MAURICE FARMAN BIPLANE
Soon after Henri Farman had become famous as an aviator and constructor of aeroplanes, his brother Maurice began to build air craft. The Maurice Farman biplane was the result. After conducting their business separately for several years the brothers consolidated, and each type is known by the name of the brother designing it. The Maurice Farman biplane has some remarkable records, among them the winning of the Michelin prize in 1910 by Tabuteau, who flew 362-1/2 miles in seven and a half hours without stopping.
The main planes have a spread of 36 feet and a depth of 7-1/2 feet. They have not as great a curve or camber as most biplanes, which increases their speed. The tail is of the well-known Farman cell formation—that is, it has four sides. The two vertical surfaces swing on pivots and are controlled by wires connecting with the direction steering wheel. The horizontal surfaces of the tail, except for the tips, are stationary, and steady the machine from front to rear. The rear tips of these two surfaces, however, work on pivots in connection with the main elevating plane which is set out in front. The elevator is a single plane controlled by a rod connected with the steering wheel, while the tips of the horizontal tail surfaces are controlled in unison with the main elevator by wires, also connected with the steering wheel. Ailerons are set into the rear outer tips of the main planes, for the control of the side-to-side balance, and these are worked by foot pedals. In order to give greater safety in case of the breakage of a wire, all the controlling parts in the Maurice Farman machine are duplicate, which is a big step toward the much-desired double controlling system in aeroplanes. The biplane is mounted on both skids and wheels. The operator sits well forward on the lower plane in a comfortable little pit enclosed in canvas. Thus, the Maurice Farman machine was the first to adopt this device for shielding the pilot from the wind. The engine used usually is an 8-cylinder air-cooled Renault, which drives a propeller nearly 10 feet in diameter.