Morane-Saulnier Type L
The Morane-Saulnier Type L was a French parasol wing one or two-seat aeroplane of the First World War. The Type L became the first successful fighter aircraft when it was fitted with a single machine gun that fired through the arc of the propeller which was protected by armoured deflector wedges. Its immediate effectiveness in this role launched an arms race of fighter development and the Type L was swiftly rendered obsolete.
Built by Morane-Saulnier, large numbers of the Type L were ordered by the French Aviation Militaire at the outbreak of the war, being designated the MS.3. In total about 600 Type Ls were built and in addition to the French air force, they served with the Royal Flying Corps, Royal Naval Air Service and the Imperial Russian Air Service.
In December 1914, renowned French aviator Roland Garros, then serving with Escadrille 23, worked with Raymond Saulnier to mount a machine gun on his Type L. Saulnier had experimented with a mechanical interrupter gear but reverted to the simpler solution of using armoured propeller blades. Garros' mechanic further improved the system by fitting deflector wedges to the blades in line with the barrel of the gun. Garros took his Type L fighter into combat in March 1915 and achieved immediate success, shooting down three German aircraft in April, a noteworthy feat at the time. On 18 April, 1915, Garros' Type L was forced down behind German lines and was captured before Garros could burn it. This motivated the Germans to develop their own fighter, which materialised at the end of May as the Fokker E.I, fitted with a true interrupter system.
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Specifications
General characteristics
- Crew: one or two
- Length: 6.88 m (22 ft 6 in)
- Wingspan: 11.20 m (36 ft 9 in)
- Height: 3.93 m (12 ft 10 in)
- Wing area: m² ( ft²)
- Empty: kg ( lb)
- Loaded: 655 kg (1,441 lb)
- Maximum takeoff: kg ( lb)
- Powerplant: 1x Gnome rotary piston engine, 80 hp
Performance
- Maximum speed: 115 km/h (71 mph)
- Range: endurance of 2 h 30 min
- Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
- Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
- Wing loading: kg/m² ( lb/ft²)
- Power/Mass: kW/kg ( hp/lb)
Armament
- 1x .31 in (7.9 mm) Hotchkiss machine gun
Related content
Related development: Morane-Saulnier Type N
Comparable aircraft:
Designation sequence: Type H - Type L - Type N - Type P
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