Morane-Saulnier V

Type V

National origin: France
Manufacturer: Morane-Saulnier
First flight: April 1916
Introduced: RFC - 13 May 1916 IRAS - 1 April 1917
Retired: RFC - 19 October 1916 IRAS - late 1917
Primary user: Royal Flying Corps Imperial Russian Air Service
Number built: 30

The Morane-Saulnier V, also known as the Morane-Saulnier Type V was a French fighter of the 1910s.

Development

Developed in parallel with the Morane-Saulnier I, the Type V was similar to the I but was larger with a three-hour endurance. It also differed in that it had larger wing and deepened ventral contours to accommodate extra fuel tanks.

Operational history

Developed at the beginning of 1916, the Type V was intended primarily to meet a Royal Flying Corps requirement, and the service of the Type V was officially accepted in May 1916. However, like the Type I, the aircraft proved to be unpopular across-the-board and the Type V was retired from service only 5 months later. However, in 1917 18 aircraft were in service with the Imperial Russian Air Service (IRAS). It is believed that these were acquired by the Bolshevik Red Air Fleet during the Russian Revolution.

Operators

United Kingdom

Royal Flying Corps

Russian Empire

Imperial Russian Air Service

Soviet Union

Aircraft taken from IRAS during Russian Revolution

Specifications

General characteristics

Crew: 1
Length: 5.81 m (19 ft 1 in)
Wingspan: 8.75 m (28 ft 8 in)
Powerplant: 1 x— Le Rhx´ne 9J nine-cylinder rotary engine, 82 kW (110 hp)

Performance

Maximum speed: 165 km/h (102 mph)
Endurance: 3 hours 0 min

Armament

1 x 7.7mm cockpit-mounted Vickers gun

Green, William; Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. Godalming, UK: Salamander Books. pp. 414.

Morane-Saulnier V Pictures and Morane-Saulnier V for Sale.

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Source: WikiPedia