Morane-Saulnier H

Type H
Morane Saulnier Type H on display at the Musee de l'Air et de l'Espace at Paris Le Bourget airport
Role	Sport aircraft
Manufacturer	Morane-Saulnier
First flight	1913

The Morane-Saulnier H was a sport aircraft produced in France in the years before the First World War,^[1][2] a single-seat derivative of the successful Morane-Saulnier G with a slightly reduced wingspan^[2] Like the Type G, it was a successful sporting type in its day.

During the second international aero meet, held at Wiener Neustadt in June 1913, Roland Garros won the precision landing prize in a Type H.^[3]

The French Army ordered a batch of 26 aircraft, and the British Royal Flying Corps also acquired a small number, these latter machines purchased from Grahame-White, who was manufacturing the type in the UK under licence.^[2] The French machines saw limited service in the opening stages of World War I, with pilots engaging in aerial combat using revolvers and carbines.^[2]

The type was also produced under licence in Germany by Pfalz Flugzeugwerke, who built it as the E.I, E.II, E.IV, E.V, and E.VI, with increasingly powerful engines.^[4][5] These were armed with a single, synchronised LMG 08/15 machine gun.^[4][5]

A Type H is preserved at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Le Bourget.

Variants

Pfalz-built versions

• E.I - with Oberursel U.0 rotary engine (60 built)^[4]
• E.II - with Oberursel U.I rotary engine ^[4]
• E.IV - with Oberursel U.III rotary engine (ca. 24 built)^[4]
• E.V - with Mercedes D.I water-cooled, inline engine^[4]
• E.VI - with Oberursel U.I engine, lengthened fuselage, enlarged tail fin and additional bracing (20 built)^[6]

Operators

 France

• Aéronautique Militaire

 Austria-Hungary

• Austro-Hungarian Navy - (Pfalz-built versions)

 Germany

• Luftstreitkräfte - (Pfalz-built versions)

 Portugal

One aircraft only.

 United Kingdom

• Royal Flying Corps

Specifications

Data from flugzeuginfo.net

General characteristics

• Crew: One pilot
• Length: 5.84 m (19 ft 2 in)
• Wingspan: 9.12 m (29 ft 11 in)
• Height: 2.26 m (7 ft 5 in)
• Empty weight: 188 kg (415 lb)
• Gross weight: 444 kg (979 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhône 9C, 60 kW (80 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 120 km/h (75 mph)
• Range: 177 km (111 miles)

Notes

1. ^ Taylor 1989, p.648
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft", p.2539
3. ^ Hartmann 2001, 11
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f} The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, p.2698
5. ^ ^{a b} Grosz 1996
6. ^ Grosz 1996, p.27

References

• Grosz, P.M. (1996). Pfalz E.I–E.VI. Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire: Albatros Publications. 
• 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. 
• "Morane-Saulnier Type H". flugzeuginfo.net. http://www.flugzeuginfo.net/acdata_php/acdata_morane_h_en.php. Retrieved 2008-11-07. 
• Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.