Morane-Saulnier N

Morane-Saulnier · France · first flew 1914 · fighter

An early French single-seat monoplane fighter, nicknamed the 'Bullet' for its rounded, streamlined fuselage, and among the first aircraft to fire a machine gun through the propeller arc using armoured deflector wedges, a trick pioneered on the parasol Type L.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• smooth, rounded bullet-shaped fuselage, source of its 'Bullet' nickname
• large spinner covering the propeller hub
• wire-braced monoplane wings with no interplane struts

Its rounded, almost cylindrical fuselage and large spinner set it apart from the flatter-sided fighters that followed it.

Specifications

• The Morane-Saulnier N has a length of 5.83 m (19 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 8.15 m (27 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 144 km/h (89 mph).
• Typical crew: 1.

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

History

Morane-Saulnier developed the type as a fast scout before the war, and in 1915 it was fitted with a fixed forward-firing machine gun and bullet-deflecting wedges on the propeller blades, a stopgap that presaged the true synchronised interrupter gear soon developed by Fokker.

Variants

Built in small numbers, with individual aircraft modified in the field for their improvised gun armament before more capable designs took over the fighter role.

Where you'll see it

It flew briefly as an armed fighter with French and British units in 1915 before being outclassed and relegated to training duties as dedicated fighters like the Fokker Eindecker and later Allied types arrived.

Related aircraft

• Morane-Saulnier BB
• Morane-Saulnier LA
• Morane-Saulnier Type P
• Morane-Saulnier G
• Martinsyde S.1
• Vickers F.B.5
• Airco DH.2
• Albatros W.1

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