| MF.11 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Reconnaissance / Light Bomber |
| Manufacturer | Farman Aviation Works |
| Designer | Maurice Farman |
| First flight | Late 1913 |
| Introduction | May 1914 |
| Primary users | French Air Force Royal Flying Corps |
The Maurice Farman MF.11 Shorthorn is a French reconnaissance and light bomber biplane developed during World War I by the Farman Aviation Works.
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It was essentially a Farman MF.7 with a more powerful engine, and a more robust and aerodynamic fuselage, which was raised above the lower wing on struts. The aircraft was also fitted with a machine gun for the observer, whose position was changed from the rear seat to the front in order to give a clear field of fire.
Its name derived from that of the MF.7 Longhorn, as it lacked the characteristic front-mounted elevator and elongated skids of its predecessor.
The MF.11 served in both the British and French air services on the Western Front in the early stages of the war. As a light bomber it flew the first bombing raid of the war when on 21 December 1914 an MF.11 of the Royal Naval Air Service attacked German artillery positions around Ostend, Belgium.
The MF.11 was withdrawn from front-line service on the Western Front in 1915, but continued to be used by the French in Macedonia and the Middle East, while the British also used it in the Dardanelles, Africa and Mesopotamia.
Italy's Società Italiana Aviazione, a Fiat company, licence-built a number of MF.11s under the designation SIA 5 from early 1915, fitted with a fixed forward machine gun and a 74.5 kW (100 hp) Fiat A.10 engine.[1]
In 1916 Australia bought some MF.11s for training purposes.
Data from Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft[2]
General characteristics
Performance
Armament
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