Morane-Saulnier P

French WW1 reconnaissance aircraft

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Type P/MS.21/MS.24/MS.26
Royal Flying Corps MS.24 Type P
General information
Type	Reconnaissance
Manufacturer	Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier
Primary users	Aéronautique Militaire Royal Flying Corps
Number built	595
History
Introduction date	1916
First flight	1916

The Morane-Saulnier Type P (official designations MS.21, MS.24 and MS.26) was a French parasol wing two-seat reconnaissance aeroplane of the First World War. Morane-Saulnier built 595 for the French air force, and it was also used by the British until 1916-17.

Development

In addition to being fitted with ailerons and having a more streamlined fuselage, the Type P was faster and better armed than its better known ancestor, the Type L (MS.3) and had a more developed structure compared to the intermediate Morane-Saulnier LA (MS.4).

Three versions were built under Morane-Saulnier's factory designation of Type P, the first being the MS.21, which although externally similar to the Type LA, had its internal structure completely redesigned, with the most visible evidence being the more robust center section struts, and with other details borrowed from the Type N (MS.5), such as a substantial spinner, known as the "casserole".

The MS.24 was built specifically for the Royal Flying Corps to operate alongside their Morane-Saulnier LAs while replacing those lost to attrition, but due to shortages of the 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône rotary engine used in the MS.21, it was powered by an 80 hp (60 kW) Le Rhône. The RFC also operated the MS.21.

The MS.26 was similar to the MS.21, but was fitted with a 120 hp (89 kW) Le Rhône engine which was enclosed in a full cowling, and like the 24, dispensed with the spinner commonly found on the MS.21.

Variants

Type P

Factory designation

MS.21

Official designation of initial version powered with a 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9J engine

MS.24

Official designation of RFC version powered with a 80 hp (60 kW) Le Rhône 9C engine

MS.26

Official designation of final version powered with a 120 hp (89 kW) Le Rhône 9Jc engine

Rouleur/Penguin

Examples of other variants modified with wing area reduced to act as ground handling trainers.

Chasseur

Two examples were converted into single seat fighters, the first had the observer's position covered over, the second had the pilot moved back and the wing lowered.

Operators

Brazil

Brazilian Air Force

France

French Air Force

Japan

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service

Russia

Imperial Russian Air Service

United Kingdom

Royal Flying Corps

Specifications (Type P/MS.21)

Data from The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 7.2 m (23 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 11.2 m (36 ft 9 in)
Height: 3.47 m (11 ft 5 in)
Wing area: 18 m (190 sq ft)
Empty weight: 433 kg (955 lb)
Gross weight: 733 kg (1,616 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhone 9J 9-cylinder air-cooled rotary piston engine, 82 kW (110 hp)
Propellers: 2-bladed fixed-pitch propeller

Performance

Maximum speed: 156 km/h (97 mph, 84 kn) at 2,000 m (6,600 ft)
Endurance: 2 hours 30 minutes
Service ceiling: 4,800 m (15,700 ft)
Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 15 minutes 50 seconds

Armament

Guns: 1 × Vickers machine gun and 1× Lewis gun or 2× Lewis guns
Bombs: Light load of bombs

References

Citations

Bruce 1982, p. 312.

Bibliography

Bruce, J.M. The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing). London: Putnam, 1982. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.
Cony, Christophe (July 1997). "Aviateur d'Observation en 14/18 (deuxième partie)" [Observation Aircraft of 14/18]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (52): 10–15. ISSN 1243-8650.
Davilla, Dr. James J.; Soltan, Arthur (1997). French Aircraft of the First World War. Mountain View, CA: Flying Machines Press. ISBN 978-1891268090.

v t e Morane-Saulnier aircraft
Designation letters	A B C F G GA GB H I J K L LA LH M N Nm O P Q S T TRK U V WR X Y AC AE AF AFH AI AN/ANB/ANR/ANL/ANS AR AS AT AU AV 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.11 MoS.12 MoS.13 MoS.14 MoS.15 MoS.16 MoS.17 MoS.18 MoS.19 MoS.20 MoS.21 MoS.22 MoS.23 MoS.24 MoS.25 MoS.26 MoS.27 MoS.28 MoS.29 MoS.30 MoS.31 MoS.32 MoS.33 MoS.34 MoS.35 MoS.36 MoS.37 MoS.38 MoS.39 MoS.40 MoS.41 MoS.42 MoS.43 MoS.44 MoS.45 MoS.46 MoS.47 MoS.48 MoS.49 MoS.50 MoS.51 MoS.52 MoS.53 MoS.56 MoS.60 MoS.120 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 MS.152 MS.160 MS.180 MS.181 MS.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.260 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.630 MS.631 MS.700 MS.701 MS.703 MS.704 MS.730 MS.731 MS.732 MS.733 MS.755 MS.760 MS.785 MS.860 MS.880 MS.1001 MS.1500
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