The Martin MS-1 was an experimental scout
biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...
ordered by the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
and was intended to operate from a
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
. It first flew in 1923 and the type was used for tests until 1926 when the project was cancelled.
Development
Following
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics conducted studies concerning the possibility of submarine-borne observation and scouting aircraft. After surfacing, this plane should be rolled out and quickly assembled. It was planned to launch the seaplane by ballasting the submarine until the deck was awash. The Navy ordered two types of aircraft, the Martin MS-1, constructed of wood and fabric, and the all-metal
Cox-Klemin XS. The MS-1 first flew from
Lake Erie
Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has t ...
in early 1923.
Operational history
The submarine
S-1 became the experimental platform for the operation of scout seaplanes late in 1923. The MS-1 and the Cox-Klemin XS were used for the trials, mounted in a cylindrical pod behind the conning tower. The first successful attempt was made on 5 November 1923. The first full cycle of surfacing, assembly, launching, retrieving, disassembly, and submergence took place on 28 July 1926, on the
Thames River at
New London, Connecticut
New London is a seaport city and a port of entry on the northeast coast of the United States, located at the mouth of the Thames River in New London County, Connecticut. It was one of the world's three busiest whaling ports for several decades ...
using the XS-2.
A total of six Martin MS-1s were built, with all six still being listed with the U.S. Navy as late as 1926. After further trials during 1926, all the experimental aircraft were scrapped.
Variants
;MS-1
:six built (BuNo A6521-A6526).
Operators
;
*
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
Specifications
See also
References
Bibliography
*
External links
The MS-1 on USS S-1MS-1 photos
{{USN scout aircraft
MS
1920s United States military reconnaissance aircraft
Floatplanes
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Biplanes
Submarine-borne aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1923