Morane-Saulnier N

Type N
RFC Morane-Saulnier Type N Bullet, fitted with the immense "casserole" spinner
Role fighter
Manufacturer Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier
First flight 22 July 1914
Introduction 1915
Primary users Aéronautique Militaire
Royal Flying Corps
Imperial Russian Air Service
Number built 49
Variants Morane-Saulnier I
Morane-Saulnier V

The Morane-Saulnier N, also known as the Morane-Saulnier Type N, was a French monoplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Designed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier, the Type N entered service in April 1915 with the Aéronautique Militaire designated as the MS.5 C.1. It also equipped four squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps, in which it was nicknamed the Bullet, and was operated in limited numbers by the 19th Squadron of the Imperial Russian Air Force.

Description

RFC Morane-Saulnier N

While the Type N was a clean, streamlined aircraft, it was not easy to fly due to a combination of stiff lateral control caused by using wing warping instead of ailerons, sensitive pitch and yaw controls caused by using an all flying tail, and very high landing speed for the period. The Type N mounted a single unsynchronized forward-firing 7.9 mm Hotchkiss machine gun which used the deflector wedges first used on the Morane-Saulnier Type L, in order to fire through the propeller arc. The later I and V types used a .303-in Vickers machine gun.

A large metal "casserolle" spinner was designed to streamline the aircraft but caused the engines to overheat. In 1915, the spinners were removed and the overheating problems disappeared with little loss in performance.

49 aircraft were built but it was quickly rendered obsolete by the pace of aircraft development.

Variants

Morane-Saulnier Type N
Single-seat fighter-scout monoplane.
Morane-Saulnier Type Nm
The Type Nm had a modified tail unit. Built in small numbers.
Morane-Saulnier I
more powerful version with 110 Le Rhône 9J.
Morane-Saulnier V
Longer range version of I.

Operators

 France
 Russian Empire
 Ukraine
 United Kingdom

Specifications (Type N)

Data from War Planes of the First World War, Volume Five.[1]

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

See also

Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

References

Citations

  1. Bruce 1972, p. 86.
  2. "Morane-Saulnier type N." EADS N.V., 26 May 2008. Retrieved: 14 June 2008.

Bibliography

  • Bruce, J.M. (1996). Morane-Saulnier Types N, I, V. Windsock Datafile 58. Hertfordshire, UK: Albatros Publications. ASIN B00FEK5A4M. 
  • Bruce, J.M. "The Bullets and the Guns". Air Enthusiast. Issue Nine, February–May 1979. Bromley, Kent: Pilot Press,

1979, pp. 61–75.

  • Bruce, J.M. War Planes of the First World War: Fighters: Volume Five. London: Macdonald, 1972. ISBN 978-0-356-03779-0.
  • Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur (1997). French Aircraft of the First World War. Mountain View, CA: Flying Machines Press. ISBN 978-1891268090. 
  • Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur (1997). French Aircraft of the First World War. Mountain View, CA: Flying Machines Press. ISBN 978-1891268090. 
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