Morane-Saulnier M.S.225

Morane-Saulnier M.S.225

Morane-Saulnier M.S.227 with Hispano-Suiza engine
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Morane-Saulnier
First flight	1932

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.225 was a French fighter aircraft of the 1930s. It was produced in limited quantities to be used as a transitional aircraft between the last of the biplanes and the first monoplane fighters.

Design and development

The M.S.225 was a parasol monoplane, with a wide fixed landing gear, and powered by a Gnome-Rhône 9Krsd radial engine. Having a circular fuselage the M.S.225 was much more robust than its immediate predecessor, the M.S.224.

Created as a stop-gap before the introduction of more advanced aircraft still under development, the Morane-Saulnier M.S.225 was first shown in the form of a model at the Paris Air Show of 1932. After successful flight tests of the prototype, series production started at once.

Classified in the category C.1 (single-seat fighter), 75 aircraft were produced. A total of 53 aircraft were delivered to the Air Force in November 1933. The Aéronavale received the first of the 16 aircraft it had ordered in February 1934. Three were also sold to China.

Operational history

The M.S.225s of the Armée de l'Air served in the 7e Escadre de Chasse (7th Fighter Wing) at Dijon, and in 2 escadrilles of the 42e Escadre (42nd Wing), based at Rheims. They were withdrawn from front-line service between 1936 and 1937. The aircraft also flew with the Aéronavale l'Escadrille 3C1, established in Marignane, this formation later transferring to the Air Force at the beginning of 1936, where it became Le Groupe de Chasse II/8.^[1]

The Air Force Aerobatic Squadron based at Étampes used five modified M.S.225's, with a larger vertical stabilizer, while the last unit of the Air Force to operate this aircraft was the flying school based at Salon-de-Provence.

At the outbreak of World War II, only 20 M.S.225s were still in flying condition, the majority of them being scrapped in mid-1940.

Variants

M.S.225: Production variant with a Gnome-Rhone 9Krs engine, 75 built.^[2]
M.S.226: Variant fitted with an arrestor hook in 1933 for aircraft carrier operations, powered by a Gnome & Rhône 9Kdr.^[2]
M.S.226bis: Variant of the 226 with folding wings first flown in 1934.^[2]
M.S.227: Variant used as test bench for the 515 kW (690 hp) Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs engine, with a four-bladed propeller.^[2]
M.S.275: First flying in 1934, this version had a modified aerofoil and empennage, and was powered by a 515 kW (690 hp) Gnome-Rhône 9Krse; did not enter production.^[2]
M.S.278: Conversion of the M.S.225 equipped with a 388 kW (520 hp) Clerget 14Fcs diesel engine.^[2]

Operators

France

China

Three aircraft only.

Specifications (M.S.225)

Data from The Complete Book of Fighters^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: one, pilot
Length: 7.25 m (23 ft 9½ in)
Wingspan: 10.56 m (34 ft 7⅔ in)
Height: 3.26 m (10 ft 8½ in)
Wing area: 17.20 m² (185.1 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,154 kg (2,544 lb)
Loaded weight: 1,590 kg (3,505 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Gnome-Rhône 9Kdrs 9-cylinder radial engine, 373 kW (500 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 334 km/h (180 knots, 207 mph) at 3,850 m (12,630 ft)
Range: 700 km (378 nm, 435 mi)
Service ceiling: 10,000 m^[4] (32,810 ft^[4])
Rate of climb: 6.12 meters per second (1,204.08 feet per minute)
Climb to 3,000 m (9,840 ft): 5.7 min

Armament

2 × 7.7 mm (.303 in) Vickers machine guns mounted on the fuselage

References

Notes

↑ Taylor and Alexander 1969, pp. 110–111.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Orbis 1985, p. 2555.
↑ Green and Swanborough 1994, pp. 416–417.
1 2 Angelucci 1983, p. 117.

Bibliography

Angelucci, Enzo. The Rand McNally Encyclopedia of Military Aircraft, 1914-1980. San Diego, California: The Military Press, 1983. ISBN 0-517-41021-4.
Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York:Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft (Part Work 1982-1985). London: Orbis Publishing, 1985.
Taylor, John W. R. and Jean Alexander. Combat Aircraft of the World. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1969. ISBN 0-71810-564-8.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Morane-Saulnier MS.225.

Aviafrance (French)
Avia (Russian)

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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