Morane-Saulnier M.S.406

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_M.S.406

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 was a French fighter aircraft developed and
manufactured by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. Numerically, it was France's
most important fighter during the opening stages of the Second World War; it was
one of only two French-built aircraft (the other being the Potez 630) of which
more than one thousand machines were constructed.

The M.S.406 was developed in response to a requirement issued by the French Air
Force during 1934. Morane-Saulnier developed an initial version of the design,
designated the MS.405, which was a low-wing monoplane of mixed construction. It
had the distinction of being the company's first low-wing monoplane, as well as
the first to feature an enclosed cockpit, and the first design with a retracting
undercarriage. The entry to service of the M.S.406 to the French Air Force
during early 1939 represented the first modern fighter aircraft to be adopted by
the service. Although a sturdy and highly maneuverable fighter aircraft, it was
considered underpowered and weakly armed when compared to its contemporaries.
Most critically, the M.S.406 was outperformed by the Messerschmitt Bf 109E
during the Battle of France.


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

During the early stages of the Second World War, the type was capable of holding
its own during the so-called Phoney War. However, upon the war breaking out in
earnest during 1940, large numbers were lost, amounting approximately 400
aircraft being lost according to all causes. Out of this total, around 150 were
lost to enemy fighters and ground fire, while another 100 aircraft were
destroyed on the ground during enemy air raids; the remainder was deliberately
destroyed by French military personnel to prevent the fighters from falling into
enemy hands intact. In return, French M.S.406 squadrons had achieved 191
confirmed victories along with another 83 probable victories. Limited production
of the type continued in France for sometime after the 1940 Armistice under
German supervision.

While the aircraft was very manoeuvrable and could withstand high amounts of
battle damage, potentially giving possible advantages during combat against
Luftwaffe fighters, the M.S.406 was overall outclassed by the Bf 109. Efforts to
replace the M.S.406, such as efforts to convert existing aircraft to the
improved M.S.410 standard, with a more capable fighter failed to occur prior to
the end of the Phoney War on 10 May 1940, the month in which a massive
full-scale invasion by German forces of mainland France commenced, resulting in
high-intensity fighting in an event widely known as the Battle of France. On the
eve of the invasion, a total of 10 Groupes de Chasse were equipped with M.S.406
fighters, along with a number of defensive units which were almost exclusively
equipped with either the M.S.406 or Bloch MB.152 aircraft.

During the relentless fighting that followed, Allied forces suffered a high rate
of attrition and were unable to keep up with the level of damage being
sustained. Of the M.S.406s that saw action against the Germans, heavy losses
were incurred; reportedly, 150 aircraft were lost in action while a further
250–300 fighters were recorded as having been lost through other causes. The
rapid advance of German forces led to repeated retreats and abandonment of
bases, rendering most repair and replacement efforts disorganised, along with
ground crews often having to destroy large numbers of their own fighter aircraft
on the ground to prevent their capture. The decision to employ small groups of
French fighters against larger German formations was mostly ineffective against
bombers and often costly.

In combat against enemy fighters, the M.S.406 often experienced mixed results.
While there were isolated incidents of favourable results being achieved with
the type even against the capable Bf 109, the M.S.406 holds the unfortunate
distinction of being the least effective French fighter in service during the
Battle of France, which Botquin attributes as having likely been due to its
relatively low firepower. On 24 June 1940, a M.S.406 flown by Sous Lieutenant
Marchelidon of G.C.1/2 scored the French Air Force's last kill in the conflict.
Botquin stated of the aircraft: "it would be pointless to pretend, as was often
done during the war for propaganda purposes, that the M.S.406 was the finest
fighter in the world...but it was certainly a pleasant machine to fly with no
vices and great manoeuvrability".

Specifications (M.S.406)

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)
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




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