The Martin MS-1 was an experimental scout biplane 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. 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 Cox-Klemin XS was a 1920s American experimental scout biplane, the first aircraft to be launched and recovered from a submarine. Development Based on a design by the US Bureau of Aeronautics for a simple single-seat scout seaplane that could ...

. 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 h ...

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 The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the second-longest in the United Kingdom, after the R ...

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 decade ...

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

Martin MS-1 being assembled on SS-105 1923

;MS-1 :six built (BuNo A6521-A6526).

Operators

; *

Specifications

References

Bibliography

External links

The MS-1 on USS S-1

MS-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