Morane-Saulnier A

The Morane-Borel monoplane (sometimes referred to with the retronym Morane-Saulnier Type A or simply the Morane monoplane; company designation Bo.1) was an early French single-engine, single-seat aircraft. It was flown in several European air races.

Design

The Monoplane was a mid-wing tractor configuration monoplane powered by a 50 hp Gnome Omega seven-cylinder rotary engine driving a two-bladed Chauvière ''Intégrale'' propeller. The fuselage was a rectangular-section wire-braced box girder, with the forward part covered in plywood and the rear part fabric covered: the rear section was left uncovered in some examples. The two-spar wings had elliptical ends and were braced by a pyramidal cabane in front of the pilot and an inverted V-strut underneath the fuselage, behind the undercarriage. Lateral control was effected by wing warping and the empennage consisted of a fixed horizontal stabiliser with tip-mounted full-chord elevators at either end and an aerodynamically balanced rudder, with no fixed vertical surface. In later examples the horizontal surfaces were modified, and consisted of a fixed surface with balanced elevators hinged to the trailing edge.The Borel Monoplane
''Flight 20 July 1912 p. 651 The undercarriage consisted of a pair of short skids, each carried on a pair of struts, and a pair of wheels on a cross-axle bound to the skids by bungee cords, and a tailskid.

A two-seat version was later produced, with the fuselage lengthened to and wingspan increased to .

Operational history

The Monoplane achieved fame when Jules Védrines flew one to victory in the 1911 Paris-to-Madrid air race, the only competitor to finish the four-day course. Later in the year he came second in the Circuit of Britain, flying an aircraft powered by a 70 hp Gnome. Another was flown by André Frey in the Paris-Rome race in 1911, finishing third. Emile Taddéoli was another owner of a Morane monoplane.

A two-seat version, powered by an 80 Gnome was entered for the 1912 British Military Aeroplane Competition.

Surviving examples

As of 2007 a single example remained extant, undergoing conservation work at the Canada Aviation Museum.

Operators

;
* Argentine Air Force
;
*Brazilian Naval Aviation
;
* Romanian Air Corps
;
* Royal Navy
**Royal Naval Air Service

Specifications

From

''l'Aérophile,'' 15 April 1911, p. 170

References

Further reading

*
*

External links

aviafrance.com

Borel-Morane Monoplane
Canada Aviation and Space Museum


''Flight'', July 29, 1911.

{{Borel aircraft

1910s French sport aircraft
Racing aircraft
Single-engined tractor aircraft
Aircraft first flown in 1911
Mid-wing aircraft
Rotary-engined aircraft
Borel aircraft
Morane-Saulnier aircraft