The F.120, which received the nickname of Jabiru after a Latin American stork, was a fixed-undercarriage monoplane powered by either two, three or four engines, depending on the variant.

It was relatively well-furnished for the era, being able to routinely conduct night flights via equipment such as searchlights, landing flares, position lights, and general illumination.

The electricity, used by the radio set, illumination, and heating, was supplied from wind-driven generators using compact propellers that could be drawn inside the fuselage when not in use.

Mid-flight access to the engine was provided via special doors, permitting inspection and even minor repairs to be performed by the crew.

The undercarriage consists of two main wheels that were supported by a pair of vertical V-shaped members that joined with oblique steel tubing to connective with the base of the fuselage.

[8] Primary access to the interior was via a single sliding door, while multiple exits were provided across the aircraft to aid in emergency egress.

[2] On account of having an entirely unobstructed fuselage base, it was relatively straightforward to convert the aircraft into an armed military configuration, such as that of a bomber or a torpedo plane.

[citation needed] The F.120 was capable of carrying up to nine passengers, and served on Farman airline's route Paris-Brussels-Amsterdam, but also with Danish Air Lines between Copenhagen and Amsterdam.