Morane-Saulnier Bullet - Definition and Overview

The Morane-Saulnier Type N was a French monoplane fighter aircraft of the First World War. Designed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier, the Type N entered service in April 1915 with the Aviation Militaire, designated as the MS.5C.1. It also equipped four squadrons of the Royal Flying Corps, in which it was designated the Bullet and was operated in limited numbers by the 19th Squadron of the Imperial Russian Air Service.

While the Type N was a graceful-looking aircraft and utilised an advanced, aerodynamic design, it was not easy to fly due to its stiff controls (using wing warping instead of ailerons) and high landing speed. The Type N mounted a single forward-firing machine gun (either a .303-in Vickers or 7.9 mm Hotchkiss) which used the deflector wedges, first demonstrated on the Morane-Saulnier Type L, in order to fire through the propeller arc. The Type N was not particularly successful — only 49 aircraft were built — and was quickly rendered obsolete by the pace of aircraft development.

Specifications

General Characteristics

• Crew: one, pilot
• Length: 6.70 m (21 ft 11 in)
• Wingspan: 8.30 m (27 ft 2 in)
• Height: 2.50 m (8 ft 2 in)
• Wing area: m² ( ft²)
• Empty: kg ( lb)
• Loaded: 510 kg (1,124 lb)
• Maximum takeoff: kg ( lb)
• Powerplant: 1x Le Rhone 9J rotary engine, 82 kW (110 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 165 km/h (102 mph)
• Range: endurance of 1 hr 30 min
• Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,123 ft)
• Rate of climb: m/min ( ft/min)
• Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
• Power/Mass: kW/kg ( hp/lb)

Armament

• 1x .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun or .31 in (7.9 mm) Hotchkiss

Related content

Related development: Morane-Saulnier Type L

Comparable aircraft: Fokker Eindecker

Designation sequence: Type H - Type L - Type N - Type P