Morane-Saulnier MS.138
MS.137, MS.138, and MS.139 | |
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Preserved Morane-Saulnier MS.138 at the Musee de l'Air, Le Bourget Airport, Paris in 1975 | |
Role | Military trainer |
National origin | France |
Manufacturer | Morane-Saulnier |
First flight | 1927 [1] |
Number built | 178 |
|
The Morane-Saulnier MS.138 was a military trainer aircraft produced in France in the late 1920s,[2][3]
Design and operation
The MS.138 was the major production version of a family that also included the MS.137 and MS.139.[3] The design was derived from the MS.35, first flown during World War I, modernised to feature a wing that now included slight sweepback, and a redesigned fuselage of rounder cross-section.[3] The basic layout remained the same, being a wire-braced, parasol-wing monoplane with open cockpits in tandem and fixed tailskid undercarriage. Construction was mostly of wood, with the exception of the metal wing spars, and all control surfaces were covered in fabric.[2]
Most of the production run went to the Aéronautique Militaire, with a few others built for the Aéronavale and for military use by Greece and Denmark. Thirty-three others were purchased by civilian operators in France.[2][3] The type remained in French military service until 1935.[2][3]
Variants
- MS.137 - version with Salmson 9Ac engine
- MS.138 - main production type with Le Rhône 9C engine
- MS.139 - version with Clerget 9B engine
- MS.191 - version with shortened wingspan and Clerget 9B or Salmson 9Nc engines
Operators
Specifications (MS.138)
Data from The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft 2554
General characteristics
- Crew: Two, pilot and instructor
- Length: 6.78 m (22 ft 3 in)
- Wingspan: 10.90 m (35 ft 9 in)
- Height: 3.69 m (12 ft 1 in)
- Wing area: 19.5 m2 (210 ft2)
- Empty weight: 517 kg (1,140 lb)
- Gross weight: 775 kg (1,710 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhône 9C, 60 kW (80 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 140 km/h (88 mph)
- Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
See also
- Related lists
Notes
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Morane-Saulnier. |
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.