Morane-Saulnier BB
Morane-Saulnier · France · first flew 1915 · reconnaissance aircraft
The Morane-Saulnier BB was a French military observation aircraft of the First World War, built for Britain's Royal Flying Corps. It was a conventional single-bay biplane with the pilot and observer in tandem open cockpits.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 7 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Single-bay biplane with the pilot and observer in open tandem cockpits
- Le Rhône rotary engine and a round cowling at the nose
- Some RFC aircraft carried a forward-firing Lewis gun on the top wing
A single-bay biplane with open tandem cockpits and a rotary engine in a round cowling. It should not be confused with Morane-Saulnier's parasol monoplanes such as the Type L.
Specifications
- The Morane-Saulnier BB has a length of 7 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 8.65 m (28 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 147 km/h (91 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The original order was for 150 aircraft with 110 hp Le Rhône 9J rotary engines, but shortages meant most of the 94 built for Britain were delivered with 80 hp Le Rhône 9C engines. A Hispano-Suiza 8A engine was trialled in the Type BH but remained experimental. A production licence was sold to the Spanish company CECA, which built twelve in 1916.
Variants
The BB (French designation MS.7) had a Le Rhône 9J rotary and the BH (MS.8) an experimental Hispano-Suiza 8A V-8. The Spanish-built aircraft were designated CECA-MS.
Where you'll see it
It equipped several Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service squadrons, mainly in the observation role. With a forward-firing Lewis gun on the top wing it was also used as a fighter. Spain and Imperial Russia also operated it.
Related aircraft
- Morane-Saulnier AR
- Morane-Saulnier LA
- Morane-Saulnier Type P
- Morane-Saulnier I
- AEG C.I
- AEG C.II
- AEG C.III
- AGO C.I
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