BCR multi-role class. Eight or nine manufacturers responded. The F.420 first flew on 18 June 1934, flown by André Salel with the engineer Roger Robin.

Variants

During its second flight a fire broke out in the wing, started by an engine exhaust, and both men died in the crash. Farman funded a second F.420 with prominent exhaust pipes along the engine housings and a reworked nose with a new turret and a large escape hatch.

Where you'll see it

The second aircraft was flown at Villacoublay by an Air Ministry pilot in 1935 but won no production contract.

Related aircraft

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