Thomas-Morse MB-7
Thomas-Morse Aircraft · United States · first flew 1921 · light aircraft
The Thomas-Morse MB-7 was a purpose-built American air racing monoplane designed to compete in the 1921 Pulitzer Trophy Race, adopting a parasol wing layout for minimum drag.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | High-mounted, straight |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Inline Wright H-2 engine, very streamlined narrow fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Parasol-wing air racing monoplane built for the 1921 Pulitzer Trophy
- Inline Wright H-2 engine, very streamlined narrow fuselage
- Only two built; both ultimately crashed
The parasol monoplane configuration, minimal fuselage cross-section, and inline engine give the MB-7 a distinctly different silhouette from the biplane racers that dominated the Pulitzer field.
Specifications
- The Thomas-Morse MB-7 has a length of 5.63 m (18 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 7.31 m (24 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 291 km/h (181 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed by Thomas-Morse Aircraft Corporation in 1921, the MB-7 was one of several racers prepared for the highly competitive Pulitzer series. Powered by a Wright H-2 inline engine, the design prioritised streamlining but both examples were lost to accidents before or during competition.
Variants
No production variants were produced; only two prototypes were constructed.
Where you'll see it
The MB-7 did not enter military service and was a purely experimental racing design with no lineage into subsequent production types.
Related aircraft
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