Morane-Saulnier MS.603

Morane-Saulnier MS.603

The MS.603 at Saint-Cyr-l'École near Paris in May 1957 when operated by the Aero Club de Courbevoie
Role	club aircraft
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Morane Saulnier
Status	stored in a museum in France
Primary user	aero clubs
Number built	3
Developed from	MS.600

The Morane-Saulnier MS.603 was a French-built two-seat light aircraft of the late 1940s.

Design and development

The MS.603 was one of three aircraft constructed in the MS.600 series which were built to compete in an officially-sponsored 1947 contest for a light two-seat side-by-side club aircraft to be powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) engine.

The initial MS.600, powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) Mathis G-4F piston engine, was a fixed gear, low-winged monoplane of mixed construction, with a single fin and the tailplane set just above the fuselage and a clear perspex canopy over a side-by-side cockpit for two persons. All three aircraft, MS.600, MS.602 and MS.603, were ready for flight in 1947 with the MS.600 flying on 4 June 1947.^[1]

A parallel development, the MS.602, powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) Minie 4DA piston engine, was similar in most respects to the MS.600 and flew on 24 June 1947.^[2]

A more powerful derivative emerged as the MS.603, powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Hirth HM 504A-2 engine and fitted with a fixed tricycle undercarriage.^[3] The tailplane was also moved to a high set position on the fin and supported by struts.

Operational history

Initially registered F-WCZU in the experimental series, and re-registered F-PHQY in the amateur-operated series, the MS.602 was owned by Messieurs Gambi and Chanson and based at Saint-Cyr-l'École airfield to the west of Paris.^[4] By 1983, the aircraft had been withdrawn from service and scrapped.

The sole MS.603, construction No. 1, was initially registered F-WCZT and later re-registered F-PHJC. It was flown for many years by the Aero Club de Courbevoie. By 1963 it was operated by M. Jean Forster, based at Guyancourt airfield,^[5] but was withdrawn from use by 2006 when it was stored at the Musee de l'Aviation du Mas Palegry - (Mas Palegry Aviation Museum) near Perpignan.^[6]

Variants

The MS.602 at Saint-Cyr-l'École in 1957

MS.600: The initial prototype powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) Mathis G-4F piston engine. One built.
MS.602: The derivative intended for production. The MS.602 was powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) Minie 4DA piston engine, but otherwiswe similar to the MS.600. One built.
MS.603: The final derivative with tricycle undercarriage was powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Hirth HM 504A-2 engine and had a revised tail unit. One built.

Specifications (MS.603)

Data from Green, 1965

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Capacity: 1 passenger
Length: 7.46 m (24 ft 6 in)
Wingspan: 9.6 m (31 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 14.5 m² (156 sq ft)
Gross weight: 664.5 kg (1,465 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Hirth HM 504A-2 four-cylinder piston, 74.6 kW (100.0 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 190 km/h (118 mph; 103 kn)
Cruising speed: 162.5 km/h (101 mph; 88 kn)

Notes

↑ Simpson, 2005, p.17
↑ Simpson, 2005, p.17
↑ Green, 1965 p.55
↑ Butler, 1964, p.110
↑ Butler, 1964, p. 118
↑ Ogden, 2006, p.149

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Morane-Saulnier.

Butler, P.H. (1964). French Civil Aircraft Register. Merseyside Society of Aviation Enthusiasts.
Green, William (1965). The Aircraft of the World. Macdonald & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.
Ogden, Bob (2006). Aviation Museums and Collections of Mainland Europe. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-375-7.
Simpson, Rod (2005). The General Aviation Handbook. Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-222-5.

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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