During the summer of 1916, Morane-Saulnier produced two different single-seat fighter versions of the Type P reconnaissance two-seat parasol monoplane. Both were powered by the 110 hp Le Rhóne 9J nine-cylinder rotary, but whereas the first single-seater was a simple conversion retaining the forward cockpit of the two-seater and carrying a single synchronised 7,7-mm Vickers gun, the second version featured a lower-mounted wing, an armament of twin synchronised 7,7-mm guns and an aft-positioned cockpit.
The airframe was a wire-braced parasol-wing monoplane with two-spar wooden wings. The wooden fuselage had light stinger rings to give a circular section. The entire airframe was fabric covered. There were conventional contols, with no fixed tailplane.
Allegedly the first Allied twin-gun fighter, the latter was 183 lb (83 kg) heavier than the former in loaded condition and 56 mph (9 km/h) slower at sea level, recorded performance figures proving inferior to those of the two-seat Type P.
Two prototypes of the initial version and at least one prototype of the two-gun version were evaluated by the Aviation Militaire, but neither was adopted for series production and the single-seat Type P was officially abandoned in December 1916.
Max speed, 102 mph (165 km/h) at sea level Time to 3,280 ft (1 000 m), 3.35 min Span, 28 ft 74 in (8.75 m) Length, l9ft l in(5,8l m)
two-gun version Max speed, 97 mph (156 km/h) at sea level Time to 6,560 ft (2 000 m), 8.67 min Endurance, 2.5 hrs Empty weight, 955 lb (433 kg) Loaded weight, 1,528 lb (693 kg) Span, 36 ft 9 in (11,20 m) Length, 23 ft 7½ in (7,20 m) Height, 10 ft 8¾ in (3,27 m)
Engine: Le Rhone, 110 hp Wing span: 36 ft 8 in Length: 23 ft 7 in Height: 11 ft 5 in Empty weight: 952 lb MTOW: 1612 lb Max speed: 97 mph at 6000 ft Service ceiling: 16,000 ft Endurance: 2.2 hr Armament: 1 x Vickers mh, 1 x Lewis mg Seats: 2
The Type N was a streamlined version of the L and thus obtained the nickname of “Bullet” from the RFC. Its lines were accentuated by the large airscrew spinner, dubbed “casserole” by the French. The Type N or Monocoque Morane was a mid wing fighter powered by either the 80 h.p. Gnome or 110 h.p. Le Rhone engine. Fabric covered, the two-spar wooden wings used wing warping. The fabric covered wooden fuselage has ring stringers to give a circular section. The tail surfaces were fin, rudder and elevators.
Armament varied; earlier versions flown by the French were armed with the Hotchkiss or more often with the St. Etienne machine gun fitted above the fuselage immediately behind the propeller blades. Later the Vickers gun, with a crude form of interrupter gear, became standard. British versions were fitted with the Lewis gun.
During the period May August 1916 the N served with No. 60 Squadron RFC. It was during this time that an official order was issued to the effect that all “Bullets” must have their spinners and other external metallic parts doped red, to avoid confusion with the similar shape of the Fokker monoplanes.
Effectively the earliest single-seat fighters were the Morane-Saulnier Type N and its German contemporary, the Fokker E I, although the Type N had not been conceived with a military application in mind. Both types were flown in May 1914, the Type N being demonstrated in the following month at Aspern, Vienna. Retaining the wing warping lateral control of earlier Morane-Saulnier shoulder-wing monoplanes, but embodying noteworthy aerodynamic refinements, the Type N was powered by an 80 hp Le Rhône 9C rotary engine, and its operational use was pioneered by Eugene Gilbert who flew an early example fitted with a forward-firing 8-mm Hotchkiss machine gun with propeller-mounted steel bullet dcflectors and dubbed Le Vengeur, this armament being similar to that of the Type L flown by Roland Garros. The performance of Le Vengeur prompted an official order for a small series of aircraft for use by the Aviation Militaire and these entered service in the summer of 1915. In January 1916, 24 Type N aircraft were ordered for the Royal Flying Corps, these being delivered between March and June 1916, and becoming known unofficially to the service as “Morane Bullets”. A few were delivered to the Russian Military Air Fleet, but most had been withdrawn from French operational service before the end of 1915, and those delivered to the RFC were phased out in the following summer. As supplied to the RFC, the Type N was fitted with either the Lewis or Vickers machine gun, both of 7,7-mm calibre.
Only 49 were built, designated MS.5C.1 in French service. The Morane-Saulnier Type N was followed into service by two larger, more powerful and better-armed variants, the Type LA and Type P.
The Old Rhinebeck Morane Saulnier N was constructed from an original Morane Saulnier A.I fuselage, obtained by Cole Palen in 1981, and new wings were fabricated to complete the reproduction. It is finished in the colors of Alexander Kazakov’s aircraft.
Old Rhinebeck Morane Saulnier N
Replica: Circa Reproductions Morane Saulnier N / Bullet Bianchi / Personal Plane Services Morane N
Engine: 1 x 110hp Le Rhone 9J rotary engine Max take-off weight: 510 kg / 1124 lb Span, 26 ft 8 5/8 in (8,15 m) Length, 19 ft 1½ in (5,83 m) Height, 7 ft 4½ in (2,25 m) Wing area, 118.4 sq ft (l1,00 sq.m). Max. speed: 165 km/h / 103 mph at 6,500ft Service ceiling: 4000 m / 13100 ft Armament: 1 x 7.7mm machine-gun Endurance: 1¾ hrs Time to 3,280 ft (1 000 m), 4.0 min
Engine: 1 x 110hp Le Rhone 9J rotary engine Span: 27 ft 3 in Length: 22 ft Height: 8 ft 3 in Empty weight: 735 lb Max take-off weight: 1122 lb Max. speed: 103 mph at 6,000ft Service ceiling: 13,000 ft Endurance: 1 hr 30 min Armament: 1 x Hotchkiss, Vickers, or Lewis machine-gun
The Morane Saulnier and Morane Borel concerns built racing aeroplanes before the first world war, and the earliest of their “parasol” monoplanes, literally meaning sunshade, was the type L of 1913. This was one of the first fighter aeroplanes, and was used in large numbers by the French Army as well as the British Expeditionary Force in France.
The most famous parasol monoplane of its period, the Type L two-seater, which appeared in 1913, was to see service as a fighter as a result of fortuity rather than original intent. Derived from the Type G-19, the first aircraft of Leon Morane and Raymond Saulnier to feature a parasol wing configura¬tion, the Type L emulated previous Morane-Saulnier types in its use of wing warping for lateral control, 50 examples being ordered by Turkey immediately prior to WWI. With the commencement of hostilities, the Turkish aircraft were im¬mediately sequestered for use by France’s Aviation Militaire, and, in October 1914, chosen by Commandant Bares, the Chef du Service Aéronautique aux Armées, for fighting duties. Powered by either the seven-cylinder Gnome or nine-cylinder Le Rhóne 9C rotary, both rated at 80 hp, the Type L was described as a Morane de chasse, and, at times, was armed with an 8-mm Hotchkiss or 7,7-mm Lewis machine gun fired from the rear cockpit. Sometimes flown as a single-seater in the fighting role, the Type L was to have the distinction of carrying into combat the first fixed forward-firing machine gun to be used operationally by a tractor aircraft. Just over 50 Type L aircraft were delivered to the Royal Flying Corps, with which they performed unspectacular service throughout 1915 in the reconnaissance role, and others were supplied to the Russian Military Air Fleet.
Thulin B was a licenced copy of the Morane Saulnier MS 3L. Two of these aircraft, fitted with floats, were presented to the Swedish Navy. They got the Navy registrations M I (delivered in 1915) and M II (1916). Both were fitted with a 90 hp Gnome engine, manufactured by AETA under the name ”Thulin A”.
Both aircraft made their service at the south coast of Sweden. They were both struck by accidents and written off in September 1917.
Standard two-seat Type L Max speed, 71 mph (115 km/h) at 6,560 ft (2 000 m) Time to 3,280 ft (1 000 m), 5.75 min Endurance, 2.5 hrs Empty weight, 849 lb (385 kg) Loaded weight, 1,444 lb (655 kg) Span, 36 ft 9 in (11,20 m) Length, 22 ft 6¾ in (6,88 m) Height, 12 ft 10¾ in (3,93 m) Wing area, 196.98 sq ft (18,30 sq.m)
Morane Saulnier LMS Parasol Length : 20.669 ft / 6.3 m Height : 9.678 ft / 2.95 m Wingspan : 33.465 ft / 10.2 m Wing area : 195.905 sq.ft. / 18.2 sq.m Max take off weight : 1234.8 lb / 560.0 kg Weight empty : 723.2 lb / 328.0 kg Max. payload : 511.6 lb / 232.0 kg Max. speed : 66 kt / 123 km/h Initial climb rate : 246.06 ft/min / 1.25 m/s Service ceiling : 13123 ft / 4000 m Wing load : 6.36 lb/sq.ft / 31.0 kg/sq.m Range : 216 nm / 400 km Endurance : 4 h Engine : Le Rhône Jb-9, 108 hp Crew : 2
The Type I single-seat fighter was fundamentally a Type N re-¬engined with a 110 hp Le Rhóne 9J nine-cylinder rotary and stemmed from interest evinced by Maj-Gen Trenchard in a more powerful version of the basic aircraft and an order placed in January 1916 on behalf of the RFC for one aircraft. Twelve more were ordered during the following March when the first example was flown for the first time. The Type I was intended to have a single 7,7-mm Lewis gun with French Alkan synchronising mechanism. but the four examples supplied to the RFC mid-July 1916 were fitted with a centrally-mounted Vickers gun. No additional Type I fighters were supplied to the RFC as, meanwhile, it had been overtaken by the similarly-powered, but extensively redesigned Type V which afforded greater endurance, and the Type I was not adopted by the Aviation Militaire.
Max speed, 104 mph (168 km/h) at sea level Time to 6,560 ft (2 000 m), 6.75 min Endurance, 1.33 hrs Empty weight, 736 lb (334 kg) Loaded weight, 1,124 lb (510 kg) Span, 27 ft 04 in (8,24 m) Length, 19 ft 1 in (5,81 m) Height, 8 ft 24 in (2,50 m) Wing area, 1184 sq ft (11,00 sq.m)
1913 reconnaissance aircraft built by Societe Anonyme des Aeroplanes Morane-Saulnier
Type H of Frenchman Edmond Audemars at Juvisy in 1913
Engine: Gnome, 80 hp Wingspan: 29 ft 11 in / 9.12 m Length: 20 ft 7 in / 6.28 m Height: 7 ft 6 in / 2.30 m Weight: 1034 lb / 470 kg Max speed: 85 mph / 135 kph Ceiling: 3280 ft / 1000 m Endurance: 3 hr Armament: 1 x mg Seats: 1
The appellation Type G was something of a generic designa¬tion in that several very different Morane-Saulnier designs were known as such, the last of these being a single-seat fighter designed in the summer of 1915 and built after the initial production batch of Type N aircraft for the Aviation Militaire. A refined development of the basic Type G of 1912, but featuring a fully-faired fuselage and powered by an 80 hp Le Rhóne 9C, the Type G fighter had a centrally-mounted 8-mm Hotchkiss machine gun with standard bullet deflectors on the propeller.
The Morane-Saulnier G was a two-seat sport and racing monoplane produced in France before the First World War. It was a development of the racing monoplanes designed by Léon Morane and Raymond Saulnier after leaving Borel and, like its predecessors, was a wire-braced, shoulder-wing monoplane. Construction was of fabric-covered wood throughout, except for the undercarriage struts which were of steel tube.
The type was a sporting success. In April 1913, Roland Garros took second place in the inaugural Schneider Cup in a floatplane version, finishing with a time of 40 minutes 40 seconds. On 26 June, Claude Grahame-White flew another float-equipped example from Paris to London via Le Havre, Boulogne-sur-Mer, and Dover, covering some 500 km (310 mi) that day. Between 21 and 28 September the same year, two float-equipped Type Gs competed at the seaplane meeting at San Sebastián, with Lord Carbery winning the short takeoff prize on one, and Edmond Audemars winning the maneuverability prize on the other. The following week, Carbery flew his Type G in the Italian Waterplane Contest from Lake Como to Pavia and back, along with two other Type Gs in the field of fifteen competitors, these flown by Garros and Morane. Garros not only won the Grand Prize in the “general class”, but also the prizes for best speed (127.7 km/h, 79.8 mph) and greatest altitude (2,100 m, 6,000 ft).
1909 – Roland Garros and Gustav Hamel
On 28 September 1913 Roland Garros became the first person to cross the Mediterranean Sea by air, flying from Fréjus in the south of France to Bizerte in Tunisia in a Morane-Saulnier G.
In 1914, Russian manufacturer Duks arranged to build the type under licence at their Moscow factory for the Russian Army, and the same year, the Turkish military ordered 40 examples. Before these could be delivered, however, war broke out, and the aircraft were impressed into the French Army. To these, the Army soon added an order of 94 aircraft, and the British Royal Flying Corps also acquired a number, these latter machines purchased from Grahame-White, who was manufacturing the type in the UK under licence. The Type XIV was the in-house designation given to Grahame-White license-built Morane-Saulnier Type G aircraft.
At the outbreak of war, the type’s military value was found to be wanting, and the French machines were quickly relegated to training duties. Despite this, a dedicated single-seat fighter version was built in 1915, armed with an 8 mm Hotchkiss machine gun that fired through the propeller arc, the propeller blades being protected by deflector plates. Only one or two prototypes were built, and the type never entered service.
Some Type Gs were modified by Morane-Saulnier to have their wings mounted above the fuselage, parasol-fashion, rather than at the fuselage sides. This arrangement was found to offer far better visibility for the pilot, and formed the basis for the Morane-Saulnier L.
A Type G is preserved at the Museo del Aire (Madrid) (Museo del Aire de Cuatrovientos).
Operators included the Argentine Air Force, one aircraft in Cuba, the Imperial Russian Air Force and with their aircraft taken over by the Soviet Air Force, the Spanish Air Force, and Royal Flying Corps.
The French Aéronautique Militaire ordered 94, plus the 40 impounded from the Turkish order.
Variants: Type GA version with 40 kW (60 hp) Le Rhône engine
Type GB version with 60 kW (80 hp) Gnome engine
Type WB version for export to Russia with glazed forward fuselage
MS.2 official French government STAe designation for the G
Grahame-White Type XIV License built by Claude Grahame-White in the United Kingdom
Specifications
Span, 29 ft 11 in (9.12 m) Length, 21 ft 8 2/3 in (6.62 m) Height, 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m)
GB Engine: 1 × Gnome, 60 kW (80 hp) Wingspan: 9.20 m (30 ft 2 in) Wing area: 16 m2 (172 ft2) Length: 6.30 m (20 ft 8 in) Empty weight: 95 kg (208 lb) Gross weight: 370 kg (815 lb) Maximum speed: 123 km/h (76 mph) Rate of climb: 1.8 m/s (345 ft/min) Crew: one pilot Capacity: one passenger
Differing from earlier single-seat Morane-Saulnier shoulder-wing monoplanes essentially in having ailerons for lateral control rather than utilising wing warping and in employing rigid wing bracing, the Type AC appeared in the autumn of 1916. Powered by either the 110 hp Le Rhóne 9J or 120 hp Le Rhóne 9JB nine-cylinder rotary engine and carrying a single synchronised 7,7-mm gun, the Type AC was aerodynamically clean by contemporary standards, its fuselage being faired to a circular cross section. Thirty production aircraft were ordered for the Aviation Militaire, deliveries commencing late 1916. Although of advanced design and possessing a good perfor¬mance, the Type AC was considered inferior to the SPAD 7, and, in consequence, was not adopted in quantity. Two examples were supplied to the UK for RFC evaluation.
Max speed, 111 mph (178 km/h) at sea level Time to 6,560 ft (2 000 m), 5.92 min Endurance, 2.5 hrs Empty weight, 959 lb (435 kg) Loaded weight, 1,451 lb (658 kg) Span, 32 ft 1 4/5 in (9,80 m) Length, 23 ft 1½ in (7,05 m) Height, 8 ft 11½ in (2,73 m) Wing area, 161.46 sq ft (15,00 sq.m)
The type AI was a parasol monoplane with the wing on cabane struts and braced by parallel struts running from the outer wings to the landing gear attachment points on the lower fuselage.
The first flight was made in the summer of 1917, entering service at the beginning of 1918. Arrmament was one or two machine guns synchronised to fire through the propeller disc.
In May 1918 the type was withdrawn from front-line service after a number of structural failures and engine problems.
Morane-Sualnier tried to revive the fighter with a modified structure and a 150 hp / 112 kW Gnome rotary but further production was concentrated on two advanced trainer models without armament.
Total production exceeded 1200 and the AI was exported to Belgium, Great Britain, Japan, Switzerland, USA, and USSR.
A single-seat advanced trainer was flown by French pilot Alfred Fronval from 1921 through 1928. In August 1927 at the Zurich Meet, Fronval won over Germany’s Gerhard Fieseler in a Raab-Katzenstein with 110 hp Siemens, and Marcel Doret in his 300 hp Hispano-powered Dewoitine D-27.
Alfred Fronval’s A1
In February 1928 Fronval looped an AI 1,111 consecutive times in 4 hours 56 minutes over Villacoublay.
Alfred Fronval’s A1 was donated to the Musee d L’Air by Robert Morane.
A.1
Variants:
MoS.27 Fighter Engine: Gnome Monosoupape 9N, 150 hp / 112 kW Wingspan: 27 ft 11 in / 8.51 m Length: 18 ft 6.5 in / 5.65 m Height: 7 ft 10.5 in / 2.40 m Wing area: 144.13 sq.ft / 13.39 sq.m Empty weight: 928 lb / 421 kg MTOW: 1431 lb / 649 kg Max speed: 141 mph / 225 kph at SL Climb to 13,125 ft / 4000m: 11 min 15 sec Service ceiling: 22,965 ft / 7000m Endurance: 1 hr 45 min Armament: 1 x .303 / 7.7mm mg Seats: 1
A-1 Engine: Clerget 9B-A, 120 hp Wingspan: 27.91 ft Length: 18.53 ft
MoS.29 Fighter Armament: 2 mg
MoS.30 Trainer Engine: Le Rhone 9Jb, 120hp/89 kW or Le Rhone 9Jby, 135hp/101 kW
MoS.30bis Trainer Engine: Le Rhone 9Jby, 90hp/67 kW
Société Anonyme des Aeroplanes Morane Saulnier Societe d’Exploitation Etablissements Morane-Saulnier
Société Anonyme des Aeroplanes Morane Saulnier was established in 1911, by brothers Robert and Leon Morane and Raymond Saulnier at Puteaux, Seine, France.
Developed series of parasol-winged fighters and training aircraft, beginning with 1913 Type L or MS.3; principal production aircraft throughout 1920s and 1930s included MS.130, MS.230, and MS.315 two-seat trainers. Series of single-seat monoplane fighters introduced from 1935, including MS.406s built for French Air Force up to Occupation; development of basic design continued by Morane-Saulnier design bureau and derived MS.450 built by Dornier Werke AG in Switzerland as D-3802A.
Also built Fieseler Storch for Germans as MS.500 Criquet. After liberation developed MS.470 series of advanced trainers, several light aircraft and then MS.733 Alcyon basic trainer. MS.760 Paris introduced into French Air Force service in 1958. MS.880 Rallye touring aircraft first flown June 10,1959.
Societe D’exploitation Des Etablissements Morane-Saulnier was the provisional name for the Morane-Saulnier company after it had been acquired in 1963 by the Potez Group. MS760 Paris jet-propelled communications aircraft was developed further into 6-seat Paris III of 1964. Production also included Rallye-Club, Super-Rallye and Rallye Commodore, the latter first flown in February 1964 after formation of SEEMS.
Reorganized as Gerance des Etablissements Morane-Saulnier in May 20, 1965, subsidiary of Sud Aviation.
