Morane-Saulnier LA

Morane-Saulnier · France · first flew 1915 · fighter

The Morane-Saulnier Type LA was a French single-seat parasol-monoplane fighter of WWI, a refined development of the earlier Type L used experimentally with the first synchronised or deflector-armed machine guns.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Shoulder-wing monoplane with round-section fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Shoulder-wing monoplane with round-section fuselage
Rotary engine with spinner
Single-seat with synchronized or deflector gun

Shoulder-mounted wing with pronounced washout at tips; round drum-like fuselage; rotary engine exposed at front; wire-braced undercarriage; small vertical fin with large curved rudder.

Specifications

The Morane-Saulnier LA has a length of 6.88 m (23 ft).
It has a wingspan of 8.15 m (27 ft).
Its maximum speed is 165 km/h (103 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The Type LA entered service with the French Aviation Militaire in 1915 as an improved version of the Type L with a more powerful Le Rhône rotary engine and refined airframe. It was also operated by the Royal Flying Corps and the Russian Imperial Air Service. The type was transitional, soon superseded by more capable biplane fighters, but it represented the peak of the pre-biplane French monoplane fighting concept.

Variants

Type L (predecessor); Type LA (main production); Type N (sesquiplane successor).

Where you'll see it

French Aviation Militaire, RFC, and Russian Imperial Air Service, 1915–1916.

Related aircraft

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