- Morane-Saulnier G
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Type G A captured French Morane-Saulnier G Role Sport aircraft Manufacturer Morane-Saulnier First flight 1912 The Morane-Saulnier G was a sport aircraft produced in France in the years before the First World War.[1][2] It was a development of the racing monoplanes designed by Léon Morane and Raymond Saulnier after leaving Borel and like its predecessors, was a conventional, wire-braced, shoulder-wing design.[2] Construction was of fabric-covered wood throughout, except for the undercarriage struts which were of steel tube.[3]
The type was a sporting success. In April 1913, Roland Garros took second place in the inaugural Schneider Cup in a floatplane version,[4] finishing with a time of 40 minutes 40 seconds.[5] On 26 June, Claude Grahame-White flew another float-equipped example from Paris to London via Le Havre, Boulogne-sur-Mer, and Dover,[6] covering some 500 km (310 mi) that day.[7] Between 21 and 28 September the same year, two float-equipped Type Gs competed at the seaplane meeting at San Sebastián, with Lord Carbery winning the short take-off prize on one, and Edmond Audemars winning the maneuverability prize on the other.[8] The following week, Carbery flew his Type G in the Italian Waterplane Contest from Lake Como to Pavia and back, along with two other Type Gs in the field of fifteen competitors, these flown by Garros and Morane.[9][10] Garros not only won the Grand Prize in the "general class", but also the prizes for best speed (127.7 km/h, 79.8 mph) and greatest altitude (2,100 m, 6,000 ft).[9]
In 1914, Russian manufacturer Duks arranged to build the type under licence at their Moscow factory for the Russian Army,[9] and the same year, the Turkish military ordered 40 examples.[9] Before these could be delivered, however, war broke out, and the aircraft were impressed into the French Army.[9] To these, the Army soon added an order of 94 aircraft, and the British Royal Flying Corps also acquired a number, these latter machines purchased from Grahame-White, who was manufacturing the type in the UK under licence.[2] At the outbreak of war, the type's military value was found to be wanting, and the French machines were quickly relegated to training duties.[2]
Despite this, a dedicated single-seat fighter version was built in 1915, armed with an 8 mm Hotchkiss machine gun that fired through the propeller arc, the propeller blades being protected by deflector plates.[11] Only one or two prototypes were built, and the type never entered service.[12]
Some Type Gs were modified by Morane-Saulnier to have their wings mounted above the fuselage, parasol-fashion, rather than at the fuselage sides. This arrangement was found to offer far better visibility for the pilot, and formed the basis for the Morane-Saulnier L.[2]
A Type G is preserved at the Museo del Aire de Cuatrovientos in Madrid.
Variants
- Type GA - version with 40 kW (60 hp) Le Rhône engine
- Type GB - version with 60 kW (80 hp) Gnome engine
- Type WB - version for export to Russia with glazed forward fuselage
Operators
- Aéronautique Militaire (94 ordered, plus 40 impounded from Turkish order)
- (40 ordered, but never delivered)
Specifications (GB)
Data from Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I, 116
General characteristics
- Crew: One pilot
- Capacity: 1 passenger
- Length: 6.30 m (20 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 9.20 m (30 ft 2 in)
- Wing area: 16 m2 (172 ft2)
- Empty weight: 95 kg (208 lb)
- Gross weight: 370 kg (815 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Gnome, 60 kW (80 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 123 km/h (76 mph)
- Rate of climb: 1.8 m/s (345 ft/min)
Notes
- ^ Taylor 1989, 648
- ^ a b c d e "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft", 2539
- ^ "The Latest Morane-Saulnier Monoplane", 564
- ^ Hartmann 2001, 10. This machine is often reported as a Type H
- ^ "The Monaco Meeting", 450
- ^ "Mr Grahame-Wnite's Seine—Thames Trip"
- ^ Hartmann 2001, 10
- ^ Hartmann 2001, 11
- ^ a b c d e Hartmann 2001, 12
- ^ "Italian Waterplane Contest", 1129
- ^ "Morane-Saulnier type G"
- ^ Green and Swanborough 1994
References
- Green, William; Gordon Swanborough (1994). The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Colour Library Direct. ISBN 0862882206.
- Hartmann, Gérard (2001). "L'incroyable Morane-Saulnier hydro". La Coupe Schneider et hydravions anciens/Dossiers historiques hydravions et moteurs. http://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/moranesaulnierhydro.pdf. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing.
- "Italian Waterplane Contest". Flight: 1129. 11 October 1913. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1913/1913%20-%201103.html. Retrieved 2008-11-10.
- Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War I. London: Studio Editions. 2001. ISBN 0517033763.
- "The Latest Morane-Saulnier Monoplane". Flight: 561–64. 24 May 1913. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1913/1913%20-%200539.html. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- "The Monaco Meeting". Flight: 450. 19 April 1913. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1913/1913%20-%200430.html. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- "Mr Grahame-Wnite's Seine—Thames Trip". Flight: 749. 5 July 1913. http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1913/1913%20-%200723.html. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- "Morane-Saulnier type G". EADS website. http://www.eads.net/1024/en/eads/history/airhist/1910_1919/morane_saulnier_g_1912.html. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions. ISBN 0710607105.
Aircraft produced by Morane-Saulnier Designation Letters Numerical Sequence MoS.1 • MoS.2 • MoS.3 • MoS.6 • MoS.7 • MoS.21 • MoS.23 • 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-410 • MS-408 • 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-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
Lists relating to aviation General Aircraft (manufacturers) · Aircraft engines (manufacturers) · Airlines (defunct) · Airports · Civil authorities · Museums · Registration prefixes · Rotorcraft (manufacturers) · TimelineMilitary Accidents/incidents Records Categories:- French sport aircraft 1910–1919
- Morane-Saulnier aircraft
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