The Morane-Saulnier AC, also known as Morane-Saulnier Type AC and MoS 23, was a French fighter of the 1910s.

Development

The AC was conceived in mid-1916, being derived from the Type N via the unbuilt Type U. It differed from earlier single-seat

Morane-Saulnier Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier was a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier (aircraft manufacturer), Raymond Saulnier (1881–1964) and the Robert and Léon Morane, Morane brothers, Léon (1885–1918) and ...

aircraft in that it had

aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement around ...

s for lateral control rather than

wing warping Wing warping was an early system for lateral (roll) control of a fixed-wing aircraft. The technique, used and patented by the Wright brothers, consisted of a system of pulleys and cables to twist the trailing edges of the wings in opposite direc ...

, and because of its rigid wing bracing, with a wire braced truss of steel tubes supporting the wings from below.Bruce 1972, pp. 95–97. It appeared in autumn of that year, and was found to be aerodynamically clean.

Operational history

The AC's first flight is unrecorded, however it is assumed that it was late summer 1916. After initial testing thirty aircraft were ordered for the

Aviation Militaire The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...

. Although of advanced design and good performance, the AC was considered inferior to the

SPAD S.VII The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and rug ...

and therefore was not adopted in quantity. Two examples were provided to the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

for evaluation.

Operators

; *

Armée de l'Air The French Air and Space Force (AAE) (french: Armée de l'air et de l'espace, ) is the air and space force of the French Armed Forces. It was the first military aviation force in history, formed in 1909 as the , a service arm of the French Army; ...

; *

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

Development

Operational history

Operators

Specifications

References

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading