Morane-Saulnier BB
Morane-Saulnier · France · first flew 1915 · fighter
The Morane-Saulnier BB was a French two-seat parasol monoplane of 1915, used for fighter and reconnaissance duties in the early stages of World War I air combat.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-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:
- Parasol-wing two-seat monoplane with single strut-mounted wing overhead
- Single rotary engine with prominent propeller deflector wedges
- Open tandem cockpits beneath the elevated parasol wing
Identified by its raised parasol wing mounted on struts above the fuselage, open tandem cockpits, and the rotary engine with blunt deflector wedges visible on the propeller blades.
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 BB was among several Morane-Saulnier parasol-wing designs that pioneered the use of deflector wedges on the propeller blades to allow forward-firing in the absence of a proper synchronisation gear. It saw limited operational use before more capable designs superseded it.
Variants
Production numbers were small; no significant combat variants were developed from the BB.
Where you'll see it
Used by the Aviation Militaire française in 1915–1916 on the Western Front.
Related aircraft
- Morane-Saulnier LA
- Morane-Saulnier Type P
- Morane-Saulnier AI
- Morane-Saulnier Type AF
- AEG C.I
- AEG C.III
- AGO C.I
- AGO C.II
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