Morane-Saulnier AC

Type AC

National origin: France
Manufacturer: Morane-Saulnier
Introduced: late 1916
Retired: soon after
Primary user: Armée de l'Air
Number built: 32

The Morane-Saulnier AC, also known as the Morane-Saulnier Type AC and the MoS 23 was a French fighter of the 1910s.

Development

The AC was conceived in mid-1916, being derived from the Type N via the unbuilt Type U. It differed from earlier single-seat Morane-Saulnier aircraft in that it had ailerons for lateral control rather than wing warping, and because of its rigid wing bracing, with a wire braced truss of steel tubes supporting the wings from below. It appeared in autumn of that year, and was found to be aerodynamically clean.

Operational history

The AC's first flight is unrecorded, however it is assumed that it was late summer 1916. After initial testing thirty aircraft were ordered for the Aviation Militaire. Although of advanced design and good performance, the AC was considered inferior to the SPAD S.VII and therefore was not adopted in quantity. Two examples were provided to the Royal Flying Corps for evaluation.

Operators

France

Armée de l'Air

United Kingdom

Royal Flying Corps

Specifications

Data from War Planes of the First World War:Volume Five Fighters

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 7.05 m (23 ft 1½ in)
Wingspan: 9.80 m (32 ft 1â…� in)
Height: 2.73 m (8 ft 11½ in)
Wing area: 15.00 m² (161.46 ft²)
Empty weight: 435 kg (957 lb)
Gross weight: 658 kg (1448 lb)
Powerplant: 1 x— Le Rhx´ne 9J/9JB nine-cylinder rotary engine, 82 kW (110 hp) each

Performance

Maximum speed: 178 km/h (111 mph)
Endurance: 2 hours 30 min
Service ceiling: 5,600 m (18,370 ft)
Rate of climb: 5.6 m/s (1,100 ft/min)

Armament

1 x 7.7mm synchronised Vickers machine gun

Bruce, J.M. (1972). War Planes of the First World War:Volume Five Fighters. London: Macdonald. ISBN 0 356 03779 7.
Green, William; Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. pp. 415.

Morane-Saulnier AC Pictures and Morane-Saulnier AC for Sale.

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia