Morane-Saulnier N

Type N

Picture - RFC Morane-Saulnier Type N Bullet, fitted with the immense "casserole" spinner

Role: fighter
Manufacturer: Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier
Introduced: 1915
Primary users: Aéronautique Militaire Royal Flying Corps Imperial Russian Air Service
Number built: 49

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 MS.5C.1. It also equipped four squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps, in which it was designated the Bullet and was operated in limited numbers by the 19th Squadron of the Imperial Russian Air Force.

Description

While the Type N was a graceful-looking aircraft and utilised an advanced, aerodynamic design, it was not easy to fly due to its stiff controls (using wing warping instead of ailerons) and high landing speed. The Type N mounted a single unsynchronized forward-firing machine gun (either a .303-in Vickers or 7.9 mm Hotchkiss) which used the deflector wedges, first demonstrated on the Morane-Saulnier Type L, in order to fire through the propeller arc.

A large metal spinner designed to streamline the aircraft caused the engines to overheat because the spinner deflected air away from the engine. In 1915, the spinner was removed from the design and no more overheating problems were found. The removal of the spinner caused very little loss in performance.

The Type N was not particularly successful. Only 49 aircraft were built and 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.

Operators

France

Aeronautique Militaire

Russian Empire

Imperial Russian Air Force

Ukraine (Three aircraft) United Kingdom

Royal Flying Corps
No. 4 Squadron RFC
No. 60 Squadron RFC

Specifications (Type N)

Data from War Planes of the First World War, Volume Five

General characteristics

Crew: One (pilot)
Length: 5.83 m (19 ft 1½ in)
Wingspan: 8.15 m (26 ft 8â…� in)
Height: 2.25 m (7 ft 4½ in)
Wing area: 11 m² (118.4 ft²)
Empty weight: 118 kg (633 lb)
Loaded weight: 444 kg (976 lb)
Powerplant: 1x— Le Rhone 9C air-cooled rotary engine, 60 kW (80 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 144 km/h (90 mph) at ground level
Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
Endurance: 1 hr 30 min
Climb to 2,000 m (6,560 ft): 10 min

Armament

Guns: 1 x .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun or .31 in (7.9 mm) Hotchkiss

Related development

Morane-Saulnier L

Comparable aircraft

Fokker Eindecker

Bibliography

Bruce, J.M. War Planes of the First World War: Fighters: Volume Five. London: Macdonald, 1972. ISBN 356-0779-7.
Bruce, J.M. "The Bullets and the Guns". Air Enthusiast. Issue Nine, February-May 1979. Bromley, Kent: Pilot Press, 1979, pp. 61-75.

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

Living Warbirds: The best warbirds DVD series.

Source: WikiPedia