Morane-Saulnier MS.230
Morane-Saulnier · France · first flew 1929 · light aircraft
The Morane-Saulnier MS.230 is a French parasol-wing advanced trainer of the late 1920s that became the standard École de Pilotage aircraft of the Armée de l'Air through the 1930s.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | clean single-strut undercarriage beneath the low fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- high parasol monoplane trainer with open tandem cockpits
- clean single-strut undercarriage beneath the low fuselage
- Wright Whirlwind or Salmson radial in a long-chord cowling
The parasol wing mounted on struts above a slender fuselage is the hallmark of the MS.230; the open cockpits and spatted undercarriage are typical of the era, but the wing's elevated position and clean fuselage lines are specific to Morane-Saulnier's interwar trainers.
Specifications
- The Morane-Saulnier MS.230 has a length of 6.98 m (23 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 10.7 m (35 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 235 km/h (146 mph).
- Typical crew: 2.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
First flown in 1929, the MS.230 combined the parasol wing layout favoured by Morane-Saulnier with robust construction suited to military training. Over 1,000 were built for the Armée de l'Air and numerous export customers, making it one of the most important French trainers of the interwar period.
Variants
The MS.230, 231, 232, and 233 shared the same basic airframe with differing engines; the MS.230 with its Salmson or Wright engine was the most numerous, while later variants trialled more powerful powerplants.
Where you'll see it
Standard advanced trainer of the Armée de l'Air from 1930 until replaced by more modern types in the late 1930s; exported to Belgium, Romania, Brazil, and several other nations. Some examples were still flying in French colonies in 1940.
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