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Maurice Farman S.11 Shorthorn

Like many early First World War aircraft, the Shorthorn is a pusher with the engine in the rear of the nacelle . Designed and first flown in France, the Shorthorn was adopted by the air forces of Australia, Belgium, Britain, France, Italy, and Russia. It was manufactured under licence in Britain and Italy. During its early war service in reconnaissance and light bombing, the Shorthorn carried no defensive armament. It was later relegated to training duties. The Shorthorn retired from RAF service in 1918.

This aircraft was called the Shorthorn because it lacked the distinctive forward elevator of the Farman S.7 Longhorn. The pusher configuration, with the pilot well forward of the wings, was ideal for observation and bombing. The crew had to be careful not to allow loose objects to fly from the cockpit into the propeller. The Shorthorn configuration could be dangerous in an accident because the engine was liable to hurtle forward and injure the crew.

Museum Example

Manufactured by AIRCO for the Royal Flying Corps in 1915-16, the specimen is one of four sent to Australia in 1916. In 1919 it was sold as surplus. In storage from the 1930s, this Shorthorn was rebuilt in the 1950s and flown. Bought in 1956 by an owner in California, it was later sold to two aviation museums before it was bought at auction in 1981 by the Canada Aviation Museum.

Specifications

Wing Span:
15.78 m (51 ft 9 in)
Length:
9.3 m (30 ft 6 in)
Height:
3.15 m (10 ft 4 in)
Weight, Empty:
654 kg (1,442 lb)
Weight, Gross:
928 kg (2,046 lb)
Cruising Speed:
Unknown
Max Speed:
116 km/h (72 mph)
Rate of Climb:
1,000 m (3,280 ft) / 8 min
Service Ceiling:
Unknown
Range:
Unknown
Power Plant:
one Renault, 80 hp, V-8 engine

Additional Photographs

The Canada Aviation Museum’s Image Bank contains additional photographs of this aircraft. Images are provided for non-commercial study or research purposes only and may not be reproduced or published without the prior consent of the Canada Aviation Museum.

Find out more about our Image bank here.