Morane-Saulnier MS.180

Morane-Saulnier · France · first flew 1929 · light aircraft

The Morane-Saulnier MS.180 was a single-engine, single-seat parasol-wing aerobatic trainer designed in the late 1920s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	High-mounted, swept
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	Parasol wing held above the fuselage on inverted V-shaped cabane struts
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Parasol wing held above the fuselage on inverted V-shaped cabane struts
Uncowled Salmson nine-cylinder radial engine on a removable frame at the nose
Tailplane set on top of the fuselage with the rudder moving between separate elevators

A small single-seat parasol monoplane with an uncowled radial engine, a wide-track fixed undercarriage on V-struts and a braced tail unit.

Specifications

The Morane-Saulnier MS.180 has a length of 6.04 m (20 ft).
It has a wingspan of 9 m (30 ft).
Its maximum speed is 133 km/h (83 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

It was designed for aerobatics and pilot training, with a safety factor of 15, and resembled the larger two-seat MS.230. The prototype made its maiden flight in 1929 powered by a Salmson 9Ad radial and flew well in testing. Final refinements were made by Michel Detroyat at Villacoublay.

Variants

Only a single MS.180 appears to have been built, later fitted with a more powerful Salmson 5Ac. Aircraft with that five-cylinder engine were designated MS.181.

Where you'll see it

About seventeen production-standard MS.181 were built, mostly used by French flying clubs. Several were operated by Spanish Republican forces to train pilots during the Spanish Civil War, and some flew on after the Second World War.

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