Farman MF.11

The Maurice Farman MF.11 Shorthorn is a French reconnaissance and light bomber biplane developed during World War I by the Farman Aviation Works.

Design and development
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.

Operational history
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The MF.11 was withdrawn from front-line service on the Western Front in 1915, but continued to be used by the French in Macedonia and the Middle East, while the British also used it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, and Africa. The Australian Flying Corps (AFC), provided with the MF.11 by the British Indian Army, operated it during the Mesopotamian campaign of 1915–16.

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.

In 1916, then AFC also bought some MF.11s for training purposes.

Operators

 * Australian Flying Corps
 * No. 5 (Training) Squadron AFC in United Kingdom
 * Mesopotamian Half Flight
 * Central Flying School AFC at Point Cook, Victoria
 * Belgian Air Force
 * French Air Force
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * Portuguese Air Force
 * Royal Romanian Air Force
 * Imperial Russian Air Force
 * 🇸🇦: Two Farman MF.11s were obtained from Italy in 1921.
 * Swiss Air Force
 * 🇺🇦: One aircraft only.
 * Royal Flying Corps
 * No. 2 Squadron RFC
 * No. 3 Squadron RFC
 * No. 4 Squadron RFC
 * No. 9 Squadron RFC
 * No. 14 Squadron RFC
 * No. 16 Squadron RFC
 * No. 19 Squadron RFC
 * No. 23 Squadron RFC
 * No. 24 Squadron RFC
 * No. 25 Squadron RFC
 * No. 29 Squadron RFC
 * No. 30 Squadron RFC
 * No. 65 Squadron RFC
 * Royal Naval Air Service
 * No. 4 Squadron RFC
 * No. 9 Squadron RFC
 * No. 14 Squadron RFC
 * No. 16 Squadron RFC
 * No. 19 Squadron RFC
 * No. 23 Squadron RFC
 * No. 24 Squadron RFC
 * No. 25 Squadron RFC
 * No. 29 Squadron RFC
 * No. 30 Squadron RFC
 * No. 65 Squadron RFC
 * Royal Naval Air Service

Survivors

 * The Canada Aviation Museum has an MF.11 manufactured by Airco for the Royal Flying Corps and sent to Australia in 1916.
 * Farman F.11A-2, Royal Army and Military History Museum, Brussels, Belgium.
 * Farman MF.11 Shorthorn (#CFS-15), RAAF Museum at Point Cook, Victoria, Australia.