В.Шавров История конструкций самолетов в СССР до 1938 г.

"Моран-Сольнье" А-1 - парасоль малых размеров, специально предназначенный для фигурных полетов и тренировки; крыло с подкосами и контрподкосами, особо прочное. Двигатель - "Рон" в 120 л. с. Самолет выпущен в 1919 г. В 1920 г. французский летчик Фронваль выполнил на нем 962 петли подряд за 3 1/2 часа. Самолет был приобретен в одном экземпляре и испытывался в НОА в 1924 г.


Самолет|| А-1
Год выпуска||1919
Двигатель , марка||
   мощность, л. с.||120
Длина самолета, м||5,80
Размах крыла, м||8,88
Площадь крыла, м2||13,00
Масса пустого, кг||405
Масса топлива+ масла, кг||80
Масса полной нагрузки, кг||157
Полетная масса, кг||562
Удельная нагрузка на крыло, кг/м2||43,3
Удельная нагрузка на мощность, кг/лс||4,7
Весовая отдача,%||28
Скорость максимальная у земли, км/ч||192
Скорость посадочная, км/ч||90
Время набора высоты||
   1000м, мин||3,5
   2000м, мин||7,5
Потолок практический, м||6500
Продолжительность полета, ч.||2,4
Дальность полета, км||460
Разбег, с(м)||14

J.Davilla, A.Soltan French Aircraft of the First World War (Flying Machines)

Morane-Saulnier Type AI

  The Morane-Saulnier firm designed two fighter aircraft in 1917 that had fuselages based on the Type AC and were powered by the 150-hp Gnome Monosoupape 9Nb rotary engine. One, the Type AF, was a biplane; the Type Al had the monoplane layout preferred by Morane-Saulnier engineers. Although the Type AF did not secure any orders, the Type Al was to prove more successful.
  The forward fuselage of the Al was constructed of metal and the rear fuselage was spruce. The Type Al's fuselage was longer than the Type AF and the ventral fin was much smaller. The surface area of the tailplane was slightly reduced and that of the elevator slightly increased. The one-piece wing was of wooden construction and had a slight sweepback. There were horn-balanced ailerons. Two struts on either side of the fuselage braced the wing and were themselves supported by auxiliary struts it mid-span. This arrangement resulted in a very sturdy structure and would be repeated on many ol Morane-Saulnier's postwar designs. The landing gear chassis was made ol two lateral V-shaped steel tubes and one central V-shaped tube. The tailskid was mounted on a tube which passed through the rudder. There was a small, fixed vertical fin and the horizontal tailplane had fixed stabilizers and mobile elevators. The moving portions of the tail surfaces were made of wood mounted on a metal axle. All control surfaces were actuated by cables.
  The prototype was tested al Villacoublay in early August 1917 and the performance was quite good. The aircraft did even better when the Chauviere propeller was replaced by a Levasseur design. Armament was either a single Vickers machine gun with 500 rounds or two machine guns with a total of 800 rounds. The twin-gun Type Al was identical to the single-gun version except for having slightly enlarged tail surfaces.
  Particularly favorable comments were made about the Type Al's maneuverability, stability, and view from the cockpit. The aircraft was in many ways superior to the SPAD 15 and Nieuport 28 that had the same engine. An order lor between 1,100 to 1,500 Type AIs was placed by the Aviation Militaire, which gave the type the designation MoS.27 C1 (for the version with the single gun) and MoS.29 C1 (for the twin-gun version). Estimated production was between 1.050 and 1.200 aircraft.
  Unlike any of the other Morane Saulnier fighters, it was planned to equip entire escadrilles with the new aircraft. N 156 transitioned from Nieuport 24s and 27s and received 15 Type AIs to become MS 156 on 9 February 1918. It was assigned to the 4th Armee. N 158 also changed from Nieuport 23s to become MS 158 on 4 March 1918. Finally, MS 161 was formed from N 161 on 21 February 1918.
  It seemed that, at last, the Morane-Saulnier firm would be able to sell large numbers of fighters to the Aviation Militaire. However, success would once again elude the company. MS 156 gave up its Type AIs and adopted SPAD 13s to become SPA 156 in March 1918. MS 158 (which had been assigned to the 3rd Armee and been active over the Somme front flying fighter patrols, bomber escort, and trench-strafing missions in the vicinity of Sacy-le-Grand) moved to the airfield at d'Auvillers to re-equip with SPAD 13s on 20 April 1918. MS 161 retained its Type AIs longer than any other escadrille. The unit was based at Boujacourt and later moved to Dugny, where it was assigned to the 5th Armee. By May it, too, had retired its Type AIs for SPAD 13s and was redesignated SPA 161.
  The reason for the rapid withdrawal of the Type AIs from front-line service has never been adequately explained. One theory is that troubles with the Gnome engine were the cause of the Type AI's failure. Support for this comes from a GQG memo dated 18 March 1918 stating that units using MoS.27s and MoS.29s were to reduce the number of long-distance flights at high altitude because of engine failures. A solution to the problem was under way by the STAe, but until then the shipment of 150-hp Gnome Monosoupape engines from the factory was suspended. Temple N. Joyce, an American pilot who had the opportunity to fly a Type Al at Issoudun found it to be quite agile and he stated he performed 300 consecutive loops. He also reports, however, that the Gnome Monosoupape engines were prone to catch fire if not handled properly.
  There is also evidence that Type Als might have been subject to structural failures. An RAF major noted in June 1918 that the aircraft had been withdrawn due to "frequent accidents." The fact that a version of the Type Al was produced with lift cables to give additional wing bracing suggests that the wing supports may have been prone to failure.
  Morane-Saulnier may have hoped that replacing the Gnome engine with a 170-hp Le Rhone 9R would salvage the Type Al's career, and a single example was fitted with the newer engine. However, the Aviation Militaire did not supply any other frontline escadrilles with Type Als and relegated them to fighter training units. The Type Als were subsequently used to teach student pilots aerial combat maneuvering. Type Al trainers were given 120-hp Le Rhone 9Jb or 135-hp Le Rhone 9Jby engines and were designated MoS.30 E1. A dedicated trainer version with augmented wing bracing and a 90-hp Le Rhone 9Jby engine was designated MoS.30bis E1. This aircraft had its armament deleted and also had a reduced fuel capacity.
  Toward the end of 1917 a single example of the Type Al was given a wooden monocoque fuselage of circular cross-section. This variant was armed with two 7.7-mm Vickers guns. There were also variants of the Al series fitted with a 150-hp Monosoupape engine or a 170-hp Le Rhone 9R. None was purchased by the Aviation Militaire.


Foreign Service

Belgium
  Three MoS.30 E1s are reported to have been supplied to the Aviation Militaire Beige. They were used as trainers and at least one was assigned to the 9th Escadrille.

Czechoslovakia
  A single MoS.30 E1 was obtained after the war.

Japan
  A single MoS.30 was evaluated by Japan in 1922 for use as an advanced trainer. No further examples were purchased.

Poland
  At least one MoS.30 was used at the French Pilot's school at Warsaw in 1920.

Switzerland
  At least one MoS.30 was acquired.

United States
  Fifty-one MoS.30 trainers were used by the A.E.F. at Issoudun.


MoS.27 Single-Seat Fighter with 150-hp Gnome Monosoupape 9Nb
   Span 8.51 m; length 5.65 m; height 2.4 m; wing area 13.39 sq. m
   Empty weight 421 kg; loaded weight 649 kg
   Maximum speed:
ground level 225 km/h
2,000 in 220 km/h
3,000 m 216 km/h
4,000 m 210 km/h
5,000 m 201 km/h
   Climb:
1,000 m 2 minutes
2,000 m 4 minutes 25 seconds
3,000 m 7 minutes 2 5 seconds
4,000 m 11 minutes 15 seconds
5,000 m 15 minutes 50 seconds
   Endurance 1.75 hours
   Armament: one 7.7-mm Vickers machine gun

MoS.29 Single-Seat Fighter with 150-hp Gnome Monosoupape 9Nb
   Dimensions identical to MoS.27
   Empty weight 413.9 kg; loaded weight 673.9 kg
   Maximum speed:
220.6 km/h at ground level
1,000 m 219 km/h
2,000 m 217 km/h
3,000 m 214.5 km/h
4,000 m 209.5 km/h
5,000 m 200 km/h
   Climb:
1,000 m 2 minutes 20 seconds
2,000 m 5 minutes 5 seconds
3,000 m 8 minutes 40 seconds
4,000 m 12 minutes 45 seconds
5,000 m 19 minutes
   Armament: two 7.7-mm Vickers machine guns

MoS.27 Single-Seat Fighter with 170-hp Le Rhone 9R
   Dimensions identical to MoS.27
   Empty weight 421 kg; loaded weight 655 kg
   Maximum speed:
2,000 m 214 km/h
3,000 m 211 km/h
4,000 m 205 km/h
5,000 m 190 km/h
   Climb:
2,000 m 4 minutes 30 seconds
3,000 m 7 minutes 45 seconds
4,000 m 11 minutes 40 seconds
5,000 m 16 minutes 30 seconds
   Ceiling 7,000 m (approximate); endurance 2 hours 10 minutes
   Armament: one 7.7-mm Vickers machine gun

MoS.30 Single-Seat Fighter Trainer with 120-hp Le Rhone 9Jb or 135-hp Le Rhone 9Jby
   Dimensions identical to MoS.27
   Empty weight 406 kg; loaded weight 526 kg
   Maximum speed:
2,000 m 197 km/h
3,000 m 192 km/h
   Climb:
2,000 m 5 minutes 12 seconds
3,000 m 8 minutes 35 seconds
4,000 m 11 minutes
   Ceiling 6,000 m; endurance 45 minutes
   No armament carried

MoS.30bis Single-Seat Fighter Trainer with 90-hp Le Rhone 9Jby
   Dimensions identical to MoS.27
   Empty weight 406 kg; loaded weight 526 kg
   Maximum speed:
2,000 m 150 km/h
3,000 m 146 km/h
4,000 m 138 km/h
   Climb:
2,000 m 8 minutes 5 seconds
3,000 m 14 minutes 44 seconds
4,000 m 26 minutes 27 seconds
   Ceiling 4,875 m (approximate); endurance 60 minutes
   No armament carried
   Approximately 1,100 to 1,300 MoS.27s, MoS.29s, and MoS.30s were built

L.Andersson Soviet Aircraft and Aviation 1917-1941 (Putnam)

Morane-Saulnier MS.30E1 (AI) andMS.35EP2 (AR)

   The Morane-Saulnier Type AI light single-seat fighter of 1917 was adopted by the French military air service and a large number was built. The Type AI was a small monoplane with the parasol wing supported by a complex system of diagonal struts, and the engine was enclosed by a circular cowling typical of many First World War fighters. It was later used as an advanced trainer for fighter pilots as the MoS 30E1 and saw military service also in Belgium, China, Japan (one), Poland, the USA and elsewhere. The two-seat MS.35EP2 (Type AR) was a similar two-seat parasol-wing trainer, first flown in 1924, that was acquired by the air forces in Argentina (two), Belgium, Brazil, China, Guatemala (one), Mexico, the Netherlands East Indies (one), Paraguay (one), Poland, Romania, Uruguay and Turkey.
   Four Morane-Saulnier trainers were purchased by the Soviet Union for evaluation in 1923 and tested by the NOA. The AR was ranked fifth of the trainers tested in 1923-24. They were then assigned to the 1st School of Military Pilots at Kacha, Sevastopol, where in February 1924 all four were on charge, one of which was referred to as a 'Morane-Saulnier Trainer', while the other three were just Morane-Saulniers. Three were written off late in 1925, and c/n 2460, which was powered by an 80hp Le Rhone and must have been an MS.35, crashed on 9 July 1926. In December 1924 a French newspaper reported that ten Morane-Saulnier aircraft had been ordered by the Soviet Union together with 54 Hanriot trainers, but apparently this order was never signed or was cancelled.

MS.30E1 (AI)
   120hp Le Rhone 9Jb
   Span 8.85m; length 5.8m; height 2.45m; wing area 13.5m2
   Empty weight 405kg; loaded weight 562kg
   Maximum speed 193km/h; landing speed 90km/h; climb to 1,000m in 3min; ceiling 6,500m; endurance 2.4hr; range 460km

MS.35EP2 (AR)
   80hp Le Rhone 9c
   Span 10.56m; length 6.76m; height 1.8m; wing area 18m'
   Empty weight 450kg; loaded weight 700kg
   Maximum speed 138km/h; landing speed 75km/h; climb to 1,000m in 6 1/2 min; ceiling 4,250m; endurance 2.8hr; range 360km

G.Swanborough, P.Bowers United States Military Aircraft Since 1909 (Putnam)

MORANE-SAULNIER 30 E1

   The unique strut-braced Morane MS-30 was typical of much of the second-line and sub-standard combat equipment procured from the French government that was used for training the A.E.F. While earlier versions with the 160-h.p. Gnome rotary engine had been developed as fighters, the one-gun MS-27 and the two-gun MS-29, the type proved unsuited to combat and the lower-powered MS-30 was built strictly as an advanced trainer as shown by the E-for-Entrainment designation. Power was the 120 h.p. Le Rhone. Fifty-one were procured for the A.E.F.
   Span, 28 ft. 7 in.; length, 18 ft. 8 in.; gross weight, 1,155 lb.; high speed, 120 m.p.h.

Jane's All The World Aircraft 1919

The Morane machines, particularly the Parasol monoplanes, rendered great services during the earlier part of the War.
   The firm has since turned out a number of biplanes, including certain two-engined machines. Among the final Morane-Saulnier war machines was the AI parasol fighter, put into production for service in 1918 as the Type 27 and Type 29. Type 27 C.1 achieved 130 m.p.h, (210 km per hour).
  
  
THE MORANE SAULNIER. TYPES 27C.1 & 29C.1.
  
  
Type of machine Single-Seater Parasol Monoplane.
Name or type No. of machine Morane-Saulnier. 27C.1, single gun. 29C.1, two guns.
Purpose tor which Intended .. Fighting Scout.
Span 8.72 m.
Overall length 5.7 m.
Maximum height .. 2.4 m.
Chord..... 2.013 m.
Total surface of wings .. 13,5 sq. m.
Span of tail 2.7 m.
Engine type and h.p. .. 160 h.p. Mono. Gnome.

W.Green, G.Swanborough The Complete Book of Fighters

MORANE-SAULNIER TYPE AI (MoS 27) France

   In the summer of 1917, Morane-Saulnier produced two new fighters in parallel, the Type AI (MoS 27) parasol monoplane and the Type AF (MoS 28) single-bay biplane. Powered by a 150 hp Gnome Monosoupape 9Nb nine-cylinder rotary, the Type AI was primarily of wooden construction and carried a single synchronised 7,7-mm Vickers gun. The prototype was officially tested in early August 1917 at Villacoublay, demonstrating an exceptional performance. In the following month, a Type AI was tested with a twin-gun installation, this aircraft having slightly enlarged tail surfaces and revealing only a modest reduction in climbing performance. Accordingly, the Type AI was ordered into production both in its single-gun version as the MoS 27 and with twin guns as the MoS 29. Considerably in excess of 1,000 examples of the two versions were subsequently built, deliveries commencing early in 1918. However, the Type AI had been withdrawn from Aviation Militaire service in May 1918 - as a result, said some sources, of structural deficiencies. Others blamed the temperamental nature of the Monosoupape engine. Following withdrawal, most Type AIs were re-engined with the 120 hp Le Rhone 9JB or 135 hp 9Jby and employed as fighter trainers under the designation MoS 30. Two examples of the Type AI were completed with a full wooden monocoque fuselage, one having the Monosoupape engine and the other a 170 hp Le Rhone 9R, but further development was not pursued. The following data relate to the twin-gun MoS 29 version.

Max speed, 137 mph (221 km/h) at sea level.
Time to 6,560 ft (2 000 m), 5.25 min.
Empty weight, 912 lb (414 kg).
Loaded weight, 1,486 lb (674 kg).
Span, 27 ft 11 in (8,51m).
Length, 18 ft 6 2/5 in (5,65 m).
Height, 7 ft 10 1/2 in (2,40 m).
Wing area, 144.13 sq ft (13,39 m2).

C.Owers French Warplanes of WWI. Volume 1: Fighters (A Centennial Perspective on Great War Airplanes 43)

The Morane-Saulnier Al

  In May 1917 the OC of 4th Brigade wrote about a new French Morane, sending silhouettes of the machine to RFC, HQ. The machine had "No bracing wires, but streamline girder tubing. The fuselage tapers to an absolute point at the stern. Estimated speed - 122 mph ground level, and 127 mph at 10,000'." The AI was a remarkable aircraft for its day, not that it was a monoplane in a world of biplanes and triplanes, but for its performance. Morane-Saulnier had built monoplanes before, the first fighter aircraft being a conversion of the Type L monoplane with a machine gun firing through the airscrew that was fitted with deflection wedges. (It was to take Anthony Fokker to merge the interrupter gear with the airframe to build the first true fighter aircraft).
  In 1916 Morane-Saulnier converted their Type P two-seat parasol monoplane to a single-seat fighter. The first type conversion left the pilot in his normal position under the wing. The lack of the observer's weight in the rear cockpit made the machine tricky to land. The later conversion shown here had the pilot's cockpit moved aft, the wing lowered and twin synchronised Vickers guns installed with 750 rounds each. The guns were slightly staggered to allow for the feed arrangement and ammunition stowage. The machine's performance was not good enough for production, especially as the Nieuport fighters were in production with the Spad 7 in the immediate future. It was abandoned in December 1916.
  The Morane-Saulnier Al was designed around the 150-hp Gnome Monosoupape 9N engine like its contemporary, the Morane-Saulnier AF biplane. The fuselages of the two types resembled each other but they were dimensionally different and the Al was not merely a monoplane version of the AF.
  The fuselage, forward of the cockpit, was constructed of perforated metal angle with steel tubing spacer and bracing. A neat cowl with seven ventilation holes, and metal side panels carried the circular cross-section back to the cockpit. Aft the structure was of spruce with piano-wire cross bracing. Wooden formers and stringers gave it a near circular cross-section that tapered to a point. The fuel capacity was the same as that of the AF, three tanks of 66, 47 and 30 litres. Oil was carried in two tanks of 8 and 12 litres. A standard undercarriage was fitted with as central "V" when viewed from the front. The fulcrum of the two half-axles of the undercarriage were braced by struts to the upper ends of the forward legs of the vee undercarriage struts in typical Morane-Saulnier fashion. 650 x 80 tyres were fitted.
  The tail unit featured a horn balanced rudder with fin. The tailplane and elevators were similar to those of the AF but of different proportions.
  The one-piece wing was swept back to an angle of 5 1/2 deg and had raked tips. The wing was of conventional wooden construction with wood spars, ribs, compression members and doped fabric covering. There was a compression strut on the centreline and four in each half wing. The balanced ailerons were attached to an auxiliary spar a short distance behind the rear spar. The ailerons were controlled by torque tubes, somewhat similar to those used by Nieuport. No cabane was fitted to brace the wing from above. The bracing consisted of steel tubes underneath from a point on the outermost compression member, giving about one third of the wing as overhang, to the bottom of the fuselage. An intermediate Warren truss of struts took the loads. The midpoint of the lift struts was connected by a compression strut that was stayed to the wings. Further struts from the upper longerons terminated at the same point on the wing. There was a large semi-circular cut-out in the trailing edge at the cockpit. The tail presented a very small blind area, the control also being by torque tubes fitted with ball bearings. The pilot had excellent visibility.
  A tail skid with a spiral spring was placed inside the rudder post. A single strut each side braced the tailplane. A British report noted that there was an excellent hand grip fitted to the joy stick that might be of interest for adoption for other machines.
  The machine gave a factor of safety of 8.5 under sand load testing.
  Pilot Eugene Gilbert tested the Al for the S.T.Ae on 7, 8 and 9 August 1917, at Villacoublay, where it recorded an excellent performance. 3,000 metres was reached in 7 min 45 sec and the speed at this altitude was 215 km/hr. On the 9th further trials by Gilbert, this time with a Levasseur airscrew, gave better figures with a speed of 216 km/hr at 3,000 metres, that altitude being reached in 7 min 25 sec.
  A US Army report of the trials gave the following results:
   Morane Parasol, 170 H.P. Monosoupape (Monoplane).
   Total weight of machine... 1,420 lbs
   Speed at 6,500 ft... 136 mph
   Speed at 10,000 ft... 133 mph
   Speed at 15,000 ft... 127.5 mph
   Climb to 6.500 ft... 4 min 20 sec
   Climb to 10,000 ft... 7 min 40 sec
   Climb to 15,000 ft... 13 min 40 sec
   Ceiling 23,000 ft

  The above tests were carried out with one gun. For these tests the Al had a dummy machine gun fitted with ballast to make up the weight. The machine could be fitted with one synchronised machine gun and 500 rounds of ammunition, or two guns and 800 rounds. The S.F.A. gave the designations MoS.27.C1 to the single-gun version and MoS.29.C1 to the two-gun model.
  Pilots found the machine responsive. Lt Rene Labouchere who performed handling testing on 11 September being enthusiastic at its performance. The machine was extremely manoeuvrable and responsive. It had very good stability but the takeoff run was somewhat long. The pilot's position was stated to be good. Visibility was excellent unequalled by any contemporary fighter. There was some play in the lateral controls and some small oil leaks. On the 13th it was tested at 5,000 metres by Labouchere, the aircraft retaining its manoeuvrability well at this altitude.
  A two-gun Al was tested by Gilbert on 8 September. In addition to the extra gun this version had slightly enlarged tail surfaces. The load was 260 kg. The machines climbing performance suffered but the aircraft's overall performance and manoeuvrability were preserved. The pilot expressing the same views as for the single-gun machine.
  The US Army's "Review of French Airplanes" of 23 October 1917, reported that the Spad Monocoque, Morane Biplane and Morane Monoplane, all of which are equipped with the Gnome 150 H.P. Monosoupape engine, have finished their tests.
  The same report then recorded that the Morane Monoplane was tested a long time ago, but another test was made on September 8, 1917. This test was made with both single and double machine guns. The results were perfectly satisfactory. A test at high altitude has been made to verify the running of the engine at high altitudes, and also to experiment with an oxygen apparatus. In this test the airplane was actually flown at an altitude of 26,500 feet. In the test for altitude the Morane machine climbed to 2,000 metres in 5 minutes 5 seconds; 3,000 metres in 8’ 40” and 5,000 metres in 19 minutes. The speed at 2,000 metres was 135 M.P.H.; at 3,000 metres 133 1/2 M.P.H. and at 5,000 metres 124 M.P.H.
  Under the heading Morane Monoplane Superior the report concluded that beyond a doubt the Morane Monoplane is the superior airplane with the Gnome Monosoupape 150 H.P. Engine. Furthermore, the factor of safety of this airplane is 8 1/2, which is considerably better than other airplanes of this type. Its stability is superior and its visibility is wonderfully excellent.
  The British agreed that the (v)isibility from the pilot’s seat is excellent for both downwards and forwards, as the pilot’s eyes are only two or three inches below the level of the plane.

  In August RFC HQ had again been notified of the Al, this time by the RFC's representative on the British Aviation Commission in Paris. The excellent performance figures were recorded in the report but nowhere did it mention that the machine was a single-seat fighter. Maj General Hugh Trenchard made a note on the file that he did not want it. The French were more open to the monoplane. As recorded in the Chapter 8 on the Spad 15, the Al, Spad 15, Nieuport 28 and the Morane-Saulnier AF were in direct competition. All were powered by the 150-hp Gnome Monosoupape. The Al had the best performance of all and given the troubles that the French were having at this time with the geared Hispano-Suiza engines in the Spad 13.C 1, it is no surprise that the Al was ordered in quantity.
  Reportedly between 1,100 to 1,300 Al monoplanes were constructed, the actual figure is unknown. Escadrilles N.156, N.158 and N.161 were formed in January 1918, and on being re-equipped with the Al changed their "N" for "MS" in their designations. The combat career of the Al was brief, the type being withdrawn by mid-May. The actual reason for this is not known. Some sources quote problems with the temperamental 150-hp Gnome Monosoupape engine. Others that the machine was structurally weak. Both reasons could be true.
  Escadrille MSP.158 re-equipped fully with the Al on 4 March. The American Rufus Rand was serving in the unit and concluded that the nimble fighter would, with a few alterations, be one of the best fighters on the Western Front. MS.156 was the only Escadrille to be completely equipped with the Al, which, according to the memoirs of the American Sgt Walter J Schafer, were all the MoS.27.C 1 version. Sous-Lieutenant Jean Toutary of MS.156 was killed on 26 February 1918, when his Al shed its wings while he was performing aerobatics over his aerodrome. Another American with the unit, Caporal Wallace C Winter, died during combat on 8 March when his wings folded up as he dived on a German two-seater. Five Moranes had left on a patrol from the escadrille’s aerodrome near Chalons-sur-Marne. Spotting two German two-seaters two Moranes dived to attack. The French pilot's guns jammed and he pulled up to clear them. He saw the wings of Winter's Morane fold up and the machine plunge into the German lines. Was he shot down by return fire from the German two-seater or did he suffer structural failure? Post-war it was learned that Ltn Julius Keller of Jasta 21s claimed to have shot down a Morane-Saulnier monoplane on this date but Winter's comrades did not see any enemy fighters when the wings collapsed. MPS.158 also lost a man when Cpl Emile Boucheron crashed while landing on 15 May.
  On 18 May MSP.156 received its first MoS.29. The twin-gun Morane-Saulnier was fated never to go into action as two days later Shaffer wrote - We are changing airplanes again, getting Spads this time... The Moranes, am sorry to say, have been given up, owing to their weak construction, which could not stand the strain ‘chasse’ work entails. I say sorry, because not only was it fast, but so small as one pilot said, it could be manoeuvred around a clothes pin, which is some quick turning you will admit, and what was more to the point, had the Boches scared with its enormous racket and quickness. But as they continue to break in the air, we are forbidden to fly them.

  The Morane-Saulnier monoplanes were withdrawn and replaced by Spad 7 fighters. While not as manoeuvrable, the little Spad could be dived without fear and could take a lot of punishment. The S.F.A. designations for the different versions of Morane-Saulnier Al were:
   MoS 27.C 1 (with one gun).
   MoS 29.C 1 (with two guns).
   MoS 30.E 1 (110-hp Le Rhone) unarmed.
   MoS 30bis.E 1 (de-rated 110-hp Le Rhone) unarmed.

  An Al was constructed that had the wing bracing extensively modified, while the MoS 30.E 1 version had auxiliary lift cables as standard. In June 1918, Maj J.P.C. Sewell, RAF liaison officer with the French, recorded that the machine had been abandoned on account of frequent accidents. USAS pilot Temple N Joyce recalled that the mistrust of the A.I. by certain pilots stemmed from the fact that the original A.I. had been equipped with the 160 h.p. Monosoupape engine, which had a reputation for catching fire. This was true, although the fault did not lie with the engine itself but with its misuse by inexperienced pilots. This was also true for the Monosoupape and Le Rhone-equipped NIEUPORTS.

  The 170-hp Le Rhone was installed in a MoS.27.C 1 airframe, possibly in an attempt to overcome the difficulties with the 150-hp Gnome Monosoupape. Unfortunately, the 170-hp Le Rhone had its own troubles.
  The Al was relegated to fighter training units as an advanced trainer. They were given 120-hp Le Rhone 9Jb or 135-hp Le Rhone 9Jby engines, had the armament removed and the wing bracing augmented by lift wires to the third compression strut of each wing.
  The Morane-Saulnier company must have considered the basic design worth pursuing as the British Aviation Commission reported on 12 September 1917, that the company have in construction another fuselage for this machine in built-up 6-ply, being built up with strips of poplar 10 cm wide by 1/2 mm thick. This is of circular section, and is only braced internally by four 3-ply spiders.
  Photographs show that at least one of this version of the Al was built. It had twin guns, with an enlarged fin and horn balanced elevators. Power was provided by a 150-hp Le Rhone 9R engine. In November 1917, the British reported a monoplane powered by the 165-hp Monosoupape was in construction. It had a "Built up coque & empennage, but ordinary wings as for Type Al." The next month's report recorded that two monocoque fuselage Al monoplanes were under construction. One was equipped with the Le Rhone 9R and the other with a 150-hp Gnome Monosoupape. Both were completed as well as an airframe for proof loading.
  In November 1917, Captain Alfred A Cunningham, USMC, was sent to Europe to undertake a quick inspection and report on aviation activities of the French and English and to return to the USA on 1 January 1918. He arrived in Paris on 15 November and visited training establishments, squadrons at the front, aircraft factories and Villacoublay.

  Villacoublay is a very large French flying station where nearly all their experiments and tests of new type machines are made. It also appears to be a reserve station for bombardment machines. There were about 60 night bombers staked out on the field in addition to those in the hangars. They have here some of practically every type of aeroplane used in France from the big four-motored Voisin triplane, which requires special railway tracks to handle it, down to the Curtiss J.N.4B. A new SPAD with 300 h.p. motor was tried out. During flight both wings left the fuselage completely. The machine was such a wreck that it was impossible to tell whether it was caused by overpower or fault in assembling the machine. The new Nieuport Monosoupape with two spars in the lower wing is a wonder for speed. It is said to make 140 actual miles per hour, and from watching it fly, I don’t doubt it. The new Breguet biplace machine is considered very fine by the French and is almost as fast as the SPAD at high altitudes. It uses the new Renault water-cooled motor and is armed with two synchronised Vickers machine guns and two Lewis guns on a double mount in the observer’s cockpit. The fastest thing I have seen is the new 13 metre Morane Parasol with 190 h.p. Le Rhone motor. The fuselage is round and streamlined to appoint in the rear of the rudder. It is so small it looks more like a paperweight than a flying machine and must make over 150 actual miles an hour. Its high landing speed requires expert piloting. There are numbers of new and interesting experimental machines here which have not been named. Lack of time prevented my studying these thoroughly.

  The identity of the little Morane "paperweight" that Cunningham was so taken with is not known. As noted above there were experimental versions of the A.I with the Rhone engine. A Morane-Saulnier C1 Rh 9R, type not identified, was at Villacoublay for tests on 9 November 1917. This may have been the type AL.
  The USAS ordered five MoS 30.E 1 trainers in June 1918. The first was delivered that same month. They were used exclusively at Issoudun Field 8, the last Field that aspiring fighter pilots were to attend before being sent to the Front. One MoS 30.E 1 was apparently lost soon after being delivered but the rest survived till the Armistice. They were apparently equipped with the Hythe camera gun. It appears that the Nieuport 24, 24bis and 27 sesquiplanes were preferred to the Morane-Saulnier monoplanes. Late in 1918 another 46 MoS 30.E 1 trainers were ordered as a stop-gap due to the lack of suitable Nieuports. These were delivered from 1 November, with 33 being received by the Armistice. The order was completed post-Armistice.
  Known serial numbers are: 3166, 3172, 3174, 3176-3178, 3180, 3735, 3736, 3738, 3740-3742, 3745, 3748, 3752, 3752, 3755, 3757, 3761, 3777-3779, 3781, 3784-3786, 3788, 3789, 3892, 3795-3799, 7081, 7082. At least some of the MoS 30.E 1 trainers appear to have been operated in the French five colour camouflage scheme with French national markings.
  Temple N Joyce thought that the Al was the sweetest airplane ever produced, and I have flown no airplane that was more suited to aerobatics than this trim little monoplane. Joyce was an instructor at Issoudun and recalled that in early April of 1918, the first of the MORANE A.I’s that had been purchased by the United States began to arrive at Issoudun. The first was flown by in by the French ace Capitaine JACQUES GERARD, and before landing, he put on one of the most smooth, low-altitude aerobatic performances I have ever seen - every maneuver was smooth, perfect and precise. After seeing this display and after having flown the ship myself, I was convinced that I could find no aircraft better suited to my needs. I put in a request and was assigned an A.I. for use in the various aerobatic demonstrations that I was called upon to perform for visiting V.I.P.’s, etc.

  In Joyce's opinion the Morane-Saulnier Al was easier to fly than the Nieuport because of its tremendous stability, even though both of them were light and tricky. Joyce used his Al to fly 300 consecutive loops, breaking the record and running out of fuel on the 300th loop.
  Maj Harold E Hartney, USAS, recalled that when he arrived at Issoudun they had no aircraft and he had to get the miscellaneous condemned jobs active again by repairing and truing them up. At one end of the hangar was the very latest type Morane Parasol - a little dream ship, like a graceful butterfly, with a 165-horsepower rotary Monosoupape (single valve) rotary engine, that barked like a continuous succession of backfires.
  Hartney had been through the Gosport system and found that the authorities at Issoudun wanted to teach them to fly again. When I announced I would fly the little Morane Parasol, the ship with the ball-bearing controls, which most of those at the field considered too dangerous even to look at, much less pilot through the air, it was the final “kick in the pants” for the conservative element of the field personnel.
  Familiar with the big Monosoupape motor and having qualified as an expert on the Gosport Camels, I roared across the field on my take-off, gathering speed with every inch. I intended to do every tick in the pack - upside down flying, barrel rolls, tail slides, everything - the only way to lead a flying outfit. Going 50 miles an hour the big motor was just about to lift the ship into the air when wham! - a tire blew out. The dainty little mechanical bird slewed around and flopped gracefully over on its back. And in view of six hundred officers and men, the Petit (his nickname) had to unfasten the peculiar French shoulder-type safety belt, drop upside down to the ground and shamefacedly get himself out of the mess!

  Hartney recorded that someone got a new tyre from Paris and two days later a French pilot took the Morane-Saulnier up and the wing failed in a simple tight spiral, the machine crashing and killing the pilot.
  The history of the various versions of the AI that were built and sold after the Armistice has proved to be a complicated story with various sources giving different numbers and designations for the Morane-Saulnier monoplanes supplied to various countries.
  Belgium's Aviation Militaire received three of the fighter trainers, the first in 1920. One served with the 1st Escadrille with its paper horse insignia, while others bore the thistle insignia of the 9e Escadrille. In 1920 changes to the Belgium Army saw the Aviation Militaire become the Aeronautique Militaire. The Morane-Saulniers were given the serials 1.1 to 1.3. The last was in service until August 1928.
  One MoS 30 was photographed in Swiss markings but with no serial number. J Urech's The Aircraft of the Swiss Air Force since 1914, (Verlag Th Gut & Co, Switzerland, 1975) lists every Swiss military aircraft but not the MoS 30, leading to the assumption that this was a civil aircraft, however no civil MoS 30 appears on the Swiss civil register.
  Japan purchased five MoS 30 monoplanes in 1922 for research purposes. Nos. 608 and 612 are known to have been in Japanese service. However, Akimoto Minoru-sensei in his Niho Rikugun Shisakuki Taiken (All the Experimental Aircraft in Japanese Army), (Kamtposha, 2008), records only one MoS 30 being imported into Japan at a price of 14,008 yen in 1922 The reason for the discrepancy in the numbers supplies is unknown. The MoS 30 was the first parasol wing aircraft in Japan.
  One MoS, 30 entered the Japanese civil register as J-TECF (c/n 610) on 1 March 1927, registered to Kinzo Negishi. J-TECF was based at Miho Matsubara Negishi Air Station in Shizuoka Prefecture. There are inconsistencies in the official history of J-TECF. It was thought that its last known renewal of the certificate of airworthiness was on 5 October 1928. However, a new Certificate was issued in December 1938 but not taken up. No further record of J-TECF has been discovered past this date.
  One is also believed to have been obtained by the Soviet Union, but this is unconfirmed. Two MoS rouleurs were imported by the Soviet Union in 1923. Officers of the Polish Army in France were training as aviators at Biscarosse and Pau where they came into contact with the Morane-Saulnier MoS 30 both in its fighter and fighter-trainer versions. The Polish air force was established soon after Poland was granted its independence after the Armistice on 11 November 1918. The force comprised whatever aircraft could be obtained from those left behind by the retreating armies of Germany and Austro-Hungary. In the spring of 1919, the French sent reinforcements in the form of seven French Escadrilles. These were attached to the so called "Blue Army", the Polish Army that had formed in France in June 1917. The personnel of these Escadrilles were mostly French and the aircraft retained their French camouflage and national markings. These units were soon in action with the Poles in the war between Poland and the Ukraine, and that with Soviet Russia.
  Poland obtained 20 MoS 30.E 1 fighter-trainers from the French in 1920-1921. The first two were sent to the Wyszej Szkoly Pilotow (the Pilot's College in Lawica).
  The Morane-Saulnier trainers entered service in early 1920. They were mainly used by the flying training schools at Lawica where they were used for advanced training in aerobatics and fighter tactics at the pilot's school. One ended up as a training aid in the Lawica airfield workshops. During the end of 1921 and the early months of 1922, the MoS 30.E 1 trainer were moved from the pilot's school at Poznanska to Grudziadz when the school was moved completely to the new site. Three also served at Bydgoszcz where instructors were trained.
  The Morane-Saulnier parasol had a good turn of speed. It was tricky on take-off and landings, but had a good safety record in Polish service, only one fatality being recorded on the type. On 12 August 1921, student pilot Corp Jozef Kuklinski crashed and was killed. The crash was held to be due to pilot error. The strength of the type was demonstrated by Boleslaw Orlinski, the chief aerobatic instructor, who performed 242 continuous loops in 1923. The parasols served until 1925 when they were replaced by another Morane-Saulnier parasol, the Type 35.EP version of the MS AR.
  Poland also obtained five Morane-Saulnier MoS 29.R 1 "rouler" taxi trainers from France in May 1919 - Serials 1513, 1600, 1647, 1883, and 3055. (These may be the five early Morane-Saulniers recorded as having been obtained from France, not the MoS 30.E 1 trainers, which could explain the difference in figures quoted). The MoS 29.R 1 was designed around the MoS 29 fuselage with wings of reduced area and a 45-hp Anzani engine. The machines could taxi to a speed about 40 kph, but could not fly due to the reduced lifting area. In this way students learnt the basics of starting and taxiing. The "roulers" were delivered to the pilot's school run by the French at Mokotow airfield, Warsaw. They were transferred with the school to Bydgoszcz in the summer of 1920. They were in use until June 1922 when they were all transferred to the Central Aviation Works where they were written off. Their engines found their way to the civilian market and powered many Polish light aircraft in the 1920s.
  Civil versions include F-NUNG flown by Charles Nungesser. This had his personal emblem on the fuselage. A post-war production Al, F-ABAO (c/n 2283), was flown by Morane-Saulnier's chief test pilot, Alfred Fronval, from 1921 through 1928. Temple Joyce met Fronval in 1920 while visiting the Morane-Saulnier plant. He recorded that Fronval, much to my surprise, was able to land the aircraft 15 to 20 miles an hour slower than I had ever been able to. FRONVAL brought the plane down in an approach glide with the nose well in the air and settled on the ground at least 10 to 20 miles an hour slower than usual. The Nice Aviation Meeting of 1922 was described by The Aeroplane as an amusing little affair. Fronval was described as coming in a trifle higher than the sheds, doing a perfect roll and then gently pancaking onto the ground. One does not recommend the feat to Snipe pilots, but as done by him on a Morane monoplane (a type said to have been condemned bv the Secton Technique as insufficiently strong,) is very pretty. In a later issue, the journal noted that Fronval's Morane-Saulnier monoplane had been specially strengthened for stunting. At the 1927 Zurich Meet in August, Fronval won over Germany's Gerhard Fieseler who flew a Raab-Katzenstein with a 110-hp Siemens, and Marcel Doret in his 200-hp Hispano-Suiza Dewoitine D-27. This MoS 30 was donated to the Musee de l’Air by Robert Morane. It has been recently restored to its former glory and placed back on display.
  Post-war Joyce became the American representative for the Morane-Saulnier Aircraft Co in the USA. He was reported as actively demonstrating his A-I monoplane and A-N two-seater to the Army and Navy Air Service in 1920. He was stated as planning to build the AN in large quantities and was trying to raise capital for the project. No documentation has been discovered as to how many Morane-Saulnier aeroplanes Joyce imported into the USA. The figure of 51 has been suggested and this may well be the total number that Joyce brought to the Americas. Joyce did sell Morane-Saulnier aircraft in South America and the following are recorded but not confirmed:
   Argentina: 1 MoS 30 in 1923.
   Bolivia: 2 MoS 30 roulers in 1923. (More probably the MoS 29 R 1).
   Paraguay: 4 MoS Penguins in 1927. (Penguin was another name for the rouler).

  Peru had been working towards establishing a military air arm in 1912 when it ordered an Avro 500 floatplane. The outbreak of the war prevented delivery. After the war a French aviation mission visited the country and brought a number of Morane-Saulnier types with them. William Green and John Fricker in their The Air Forces of the World, state that a Morane L.A. Bullet was purchased, this story apparently arising from The Aeroplane issue of 29 August 1923, which stated that the Army received one Morane Bullet. Peru did purchase a brand-new Type L in 1921. However, a newspaper photograph shows an Al reportedly in Peru, and none of the aircraft from the French mission were returned to France. However, 100 Anos Origen de la Fuerza Aerea Peru, published in 2019, states that a pair of MoS 29 monoplanes were brought to Peru by the 1919 French mission. They became the first fighter aircraft to be used by Peruvian military aviation. The aircraft were relegated only to experienced pilots due to its sensitive flight characteristics. At the inauguration ceremony of the Military Aviation School at Las Palmas at the end of 1923, Sub-Lt Alejandro M Astete gave a performance with the MoS 29 which ended with the embarrassed pilot burying his nose in the ground on landing, fortunately with only his pride being hurt. The Morane-Saulnier fighters were written off in 1925 due to fair wear and tear.
  Records are not clear and it is not known for sure if any of the U.S. Air Service's MoS 30 machines were shipped back to the USA, however the late Cole Palen purchased two original Al parasols from the "Wings and Wheels" auction in 1981. These have been stated to have come from USAS stocks, however no documentation has been discovered to date showing that these particular type of Morane-Saulniers were ever used by the Air Service in the USA. It is assumed that they came from Temple Joyce's activities. Serial 1591 was restored to flying condition at Kermit Week's workshops in Florida, while the other, being incomplete, was made into a reproduction of a Morane-Saulnier Type N.
  The Evening Sun newspaper of Baltimore noted in its issue of 5 August 1920, that Two French Airplanes were entered yesterday at the Custom House from Paris and consigned to Capt. Temple Joyce. They are of the Morane-Saulnier make and represent the army and commercial type of planes, the former having a speed of 145 miles an hour, while the other id rated at 90 miles. Both were taken to Logan Field, Dundalk, where Captain Joyce hopes to have them ready for exhibition next Saturday, when the local aviation club will be present for the weekly stunts in the air. The "army" type would most probably have been the MoS 30.

  In its edition of 15 November 1920, the same newspaper recorded that Temple N. Joyce, representing Morane-Saulnier, of Paris, France, will enter the little A-l Morane monoplane in the Pulitzer race, to be flown at Mitchell Field on Thanksgiving Day. With the race number "57" on the fuselage and in French five-colour camouflage, MoS 30 serial 2093 was to be flown by Charles R. Colt, late engineering officer at Bolling Field, will be the pilot, and under his experienced guidance this machine should show up well. The Morane was in Flight Six of the seven Flights entered for the race, along with a Loening; three Italian S.V.A. types and a Spad. The UK journal, The Aeroplane, reported that the Morane-Saulnier was powered by a 110-hp Le Rhone.
  The type has had a resurgence in recent years. Kermit Weeks' Fantasy of Flight Museum in Florida has one that ended up in the Frank Tallman-Paul Mantz Collection from which it was purchased by Weeks in 1985. It was restored by Personal Plane Services in the UK in the late 1980s. It is displayed in the insignia of Escadrille 15, where it was flown by a Lt Demeraux. The tri-coloured chevron is thought to have been from a previous unit in which Demeraux served. Escadrille 15 did not use the Al during the war; therefore, the emblem must be a personal emblem picked up post-war.
  A reproduction Morane-Saulnier Al was constructed by the students and staff of the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Kansas City, MO. This monoplane has a radial engine rather than an original rotary.
  Morane-Saulnier Al serial No. 1567 was restored by the Memorial Flight Association, starting in 1991 and the first flight taking place in August 1993. It bears the red devil insignia of Escadrille 160. No. 1567 was painted in the French five-coloured WWI camouflage. The Memorial Flights machine was used as a static background prop for the 1993 French film L’Instinct De L’Ange ("Angels Wings" in US release) that was loosely based on Guynemer's life. Two restored Al from the Jean Salis collection were used as the fighter aircraft in the film. They were given a ground type Lewis gun mounted on a high pylon on the upper wing rather than the synchronised twin-guns of the MoS 29.C 1. Jean Salis performed the aerial sequences with his company AJBS. The Memorial Flight Association also restored the Musee de l’Air’s post-war constructed Al, F-ABAD.
  The late Kenneth Munson wrote that the Type Al was a bit of a puzzler ... for a type of which 1,200-odd were built it was only in front line service for such a very short period. Bowers refers to the MS 30E.1 as “Typical of much of the second-line and sub-standard combat equipment procured from the French government that was used for training the A.E.F. ”, which sounds like a pretty fair example of damning with faint praise.

  The performance of the A.I under the hands of Joyce and Fronval, the latter performed 1,111 consecutive loops in the monoplane, points to a very hardy machine. The reasons for the failure of the A.I at the Front will probably never be completely known. The last words on the A.I belong to Temple Joyce.

  The Morane Saulnier A.I. was a fine airplane with excellent maneuverability, stability, speed, endurance, visibility, and all those things that go towards building a love affair between a pilot and an airplane.


Camouflage and Markings

  The official camouflage drawings for the Morane-Saulnier Al have survived and the colours of the machines can be accurately described. The standard five-colour pattern introduced in October 1917 was adopted. Colours were:
   Brun - Chestnut brown
   Vert fon e - Dark green
   Vert clair - Light green
   Jaune - Beige
   Noir - Black
   Aluminium - under-surfaces.
  For some reason the black "footprint" on the starboard wing and black patch on the starboard horizontal tailplane and elevator are shown as aluminium on the official plans although this is typically noted as black in photographs of camouflaged Morane-Saulnier Al fighters and fighter-trainers.
  Source: RAF Museum J.M. Bruce Collection.


New Escadrilles Formed in 1918
Escadrille 156
   N.156 01 January Nieuport 24 and 27
   MSP.156 09 February 15 Morane-Saulnier Al
   Spa.156 20 May 1918 Spad VII, Nieuport 27, Spad XIII
Escadrille 158
   N.158 01 January 15 Nieuport 24, 27
   MSP.158 04 March 15 Morane-Saulnier Al
   SPA.158 19 May Spad VII & XIII
Escadrille 161
   N.161 05 January 15 Nieuport 24, 24bis and 27
   MSP.161 21 February 15 Morane-Saulnier Al
   SPA.161 19 May Spad VII, Spad XIII
Source: Les escadrilles de l’aeronautique militaire francaise 1912-1920, Service Historique de l'Armee de l'Air.