A plane in the middle of a roundabout
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (382104)
Rockingham, Australia
October 8, 2018 9:07am CST
The photo is one of many that I took of the decorated roundabouts that we saw when we were travelling in France just last year. It seems a lifetime ago. I was trying to pick which was the best of several photos when I noticed the words on a sign at the roundabout - ‘Henri Farman, 1874-1958’. The centrepiece is a model of a biplane.
Another roundabout which I think was in the same town has a stylised plane with a figure standing on the top. The sign on that one says ‘Porte Farman’. Being the curious soul that I am, I went googling for Henri Farman and it turns out he was an Anglo-French aviator, and aircraft designer and manufacturer.
Although studying as an artist he became obsessed with the new inventions which were appearing towards the end of the 19th century. He was also a champion cyclist and competed for Renault racing cars. Later, in a Voisin 1907 biplane he set numerous records for distance and duration including being the first to fly a complete circuit of one kilometre. Wouldn’t he have loved today’s planes?
With his two brothers, he established an innovative aircraft manufacturing plant with this 1914 model being used extensively for artillery observation and reconnaissance during World War I. Although born in England (his father was English) he took French nationality in 1937.
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10 responses
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Oct 18
@snowy22315 I think that's meant to be a person on the end. Here's a better photo.
@koopharper (7599)
• Canada
9 Oct 18
That's cool enough. I had heard of him although I didn't know much about him outside the aircraft company he started. Several types of Farman aircraft were used during the second world war. They were unfortunately quite obsolete compared to the aircraft Germany was using.
1 person likes this
@koopharper (7599)
• Canada
9 Oct 18
@JudyEv If I hadn't been so into military aircraft as a boy, I doubt I'd have ever heard of him.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91116)
• United States
8 Oct 18
I'm sure he would be overwhelmed at the aircraft we have today.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (382104)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Oct 18
I remember Mum telling me about the first plane they ever saw. She said the whole town turned out to watch a small plane land on the showgrounds.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Oct 18
Was this his home town paying tribute?
1 person likes this
