Morane-Saulnier N

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 MoS-5 C1. 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.

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

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, appearing much like those used on the Deperdussin Monocoque pre-war racer of 1912, 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
French Morane-Saulnier N in 1916
 France
 Russian Empire
Ukrainian People's Republic
 United Kingdom

Specifications (Type N)

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

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 5.83 m (19 ft 2 in)
  • Wingspan: 8.15 m (26 ft 9 in)
  • Height: 2.25 m (7 ft 5 in)
  • Empty weight: 288 kg (635 lb)
  • Gross weight: 444 kg (979 lb)
  • Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhône 9C 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary engine, 60 kW (80 hp)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 144 km/h (89 mph, 78 kn)
  • Range: 225 km (140 mi, 121 nmi)
  • Endurance: 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
  • Time to altitude: 2,000 m (6,562 ft) in 10 minutes

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

References
  1. Bruce 1972, p. 86.

Further reading
  • 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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