Morane-Saulnier MS.140

Morane-Saulnier · France · first flew 1927 · light aircraft

The Morane-Saulnier MS.140 was a French single-engined wooden biplane designed as an ambulance aircraft that could also serve as a trainer.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, straight
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	7.43 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Single-bay biplane of equal span with sweepback on the upper wing only
Cowled Le Rhône 9C rotary engine
Pilot sits below a cut-out in the upper wing, on a wide-track split-axle undercarriage

A rotary-engined biplane with a swept upper wing only and a cut-out in the upper wing above the pilot.

Specifications

The Morane-Saulnier MS.140 has a length of 7.43 m (24 ft).
It has a wingspan of 11.1 m (36 ft).
Its maximum speed is 131 km/h (81 mph).
Typical crew: 1.

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

History

It first flew about 1927 and was backward-looking for its date, using an 80 hp Le Rhône 9C rotary engine. It had an all-wood structure with fabric covering.

Variants

Only one was built. A hatch behind the pilot took a stretcher, or a second seat with dual control could be fitted instead.

Where you'll see it

The aircraft could operate from very small fields thanks to its generous wing area and high-lift airfoil. It was noted in the Villacoublay aircraft graveyard in 1937 and may have been sold to the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War.

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