French national football team - first flight March 1919

[Leendert]

The French national football team played only one match in 1919 (9 March), a friendly one in Brussels against Belgium (for those interested: the score was 2-2).

For this match the French team made its first flight ever. I read that four or five aircraft (Voisin?) were used to transport l'Equipe, journalists and assorted followers.

Who has some more details about the aircraft involved?

Thanks for the info.

Regards,

Leendert

[natttuppen]

Perhaps the Farman F 60 Goliath was used?

[Leendert]

Thanks for the suggestion.
Meanwhile I've (also) found a reference in Flight Magazine of March 6, 1919, saying the team would fly in a "4-engined Voisin machine" while 4 other aircraft were to take the officials.

Am too unfamiliar with Voisin aircraft to tell if they had a 4-engined type in early 1919.

Regards,

Leendert

[Stig Jarlevik]

The statement regarding four-engined aircraft feels very odd.

France had up to the end of WW 1 only had a few experimental aircraft built that used four engines, none very suitable for transporting people...

However the Farman FF.60 feels like a good bet. The prototype flew in early October 1918 and already on Feb 12th 1919 aircraft No 2 had inaugurated the Paris-Brussels stretch. It could carry 24 pax.

I don't know how many Goliath that had been produced by the time, but I don't believe many, so other aircraft must have been used to shuttle journalists and so on.

Cheers
Stig