The Morane-Saulnier Type P (official designations MS.21, MS.24 and MS.26) was a French

parasol wing A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft configuration with a single mainplane, in contrast to a biplane or other types of multiplanes, which have multiple planes. A monoplane has inherently the highest efficiency and lowest drag of any wing confi ...

two-seat reconnaissance aeroplane of the

First World War 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 ...

Morane-Saulnier Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier was a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier (1881–1964) and the Morane brothers, Léon (1885–1918) and Robert (1886–1968). The company was taken over and diversified ...

built 595 for the French air force, and it was also used by the British until 1916-17.

Development

Morane-Saulnier P (MS 26) at Aisne, April 1917 (cropped)

In addition to being fitted with ailerons and having a more streamlined fuselage, the Type P was faster and better armed than its better known ancestor, the Type L (MS.3) and had a more developed structure compared to the intermediate Morane-Saulnier LA (MS.4). Three versions were built under Morane-Saulnier's factory designation of Type P, the first being the MS.21, which although externally similar to the Type LA, had its internal structure completely redesigned, with the most visible evidence being the more robust center section struts, and with other details borrowed from the Type N (MS.5), such as a substantial spinner, known as the ''"casserole"''. The MS.24 was built specifically for the Royal Flying Corps to operate alongside their

Morane-Saulnier LA Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier was a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier (1881–1964) and the Morane brothers, Léon (1885–1918) and Robert (1886–1968). The company was taken over and diversified ...

s while replacing those lost to attrition, but due to shortages of the

Le Rhône Le Rhône was the name given to a series of popular rotary aircraft engines produced in France by Société des Moteurs Le Rhône and the successor company of Gnome et Rhône. They powered a number of military aircraft types of the First Worl ...

rotary engine The rotary engine is an early type of internal combustion engine, usually designed with an odd number of cylinders per row in a radial configuration. The engine's crankshaft remained stationary in operation, while the entire crankcase and its ...

used in the MS.21, it was powered by an Le Rhône. The RFC also operated the MS.21. The MS.26 was similar to the MS.21, but was fitted with a Le Rhône engine which was enclosed in a full cowling, and like the 24, dispensed with the spinner commonly found on the MS.21.

Variants

;Type P * Factory designation ;MS.21 * Official designation of initial version powered with a

Le Rhône 9J The Le Rhône 9J is a nine-cylinder rotary aircraft engine produced in France by Gnome et Rhône. Also known as the Le Rhône 110 hp in a reference to its nominal power rating, the engine was fitted to a number of military aircraf ...

engine ;MS.24 * Official designation of RFC version powered with a

Le Rhône 9C The Le Rhône 9C is a nine-cylinder rotary aircraft engine produced in France by '' Société des Moteurs Le Rhône'' / Gnome et Rhône. Also known as the Le Rhône 80 hp in a reference to its nominal power rating, the engine was ...

engine ;MS.26 * Official designation of final version powered with a

c engine ;''Rouleur/Penguin'' * Examples of other variants modified with wing area reduced to act as ground handling trainers. ;''Chasseur'' * Two examples were converted into single seat fighters, the first had the observer's position covered over, the second had the pilot moved back and the wing lowered.

Operators

; * Brazilian Air Force ; * French Air Force ; *

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the aviation force of the Im ...

; *

Imperial Russian Air Service The Imperial Russian Air Service (russian: Императорскій военно-воздушный флотъ, , Emperor's Military Air Fleet) was an air force founded in 1912 for Imperial Russia."''12 августа 1912 года прика ...

; * Royal Flying Corps

Specifications (Type P/MS.21)

References

Citations

Bibliography

*Bruce, J.M. ''The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing)''. London: Putnam, 1982. . * *