Morane-Saulnier MS.

230

The Morane-Saulnier MS.230 aircraft was the main el-

ementary trainer for the French Armée de l'Air through-
out the 1930s. Almost all French pilots flying for the Ar-
mée de l'Air at the outbreak of World War II had had
their earliest flight training in this machine. It was the
equivalent of the Stearman trainer in the United States
air services and the de Havilland Tiger Moth in the British
Royal Air Force.

MS.230 of the Spanish Republican Air Force.

1 Development and design
The MS.230 was designed to meet French Air Min- Fliegertruppen; two built, one converted to Wright
istry requirements.[1] The MS.230 was a parasol wing 9Qa radial in 1932
monoplane of metal tubular framing with fabric cover-
• MS.230 - over 1,100 built; 20 bought by Romania
ing throughout, except the forward area of the fuselage,
and 25 by Greece in 1931, 9 each bought by Belgium
which was metal covered. The instructor and pupil oc-
and Brazil; main Armee de l'Air trainer for years; op-
cupied two tandem cockpits. It had a wide fixed landing
erated by several well-known private owners includ-
gear that made it very stable in takeoff and landing. As
ing Lynn Garrison and Louis Dolfus; some used for
a monoplane the MS.230 was unlike other trainers of the
trials with Handley Page slats, or skis; one fitted with
time, which were mostly biplanes.
Lorraine 9Nb Algol Junior
It first flew in February 1929 and proved to be an excellent
and stable machine which was very easy to fly. It saw ser- • MS.231 - six built, with 179 kW (240 hp) Lorraine
vice with military flight schools throughout France and 7Mb, 1930
was exported to the air forces of numerous other coun-
tries. It also became a popular aircraft for sporting avia- • MS.232 - experimental version with 149 kW (200
tion. An example won the Michelin Cup in 1929 [2] hp) Clerget 9Ca diesel, 1930

Numbers of MS.230s survived for many years after the
war and became civilian trainers and civilian flying club
aircraft. One was used in 1967 to act as camera-ship
for air-to-air filming of Darling Lili at Baldonnel Aero-
drome, Ireland. Examples are preserved on display in
museums in Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Spain and
the United States of America.[3]
• MS.233 - powered by 172 kW (230 hp) Gnome-
Rhône 5Ba or Gnome-Rhône 5Bc, six built in
France and 16 in Portugal under licence for the Por-
tuguese military
• MS.234 - 186 kW (250 hp) Hispano-Suiza 9Qa en-
gine, two built, one for U.S. Ambassador in Paris

• MS.234/2 - converted from MS.130 racer with 172

kW) (230 hp) Hispano 9Qb and NACA cowling, en-
2 Popular Culture tered in 1931 Coupe Michelin air race, 86 kW (250
hp) Hispano-Suiza 9Qa engine, 1933 fitted with 9Qa
A MS.230 was used at the end of the movie The Blue Max engine as MS.234 #2, flown in aerobatic competi-
as the “new monoplane” in which Lt. Stachel is killed tion by Michael Detroyat until 1938
during a test flight.
• MS.235 - 224 kW (300 hp) Gnome-Rhône 7Kb en-
gine, one built 1930
3 Variants
• MS.235H - twin-float version, first flown 1931
[4]
Source: • MS.236 - fitted with 160 kW (215 hp) Armstrong
Siddeley Lynx IVC, 19 built under licence for
• MS.229 - Hispano-Suiza H8a V8, for Swiss Belgian Air Force by SABCA, first flown July 1932

1
2 5 SPECIFICATIONS

• MS.237 - 209 kW (280 hp) Salmson 9Aba engine, • Portuguese Air Force
five built for private users, introduced 1934
Romania

• Royal Romanian Air Force

Spain

• Spanish Republican Air Force

Switzerland

• Swiss Air Force

MS.230 at Praha-Kbely museum
United States

4 Operators • United States Army Air Corps

Belgium Venezuela

• Belgian Air Force • Venezuelan Air Force

Brazil
5 Specifications
• Brazilian Air Force Data from Holmes, 2005. p. 97.
General characteristics
Czechoslovakia
• Crew: 2 (one instructor, one student)

• Czechoslovakian Air Force (as C23) • Length: 6.70 m (22 feet 10 inches)
• Wingspan: 10.70 m (35 feet 1 inch)
France
• Height: 2.80 m (9 feet 2 inches)
• Empty weight: 829 kg (1,828 pounds)
• French Air Force
• Loaded weight: 1,150 kg (2,535 pounds)
• French Navy
• Powerplant: 1 × Salmson 9AB, 9-cylinder, air-
cooled radial engine, 172 kW (230 hp)
Germany
Performance
• Luftwaffe (small numbers) [5]
• Never exceed speed: 260 km/h (162 mph)

Greece • Maximum speed: 260 km/h (162 mph)

• Cruise speed: 160 km/h (100 mph)
• Hellenic Air Force • Stall speed: 90 km/h (56 mph)
• Range: 579 km (360 miles)
Portugal
• Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,405 feet)
 3

6 See also
Related lists

• List of Interwar military aircraft

• List of aircraft of the Spanish Republican Air Force

7 References
Notes

[1] Holmes, 2005. p. 97.

[2] Flight 20 June 1930, p.651

[3] Ogden, 2006, p. 28

[4] Donald, 1997. p. 664.

[5] Ketley, Barry, and Rolfe, Mark. Luftwaffe Fledglings

1935-1945: Luftwaffe Training Units and their Aircraft
(Aldershot, GB: Hikoki Publications, 1996), p.11.

Bibliography

• Donald, David. Encyclopedia of World Aircraft

(Etobicoke, Ontario: Prospero Books, 1997), p.
664, “Morane-Saulnier MS.230 series”.

• Holmes, Tony (2005). Jane’s Vintage Aircraft

Recognition Guide. London: Harper Collins. ISBN
0-00-719292-4.
• Ogden, Bob (2006). Aviation Museums and Collec-
tions of Mainland Europe. Tonbridge, Kent: Air-
Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-375-7.

8 External links
• A History of Greek Military Equipment (1821-
today): Greek MS.230 ET2
4 9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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