Morane-Saulnier Alcyon

MS-733 Alcyon

Privately owned MS-733 Alcyon wearing the markings of the Armee de l'Air at Coventry Airport in June 2003
Role	Basic trainer
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Morane-Saulnier
First flight	1949
Status	several flown by private owners
Primary user	French Air Force
Number built	208

The Morane-Saulnier Alcyon (en: Kingfisher) is a two or three-seat basic training monoplane designed and built in France by Morane-Saulnier.

Design and development

Designed as a basic trainer for the French military the prototype MS.730 first flew on the 11 August 1949. The prototype was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and powered by a 240 hp (134 kW) Mathis 8G.20 inverted V8 engine. The engine was replaced with a German war-surplus 240 hp (179 kW) Argus As 10 and the prototype flew again in November 1949 as the MS.731. Two further prototypes were built and flown in 1951 designated MS.732, they were each powered by a Potez 6D 02 engine and the original fixed landing gear of the prototype was replaced with retractable main wheels.

Operational history

Preserved MS.733 with French Navy markings on display in France, 2009.

The production version followed designated the MS.733, with five pre-production aircraft and 200 production aircraft. The aircraft were delivered to the French Navy (40), the French Air Force (145) and the Cambodian Air Force (15). Seventy of the French Air Force aircraft were fitted with machine guns for gunnery training and some of these were later converted for counter-insurgency operations (and re-designated MS.733A) for use in Algeria. After the war, some aircraft were sold to Morocco.

The Alcyon was a successful trainer, capable of basic aerobatic maneuvers. It was often used in replacement of pre-war vintage Stampe SV.4 biplanes. Several civilian flying schools, including Air France, used the Alcyon. For the time, it was well equipped with full IFR equipment: two VOR-ILS sets, one ADF set, two VHF radios, a radar altimeter, an attitude indicator, and a directional gyroscope. For this reason, it was often used for navigation training as it was far cheaper to operate than the twin-engine designs commonly used for that task.

Since retirement by the French military services, several Alcyons have been restored to flying condition in France by private pilot owners and groups.

Variants

MS.730: Prototype powered by a 240 hp (134kW) Mathis 8G.20 engine, one built later re-engined as the MS.731.
MS.731: Prototype re-engined with a 240 hp (179kW) Argus As 10 engine.
MS.732: Prototypes powered by a 240 hp (179kW) Potez 6D 02 engine and retractable landing gear, two built.
MS.733: Production variant with a 240 hp (179kW) Potez 6D 02 engine, five pre-production and 200 production aircraft built.
MS.733A: MS.733 gunnery trainers modified for counter-insurgency role; it served from 1955 to 1959. It was replaced by the T-28S Fennec; The COIN upgrade included a SFOM 83 reflector sight (suspended from the cockpit roof), two x 7.5mm MAC 1934/M39 machine guns in the wings (with 500 rounds each), and two under-wing hardpoints.; Typical hardpoint loadout used paired Matra Type 14 rocket rails, which held four (stacked 2 x 2) SERAM 28 kg.[62 lb.] T10 heavy rockets and had a smaller hardpoint between the rocket rails rated for a 50 kg. [110 lb.] bomb.
MS.735: Powered by 305 hp (228 kW) supercharged Potez 6D 30 engine.^[1]

Operators

A 1956-built MS.733 in 1981 in Royal Cambodian Air Force markings

Cambodia

Cambodian Air Force: 15 MS.733A aircraft were sold to Cambodia for training and COIN duties.^[2]

France

French Air Force: 145 MS.733 trainer aircraft.^[2] Several were converted to MS.733A COIN models; after the Algerian War they were either sold or converted back to MS.733 trainers.
French Navy: 40 MS.733 trainer aircraft.^[2] They did not have carrier landing equipment because they were used exclusively at land bases.
Air France: Five civilianized MS.733 models were bought as single-engine trainers.^[2]

Khmer Republic

Khmer Air Force

Morocco

Moroccan Air Force: Bought several MS.733A aircraft for COIN duties.^[2]

Specifications (MS.733)

Data from ^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: 2 or 3
Length: 9.32 m (30 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 11.28 m (37 ft 0 in)
Height: 2.42 m (7 ft 11¼ in)
Wing area: 21.90 m² (235.74 ft²)
Empty weight: 1260 kg (2778 lb)
Gross weight: 1670 kg (3682 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Potez 6D.30 inverted inline piston engine, 179 kW (240 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 260 km/h (162 mph)
Cruising speed: 230^[1] km/h (143 mph)
Range: 920 km (572 miles)
Endurance: 4 hours 40^[1] min
Service ceiling: 4800 m (15,750 ft)
Rate of climb: 5.0 m/s (985^[1] ft/min)

Armament

2 x 7.5mm MAC 1934/M39 machineguns (MS.733A only); training models were unarmed.
2 x hardpoints (MS.733A only); training models did not have hardpoints.

References

Notes

1 2 3 4 Bridgman 1953, pp. 143–144.
1 2 3 4 5 "Morane-Saulnier MS.733 Alcyon – a trainer with Gallic flair!". Shortfinal's Blog, 29 June 2013. Retrieved: 1 January 2014.
↑ The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985) 1985, p. 2559.

Bibliography

Bridgman, Leonard, ed. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1953–54. London: Jane's All The World's Aircraft Publishing Co., 1953.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). London: Orbis Publishing, 1985.
Taylor, Michael J. H. Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. 1989. ISBN 0-517-69186-8.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Morane-Saulnier MS.733.

Aircraft produced by Morane-Saulnier

Designation Letters	A B C F G GA GB H I L LA M N Nm O P S T TRK U V WR Y AC AE AF AFH AI AN/ANB/ANR/ANL/ANS AR AS BB BH

Numerical Sequence	MoS.1 MoS.2 MoS.3 MoS.4 MoS.5 MoS.6 MoS.7 MoS.8 MoS.9 MoS.10 MoS.13 MoS.21 MoS.22 MoS.23 MoS.25 MoS.26 MoS.27 MoS.28 MoS.29 MoS.30 MoS.31 MoS.32 MoS.33 MoS.34 MoS.35 MoS.42 MoS.43 MoS.50 MoS.51 MoS.53 MoS.121 MoS.129 MoS.130 MoS.131 MoS.132 MoS.133 MoS.134 MoS.136 MoS.137 MoS.138 MoS.139 MoS.140 MoS.141 MoS.147 MoS.148 MoS.149 MoS.152 MS.180 MS.181 MoS.185 MS.200 MS.221 MS.222 MS.223 MS.224 MS.225 MS.226 MS.227 MS.229 MS.230 MS.250 MS.251 MS.275 MS.278 MS.300 MS.301 MS.302 MS.315 MS.316 MS.317 MS.325 MS.340 MS.341 MS.342 MS.343 MS.345 MS.350 MS.405 MS.406 MS.408 MS.410 MS.411 MS.430 MS.433 MS.435 MS.450 MS.470 MS.472 MS.474 MS.470 MS.475 MS.476 MS.477 MS.479 MS.500 MS.501 MS.502 MS.504 MS.505 MS.506 MS.560 MS.570 MS.603 MS.700 MS.701 MS.703 MS.704 MS.730 MS.731 MS.732 MS.733 MS.755 MS.760 MS.880 MS.1500

Names & Nicknames	Alcyon Borel Bullet Criquet Epervier Fleuret Monococque Paris Pétrel Rallye Vanneau

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