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24-WWII Morane Saulnier MS.406

WWII Aircraft Listings - 1

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 was a French fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. It was France's most numerous fighter(s) during the Second World War and one of only two French designs to exceed 1,000 in number. At the beginning of the war, it was one of only two French-built aircraft capable of 400 km/h – the other being the Potez 630.

Maximum speed: 486 km/h (301.99 mph), Maiden flight: 08 Aug 1935, Length: 26.80 ft, Wingspan: 34.84 ft, Passengers: 2, Introduced: 1938

The Morane Saulnier M.S. 406 was the most numerous French fighter at the start of the Second World War. It was the production version of the M.S. 405, which was developed in response to a specification issued in 1934. The first prototype M.S. 405 flew on 8 August 1935, powered by a Hispano-Suiza 12 Ycrs engine, marking the start of a three year development process.

In April 1937 an order was placed for fifty M.S. 406s. These used the Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 engine, which provided 860 hp. It was to be armed with one 20mm Hispano-Suiza cannon in the engine and two 7.5 mm machine guns in the wings. The fourth pre-production M.S. 405, with the new engine, first flew on 20 May 1938. By now the scale of production had increased massively. Eighty had been ordered in August 1937, but in April 1938 that was increased by 825.

Production began slowly. At the start of 1939 only twelve had been delivered to the Armée de l’Air. The pace picked up during 1939. By April production had risen to six per day, and at the outbreak of war in September reached 11 per day. In all 1,037 M.S. 406s were completed before the collapse of France in June 1940.

At the outbreak of war four Escadres de Chasse, each with three groups of twenty five aircraft, were equipped with the M.S. 406. However, the aircraft was already obsolescent. Between September 1939 and May 1940 three of those groups had already been reequipped with more modern aircraft, although one new group had been given the aircraft, replaced obsolete Dewoitine D.510s. On 10 May 229 M.S. 406s were operational. During the battle of France four more groups were reequipped, two with the D.520, one with the Hawk 75 and one with the Bloch MB 152. At the armistice only just over 70 M.S. 406s were still operational.

The M.S. 406 was roughly equal to the Bf 109D. Unfortunately, that aircraft was being replaced by the much superior Bf 109E when the war broke out. Compared to the Bf 109E the Morane was 50 mph too slow, too lightly armoured and too lightly armed. If the engine mounted cannon jammed, then the pilot would be left with only the two wing mounted machine guns. These guns had a lower muzzle velocity than the MG-17s used by the Germans, giving them a shorter effective range, and were unheated meaning that they often froze at altitude. The Morane also only carried 300 rounds per gun. The only advantage the Morane had was that it could out turn the Bf 109.

During the battle of France 300 Moranes were lost – 100 in aerial combat, 50 to ground fire and 150 to other causes, including accidents and deliberate destruction during the retreat. The M.S. 406 accounted for 269 of the 696 confirmed victories won by French single engined fighters before the collapse. However, considering the numbers of aircraft involved its performance was not so creditable. Half as many Curtiss Hawk 75s accounted for 230 victories, and the small number of Dewoitine D.520s that came into action in May and June accounted for 114. The M.S. 406 didn’t had the firepower, speed or armour needed in the battles of 1940.

General Characteristics
Crew: one pilot
Length: 8.17 m (26 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 10.62 m (34 ft 10 in)
Height: 2.71 m (8 ft 10 in)
Wing area: 17.10 m² (184.06 ft²)
Empty weight: 1,893 kg (4,173 lb)
Loaded weight: 2,426 kg (5,348 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 liquid-cooled V-12, 640 kW (860 hp)

Performance
Maximum speed: 486 km/h (303 mph) at 5,000 m (16,400 ft)
Maximum Ceiling: 30,800ft
Range: 1,000 km (620 mi)
Rate of climb: 13.0 m/s (2,560 ft/min)
Wing loading: 141.9 kg/m² (29.1 lb/ft²)
Power/mass: 260 W/kg (0.16 hp/lb)

Armament
Guns:
1× 20 mm (0.787 in) Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon
2× 7.5 mm (0.295 in) MAC 1934 machine guns

Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Morane-Saulnier
First flight: 8 August 1935 (M.S.405)
Introduction: 1938
Status: Out of production, out of service
Primary users: French Air Force
Finnish Air Force: Swiss Air Force
Turkish Air Force
Number built: 1,176

Operators
China- Nationalist Chinese Air Force ordered 12 aircraft in1938 and they were shipped to Haiphong, but diverted to Escadrille EC 2, which fought against the Japanese and Thai in December 1940 One or two aircraft may have reached the Chinese Air Force - Independent State of Croatia - Zrakoplovstvo Nezavisne Države Hrvatske received 48 aircraft.
Finland - Ilmavoimat received 76 M.S.406 and 11 M.S.410
France - French Air Force, French Navy,
Vichy France - Vichy French Air Force
Germany - Luftwaffe operated captured aircraft.
Italy - Regia Aeronautica
Lithuania - Lithuanian Air Force ordered 13 Moranes, but none were delivered.
Poland - Polish Air Force ordered 160 aircraft, but none were delivered, due to the fall of Poland.
Polish Air Force in exile in France operated at least 91 aircraft in several training and combat units...
Switzerland - Swiss Air Force
Turkey - Turkish Air Force received 45 Moranes. At least 30 of them were originally intended for shipment to Poland and had Polish stencilling.
Thailand - Royal Thai Air Force operated several captured aircraft.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia - Royal Yugoslav Air Force ordered 25 aircraft, but the fall of France precluded their delivery