Morane-Saulnier M.S.406

French single-seat fighter Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 of World War II.
History, development, service, specifications, statistics, pictures, and 3D model.

French Morane-Saulnier fighter of WW2

Morane-Saulnier M.S.406
Type: Single-seat fighter.

The Morane-Saulnier MS.406 was a French fighter aircraft used during World War II.

Overview

Key Features:
– Single-seat fighter aircraft
– All-metal construction with some fabric-covered control surfaces
– Retractable landing gear
– First modern fighter aircraft to enter service with the French Air Force

Specifications:
– Engine: Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 liquid-cooled V-12 (860 hp)
– Maximum speed: 486 km/h (302 mph)
– Range: 1,000 km (620 miles)
– Service ceiling: 9,800 m (32,100 ft)
– Armament: 1× 20 mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon, 2× 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns

Operational History:
– Entered service in 1939
– Served during the Battle of France (1940)
– Also used by Swiss Air Force and Finnish Air Force
– Generally outperformed by the German Bf 109E during combat

Limitations:
– Relatively slow compared to contemporary fighters
– Inadequate armament
– Problems with maneuverability at high speeds
– Manufacturing quality issues

Despite being France’s most modern fighter at the start of WWII, the MS.406 proved inadequate against the more advanced German fighters of the period.

History

Following their unique unbroken selection of parasol monoplanes Morane­-Saulnier designed the M.S.405 privately to satisfy a 1934 requirements of the French air force Armee de l’Air. In contrast to similar fighter planes at the beginning of WW2 it was under-powered, with a lack of performance as well as considerably short of firepower. However, its early development supposed the fighter was undoubtedly accessible, while various other French fighter planes were mostly a wide assortment of prototypes.

Totally 17 M.S.405 were constructed, the majority of turning into prototypes of suggested upcoming variants and eventually offering the development of the Swiss 0-3800 series of fighter planes which, in contrast to the majority of 405s, was without a retractable radiator.
A unique characteristic was the point that aside from the fabric-covered rear fuselage, almost all of the covering was Plymax (light-weight metal bonded to plywood).

The M.S.406 had been the 405 production model including most of the requested improvements The fabrication was distributed out among the nationalized groups (Morane holding just a minor section of the manufacturing), with assembly lines at Bouguenais and Puteaux.
By the time of the armistice in June 194O certainly no fewer than 1,081 M.S.406 had been produced, even though a serious lack of engines.

In May 1940 the M.S.406 outfitted Nineteen of the Twenty-six French combat-ready fighter groups.
A person who flew one of them mentioned the M.S.406 was ‘free from habits, however not fast enough to get German airplanes and too poorly armed to shoot them down. Inadequately protected, our own losses were many’.

The Vichy-French forces installed 32gal (ca. 121 liters) drop tanks to Moranes transferred to Syria to combat the RAF. Numerous were in action in Finland, equipped with skis and commonly with Russian M-105P engines of more power (the so-called LaGG-Morane).

Users: Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Turkey.

Specifications Morane-Saulnier M.S.406C-1

Specifications:

Armament:

Service statistics:

Animated 3D model Morane-Saulnier M.S.406

References and literature

Combat Aircraft of World War II (Bill Gunston)
Technik und Einsatz der Kampfflugzeuge vom 1. Weltkrieg bis heute (Ian Parsons)
Das große Buch der Luftkämpfe (Ian Parsons)
Luftkrieg (Piekalkiewicz)
Fighters of World War II, Part 1 (Bernard Fitzsimons)