Farman F.220

{{Short description|1932 bomber aircraft family by Farman}}  {{Infobox aircraft |name = F.220 |image = Le Farman 221, nouvel avion de bombardement (Agence Meurisse) (cropped).jpg |caption = Farman F.221 bombers in May 1936 |type = Heavy bomber |national_origin=France |manufacturer = [[Farman Aviation Works]] |designer = |first_flight = 26 May 1932 |introduction = |retired = |status = |primary_user = [[French Air Force]] |more_users = |produced = 1935-1938 |number_built = ca. 80 |unit cost = |variants = }} [[File:Farman F.223.jpg|right|thumb|Farman F.223]]

The '''Farman F.220''' and its derivatives were thick-sectioned, high-winged, four engined French monoplanes from [[Farman Aviation Works]]. Based on the [[push-pull configuration]] proven by the [[Farman F.211|F.211]], design started in August 1925 and the first flight of the prototype was on 26 May 1932. The largest bomber to serve in France between the two world wars was the final F.222 variant. One variation was intended to be an airliner.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1935/1935%20-2-%200686.html |magazine=Flight |title=Commercial Aviation |page=624 |date=December 12, 1935 |format=pdf |access-date=November 11, 2009 |archive-date=October 22, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022093044/http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1935/1935%20-2-%200686.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Development== After testing the sole F.220 prototype, Farman made a number of changes to the design, including a new tail fin, fully enclosing the nose and ventral gunners' positions, and changing from V-engines to radials. The first example of this version, dubbed the F.221 flew in May 1933, and was followed by ten production examples delivered to the ''[[Armee de l'Air]]'' from June 1936. These machines featured hand-operated turrets for the three gunners' stations. Meanwhile, the prototype F.220 was sold to [[Air France]], where christened ''Le Centaur'', it flew as a [[mail plane]] on the South Atlantic route. This led to a batch of four similar aircraft being built for the airline.

The F.222 variant began to enter service with ''Armee de l'Air'' in the spring of 1937. Unlike its predecessor, this plane featured a retractable undercarriage. Twenty-four aircraft were produced with redesigned front fuselages and dihedral added to the outer wing. During World War II these planes were used in leaflet raids over Germany and then night bombing raids during May and June 1940. These resulted in three losses.

The Farman F.222 was involved in a notable operation carried out by French fighter pilot [[Georges James Denis|James Denis]]. On {{nowrap|June 1940,}} realising that the [[Battle of France]] was lost, Denis borrowed a Farman F.222 from an airbase near [[Saint-Jean-d'Angély]]. He flew to Britain with twenty of his friends, and joined the [[Free French Air Force]], in which service he subsequently became an ace, shooting down nine German aircraft.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1146684.ece | archive-url=https://archive.today/20110524003254/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article1146684.ece | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 24, 2011 | work=The Times | location=London | title=James Denis | date=2003-06-30 | access-date=2010-05-02}}</ref>

The F.223 (redesignated '''NC.223''' when Farman was absorbed into [[SNCAC]]) incorporated significant changes, including a twin tail and a considerably refined fuselage. The first prototype was ordered as a long-range mail plane<ref>William Green, War Planes of the Second World War, Volume 8, 1967</ref> and in October 1937 established a record by flying 621 miles with a 22,046 lb payload. The ''Ministère de l'Air'' ordered a production run of 8 of the NC223.3 variation which was commenced in 1939. A variant NC 223.4 ''Jules Verne'', a mail delivery plane converted back into a bomber after requisition in the beginning of World War II, of French Naval Aviation was the first [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] bomber to raid Berlin: on the night of 7 June 1940 aircraft of this variant dropped eight {{cvt|250|kg|0}} and eighty {{cvt|10|kg|0}} bombs on the German capital.<ref>Donald A. Bertke, Don Kindell, Gordon Smith, "World War II sea war: France falls, Britain stand alone: Day-to-Day Naval Actions April 1940 through September 1940.", p.205 [https://books.google.com/books?id=WnhIAwAAQBAJ&dq=jules+verne+berlin+june+1940&pg=PA205]</ref> This operation, primarily carried out as a type of [[psychological warfare]], was repeated three days later.

The first NC 223.3 bombers were delivered in May 1940 and participated in night bombing attacks on Germany before being transferred to [[French North Africa]] in June 1940. The bombers were subsequently relegated to transport roles, seeing service with both the [[Vichy regime]] and the [[Free French]].

The F.224 was a dedicated civil variant able to seat 40 passengers. Six machines were produced for [[Air France]], but were ultimately rejected because the 224 could not maintain altitude on three engines. The aircraft went on to serve in the ''Armée de l'Air'' instead with a reduced payload. Much of the known variants{{cleanup inline|date=May 2026}} provided light carpet bombings of up to fifty-two {{cvt|50|kg|0}} bombs, one of the largest payloads ever to be dropped from an aircraft at that time.

==Variants== ;Farman F.220 ::'''Farman F.220.01''' - prototype with [[Hispano-Suiza 12Lbr]] engines (1 built) ::'''Farman F.220B''' - mailplane (converted from F.220) ::'''Farman F.220-0''' - production version of the F.220B (4 built) ;Farman F.221 :revised version with enclosed gunners' positions, powered by 4x [[Gnome-Rhône 14Kdrs]] engines, (10 built, plus one '''F.221.01''' prototype). ;Farman F.222 :definitive production version ::'''Farman F.222.1''' - revised version with retractable undercarriage and turrets, powered by 4x [[Gnome-Rhône 14Kirs]] engines (11 built) ::'''Farman F.222.01''' prototype converted from the F.221.01 ::'''Farman F.222.2''' - F.222.1 with redesigned nose, powered by 4x [[Gnome-Rhône 14N-11]] engines, (24 built). ::'''Farman F.2220''' - airliner prototype for Air France as ''Ville de Dakar'', powered by 4x [[Hispano-Suiza 12Xgrs]] engines, (1 built). ;Farman F.223 :version with twin tail and revised aerodynamics, 1,100 hp (820 kW) [[Hispano-Suiza 14AA-08]] / [[Hispano-Suiza 14AA-09]] engines ::'''S.N.C.A.C. NC.223.1''' - prototype, built as mailplane ''Laurent Guerrero'' (1 built) ::'''S.N.C.A.C. NC.223.01''' - bomber prototype with [[Hispano-Suiza 12Xirs]] engines (1 built) ::'''S.N.C.A.C. NC.223.2''' - bomber version with [[Gnome et Rhône 14N]] engines (not built) ::'''S.N.C.A.C. NC.223.3''' - bomber version with 910 hp (679 kW) [[Hispano-Suiza 12Y-29]] engines (8 built) ::'''S.N.C.A.C. NC.223.4''' - mailplane version (3 built: ''[[Camille Flammarion]]'', ''Jules Verne'', and ''Le Verrier'') ::'''S.N.C.A.C. NC-2230''' - A single postal transport powered by 4x [[Hispano-Suiza 12Xirs]] engines. ::'''S.N.C.A.C. NC-2233''' - A Bomber version of the F.233 powered by 4x [[Hispano-Suiza 12Y-29]] engines, (15 built). ::'''S.N.C.A.C. NC-2234''' - Three airliners built for Air France, powered by 4x [[Hispano-Suiza 12Y-37]] engines ;Farman F.224 :40-seat airliner with [[Gnome-Rhône 14N-01]]<ref name="Farman 224">{{cite web|url=http://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=1654&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=501&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF=|title=Aviafrance Farman 224|last=Parmentier|first=Bruno|date=1999-01-10|publisher=Aviafrance.com|language=fr|access-date=27 September 2011|location=France}}</ref> engines for Air France but rejected (6 built)<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=_toDAAAAMBAJ&dq=Popular+Science+1933+plane+%22Popular+Mechanics%22&pg=PA701 "Flying Club Car Is Channel Ferry De Luxe" ''Popular Mechanics'', May 1937]</ref> ::'''Farman F.224TT''' - F.224s converted to troop transports for the Air Force.

==Operators== ;{{FRA}} *[[Armée de l'Air]] *[[Air France]] *[[Aéronavale]]

;{{Flag|Vichy France}}

* [[Vichy French Air Force]]

==Specifications (F.222/2)==

{{Aircraft specs |ref=AviaFrance: Farman F-222/2<ref name="avfrf2222">{{cite web |last1=Parmentier |first1=Bruno |title=Farman F-222/2 |url=https://www.aviafrance.com/aviafrance1.php?ID=29&ID_CONSTRUCTEUR=501&ANNEE=0&ID_MISSION=0&MOTCLEF= |website=www.aviafrance.com |access-date=23 October 2019 |language=fr}}</ref> |prime units?=met  |crew=5 |capacity= |length m=22.57 |length note= |span m=35.65 |span note= |height m=6.38 |height note= |wing area sqm=184.6 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg=11000 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg=18700 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general=  |eng1 number=4 |eng1 name=[[Gnome-Rhône 14N-11]] |eng1 type=14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines |eng1 hp=920 |eng1 note= - (2 pusher and 2 tractor in tandem nacelles)

|prop blade number=3 |prop name=variable-pitch metal propellers (2x tractor and 2xpusher) |prop dia m= |prop dia note=  |max speed kmh=360 |max speed note=at {{convert|3960|m|ft|abbr=on}} |cruise speed kmh=280 |cruise speed note=at {{cvt|3960|m}} {{citation needed|date=October 2019}} |stall speed kmh= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed note= |range km=2200 |range note= |combat range km= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m=8000 |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ms= |climb rate note= |time to altitude={{cvt|4000|m}} in 13 minutes 30 seconds |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |power/mass= |more performance=  |guns=three 7.5mm [[MAC 1934]] manually aimed in nose turret, dorsal and ventral positions |bombs= {{cvt|2200|kg}} of bombs }}

==See also== {{Aircontent| |related= |lists= * [[List of interwar military aircraft]] * [[List of aircraft of World War II]] * [[List of military aircraft of France]] * [[List of bomber aircraft]] |see also= }}

==References==

===Notes=== {{Reflist}}

===Bibliography=== *{{cite journal |last1=Bousquet|first1=Gérard|title=Courrier Lecteurs|journal=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=January 1996 |issue=34 |page=40 |trans-title= Readers Mail |language=French |issn=1243-8650}} *{{cite journal |last1=Cortet|first1=Pierre|title=Le fin du F-APUZ|journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation|date=March 1989|issue=232|pages=38–39|issn=0757-4169 |language=fr|trans-title=The End of F-APUZ}} *{{cite journal |last1=Cortet |first1=Pierre |title=Les Farman 220 à 224 (1<sup>re</sup> partie) |journal=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=January 1995 |issue=23 |pages=10–14 |trans-title=The Farman 220 to 224, part 1 |language=French |issn=1243-8650}} *{{cite journal |last1=Cortet |first1=Pierre |title=Les Farman 220 à 224 (4<sup>e</sup> partie) |journal=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=May 1995 |issue=26 |pages=22–25 |trans-title=The Farman 220 to 224, part 4 |language=French |issn=1243-8650}} * Ketley, Barry, ''French Aces of WWII'', Osprey Publishing *{{cite journal |last1=Leyvastre|first1=Pierre|title=Le bombardier strategique français de 1940: Farman 220 – 221 – 222|journal=Le Album de Fanatique de l'Aviation |date=May–June 1969|issue=1 |pages=19–23|issn=0757-4169 |language=fr |trans-title=The French Strategic Bomber of 1940: The Farman 220 – 221 – 222}} *{{cite book |last1=Liron |first1=Jean |title=Les avions Farman |year=1984 |publisher=Éditions Larivière |location=Paris |oclc=37146471|series=Collection Docavia |volume=21}} *{{cite journal |last1=Mombeek|first1=Eric |title=Les trésors de Cazaux |journal=Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire|date=May 2001 |issue=98 |pages=44–47 |trans-title=The Treasures of Cazaux|language=fr |issn=1243-8650}} *{{cite journal |last1=Morareau|first1=Lucien|title=Courrier Lecteurs|journal=Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire |date=October 1996 |issue=43 |page=31 |trans-title=Readers Mail |language=French |issn=1243-8650}} *{{cite journal |last1=Narbonne|first1=Roland de|title=Les quadrimoteurs Farman: Des avions sans mode d'emploi|journal=Le Fana de l'Aviation |date=May 2008 |issue=462 |pages=18–29 |issn=0757-4169 |language=fr|trans-title=The Four-engined Farmans: Planes Without Instructions}} *{{cite magazine|last=Young|first=Edward M.|title=France's Forgotten Air War|magazine=Air Enthusiast|date=1984|issue=25 |pages=22–33 |issn=0143-5450}}

==Further reading== {{commons category|Farman F.220}} * {{cite book |last= Taylor |first= Michael J. H. |title=Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation |year=1989 |publisher=Studio Editions |location=London |page=379 }} * {{cite book |title=World Aircraft Information Files |publisher=Bright Star Publishing|location=London |pages=File 894 Sheet 16 |no-pp=true }} * William Green, War Planes of the Second World War, Volume 8, 1967

[[Category:1930s French bomber aircraft]] [[Category:Farman aircraft|F.0220]] [[Category:Four-engined push-pull aircraft]] [[Category:SNCAC aircraft]] [[Category:High-wing aircraft]] [[Category:Aircraft first flown in 1932]]