Scratch-built 1/72 Farman 250

I am always thrilled by the clunky but charming Farman designs. Their simplicity is not in any way a detriment to their beauty, furthermore, their somehow squarish lines look always harmonious and balanced.

The 250 is not the exception, and although a passenger carrier, its stance and proportions give the impression of a racy machine. One sole sample was built and went to the Société générale des transports aériens, the SGTA from now on.

Simplicity, we were saying, was Farman’s trademark, which in modeling terms generally translates as an easier building process. The only part that needed an extra effort was the bump on the upper fuselage deck, vacuformed in a snap over a Sculpey master .

The interior followed a description in a Flight magazine article of the era. Colors were the source of animated and highly educated speculation among fellow modelers until some very credible conclusions were reached.

I got an after-market engine and wheels, both had to be touched-up: The engine required a special exhaust arrangement and the wheels the fabrication of cone-shaped covers. A few details were added too: the Pitot tube, wind-driven generator, tail skid, Venturi and navigation lights. Home-made decals and a windshield completed the model.

These French know Charm.