Morane-Saulnier
Encyclopedia
Model development
Morane-Saulnier's initial production was the Model A, a continuation of a monoplaneMonoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
design produced by the previous Morane company (sometimes called Morane-Borel) using a wing-warping mechanism for control, in which Jules Védrines won the Paris-Madrid race on May 26, 1911.
Morane-Saulnier's first commercially successful design was the Morane-Saulnier G, a boxy looking wire braced shoulder wing monoplane with wing warping which led to the development of a whole series of aircraft and was very successful in racing, and setting records in its own right. The Type G was a single seater, and was enlarged slightly to make the Morane-Saulnier H
Morane-Saulnier H
-References:...
, a 2 seater, and in parallel was given a faired fuselage to make the Morane-Saulnier N single seat fighter. The Morane-Saulnier H
Morane-Saulnier H
-References:...
was modified so that its wings were mounted parasol fashion, above the fuselage to afford the observer a better view, creating the Morane-Saulnier L. The L was then fitted with a faired fuselage as on the N and ailerons to make the Morane-Saulnier LA, which was then completely redesigned (though looking very similar) to make the Morane-Saulnier P which would be the basis for a whole family of aircraft developed in the '20s. The Type N was developed into the larger and more powerful type Morane-Saulnier I and the very similar Morane-Saulnier V
Morane-Saulnier V
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but these were not successful, being too powerful and having inadequate controls. The V was then redesigned to create the Morane-Saulnier AC which dispensed with a wing warping, and used a strut braced wing. The AC wasn't particularly successful, in part due to the poor visibility a shoulder mounting wing afforded, so the Morane-Saulnier AI was developed, which raised the wing above the fuselage. The AI lost out in the competition to the SPAD XIII but was built in limited numbers in case there was a problem with the SPAD though as it turned out, it was the AI that suffered structural problems.
In parallel to the L the Morane-Saulnier BB was developed for the RFC, which was a Type P built as a biplane. Because the type 'BB' when pronounced in French sounds like Bebe (or baby), this became the type's nickname. Most of these types had no fixed fin, or horizontal stabilizer with the result that they were not only very sensitive on the controls, but could not even be flown hands off. One early pilot noted that if one left the aircraft to its own devices it would end up going upside down in the opposite direction. Despite this, many were used as trainers, including a great many that had their wings stripped so they couldn't fly, creating what was known as a Penguin.
The Type L has the distinction of being the first fighter aircraft during the early days of World War I when one was fitted with a machine gun firing through the propeller by Roland Garros. Although initially fitted with a synchronizer
Interrupter gear
An interrupter gear is a device used on military aircraft and warships in order to allow them to target opponents without damaging themselves....
, the irregular rate of fire afforded by the gas-operated Hotchkiss
Hotchkiss M1909 Benet-Mercie machine gun
The Hotchkiss M1909 machine gun was a French designed light machine gun of the early 20th century, developed and built by Hotchkiss et Cie. It was also known as the Hotchkiss Mark I and M1909 Benet-Mercie....
machine gun he used meant it didn't work half the time, and he was reduced to fitting metal plates to armour the propeller
Propeller (aircraft)
Aircraft propellers or airscrews convert rotary motion from piston engines or turboprops to provide propulsive force. They may be fixed or variable pitch. Early aircraft propellers were carved by hand from solid or laminated wood with later propellers being constructed from metal...
. Bullets striking the back of the propeller were deflected off at an angle. Since the rate of fire was slightly less than the rate of rotation of the propeller this worked (though not perfectly) and Garros would become the first Ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
. A similar system would be fitted to the Type N pending the arrival of other machine guns which made the system workable. While flying his modified Type L, Garros crashed on the German side of the lines and the wreckage was examined by Fokker just prior to Fokker producing a similar system.
After the war, Morane-Saulnier produced a number of designs for training and general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
, but with the start of World War II looming it once again turned to military aircraft. During the late 1920s and early 1930s, it produced a number of parasol wing
Parasol wing
A parasol wing monoplane is an aircraft design in which the wing is not mounted directly to the fuselage, but rather, the fuselage is supported beneath it by a set of struts, called cabane struts...
fighters including the M.S.230 and M.S.315, but all were of limited performance and were relegated to training duties. Moraine-Saulnier had much more success with its dramatically-modernized M.S.406
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
The M.S.406 was a French Armée de l'Air fighter aircraft built by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. Numerically it was France's most important fighter during the opening stages of World War II....
, which was the Armée de l'Air's most numerous fighter at the start of the war. Unfortunately, the 406 was advanced only for its introduction in 1935 and suffered terribly against the more modern Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
s it faced in 1940.
During World War II, Morane-Saulnier was operated under German control and built a number of German types including the Fieseler Storch, known after the war as the Morane-Saulnier MS.500 Criquet. Morane-Saulnier also produced a number of trainer and civilian aircraft models, the best known of which was the successful "Rallye" series of four-seat STOL
STOL
STOL is an acronym for short take-off and landing, a term used to describe aircraft with very short runway requirements.-Definitions:There is no one accepted definition of STOL and many different definitions have been used by different authorities and nations at various times and for a myriad of...
semi-aerobatic tourers (see picture above).
Morane-Saulnier was purchased by Potez
Potez
Potez was a French aircraft manufacturer founded as Aéroplanes Henry Potez by Henry Potez at Aubervilliers in 1919. The firm began by refurbishing war-surplus SEA IV aircraft, but was soon building new examples of an improved version, the Potez VII...
on January 7, 1962 and became SEEMS, the Societe d'Exploitation des Etablissements Morane-Saulnier. In 1966 its civilian models were spun off to form SOCATA
Socata
Socată is a traditional Romanian soft drink made from the flowers of the European elder shrub, Sambucus nigra . The European elderberry also grows spontaneously in North America....
, the Societe de Construction d'Avions de Tourisme et d'Affaires, which was eventually purchased by Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale was a French aerospace manufacturer that built both civilian and military aircraft, rockets and satellites. It was originally known as Société Nationale Industrielle Aérospatiale...
.
Development of gun synchronisation
The company and Saulnier himself had a significant role in the development of the concept of synchronising machine gun fire through an aircraft's propeller.Morane-Saulnier designs
- Morane-Saulnier A
- Morane-Saulnier B
- Morane-Saulnier G
- Morane-Saulnier HMorane-Saulnier H-References:...
- Morane-Saulnier L
- Morane-Saulnier LA
- Morane-Saulnier N
- Morane-Saulnier I
- Morane-Saulnier VMorane-Saulnier V|-References:...
- Morane-Saulnier P
- Morane-Saulnier T
- Morane-Saulnier AC
- Morane-Saulnier AF
- Morane-Saulnier AI
- Morane-Saulnier AN
- Morane-Saulnier AR
- Morane-Saulnier BB
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-30
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-43
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-50
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-53
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-121
- Morane-Saulnier MS-129
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-130
- Morane-Saulnier MS-130 Michelin Cup
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-132
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-138
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-139
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-147
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-148
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-149
- Morane-Saulnier MoS-152
- Morane-Saulnier MS-180
- Morane-Saulnier MS-181
- Morane-Saulnier MS-185
- Morane-Saulnier MS-200
- Morane-Saulnier MS-221
- Morane-Saulnier MS-222
- Morane-Saulnier MS-223
- Morane-Saulnier MS-224
- Morane-Saulnier MS-225Morane-Saulnier M.S.225-See also:-References:*Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York:Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.-External links:* * *...
- Morane-Saulnier MS-226
- Morane-Saulnier MS-227
- Morane-Saulnier MS-230
- Morane-Saulnier MS-231
- Morane-Saulnier MS-232
- Morane-Saulnier MS-233
- Morane-Saulnier MS-234
- Morane-Saulnier MS-235
- Morane-Saulnier MS-236
- Morane-Saulnier MS-275
- Morane-Saulnier MS-315
- Morane-Saulnier MS-325
- Morane-Saulnier MS-340
- Morane-Saulnier MS-341
- Morane-Saulnier MS-342
- Morane-Saulnier MS-343
- Morane-Saulnier MS-345
- Morane-Saulnier MS-350
- Morane-Saulnier MS-406
- Morane-Saulnier MS-430
- Morane-Saulnier MS-435
- Morane-Saulnier MS-450
- Morane-Saulnier MS.470 VanneauMorane-Saulnier Vanneau|-See also:...
- Morane-Saulnier MS-500 Criquet
- Morane-Saulnier MS-502
- Morane-Saulnier MS-505
- Morane-Saulnier MS-570
- Morane-Saulnier MS-571
- Morane Saulnier MS.603
- Morane-Saulnier MS-703 Pétrel
- Morane-Saulnier MS.730 AlcyonMorane-Saulnier Alcyon-See also:...
- Morane-Saulnier MS-755 Fleuret
- Morane-Saulnier MS-760 Paris
- Morane-Saulnier MS-880 Rallye
- Morane-Saulnier MS-880b Rallye
- Morane-Saulnier MS-885 Super Rallye
- Morane-Saulnier MS-893E
- Morane-Saulnier MS-1500