A Farman artillery plane, a two-seater pusher with a machine gun mounted on the nose, the gunner sitting in front of the pilot.

A Farman artillery biplane, a two-seater pusher with a machine gun mounted on the nose, the gunner sitting in front of the pilot. The picture comes from With the French Flying Corps by Carroll Dana Winslow, and shows an aircraft like one the author flew. the primary function of the plane was to control the fire of their own batteries.

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The French Farman two-seat observation plane was a pusher plane with the engine and propeller behind the pilot. Rather than a fuselage that ran the length of the plane, it had a nacelle with the engine and seats for the pilot and observer or gunner. A machine gun was mounted on the nose, and the gunner sat in front of the pilot. The plane was used for observation, photography, and artillery registration - controlling the fire of their own batteries.

The Farman F.40, with a 135 hp engine, was introduced in late 1915 and was used by over 40 French escadrilles. The F.40P included Le Prieur rockets, an incendiary rocket for use against balloons and Zeppelins also used in some Nieuport models. Later Farmans were equipped with more powerful engines: the F.56 with a 170 hp engine, and the F.60 with one of 190 hp.

Unlike a reconnaissance plane which had a mission to gather information, take photographs, and return quickly for development and examination of the photographs, the artillery plane stayed in position to assure the accuracy of friendly artillery.

Farman F.40 is an aircraft: reconnaisance plane.