Goliath

The Farman Goliath was one of the first large twin‑engine airliners, conceived by the French pioneer Henri Farman and built by Farman Aviation Works after World War I. First flown in 1919, the Goliath quickly entered commercial service with the French airline Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes, later becoming a workhorse for Lignes Aériennes Farman and several foreign carriers. Its high‑wing biplane layout, wooden frame covered in fabric, and 260‑horsepower Salmson Z9 radial engines gave it a cruising speed of about 120 km/h and a payload of up to 12 passengers plus mail. The aircraft featured a spacious, fully enclosed cabin—rare for its era—providing passengers with protection from the elements and a comfortable ride on routes such as Paris‑London and Paris‑Brussels. The Goliath’s reliability and modest operating costs helped demonstrate that air transport could be profitable, encouraging other manufacturers to invest in larger, purpose‑built airliners. Although quickly outclassed by newer monoplanes in the mid‑1920s, the Goliath remains a landmark in aviation history, representing the transition from wartime bombers to peaceful civil air travel and laying the groundwork for modern commercial aviation industry worldwide.

Farman Aviation Works

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Design & Classification