Morane-Saulnier BB
Type BB, Type BH | |
---|---|
RFC Morane-Saulnier BB | |
Role | Observation aircraft Type of aircraft |
National origin | France |
Manufacturer | Morane-Saulnier |
First flight | 1915 |
Status | retired |
Primary user | Royal Flying Corps |
Number built | 107 |
The Morane-Saulnier BB was a military observation aircraft produced in France during World War I for use by Britain's Royal Flying Corps.[1][2] It was a conventional single-bay biplane design with seating for the pilot and observer in tandem, open cockpits. The original order called for 150 aircraft powered by 110-hp Le Rhône 9J rotary engines, but shortages meant that most of the 94 aircraft eventually built were delivered with 80 hp Le Rhône 9C rotaries instead.[2] A water-cooled Hispano-Suiza 8A engine was trialled as an alternative in the Type BH, but this remained experimental only.[1] A production licence was sold to the Spanish company Compañía Española de Construcciones Aeronáuticas (CECA), which built twelve fitted with Hispano-Suiza engines in 1916.
Operational history
The type equipped a number of RFC and RNAS squadrons both in its original observation role and, equipped with a forward-firing Lewis gun mounted on the top wing, as a fighter.[2]
Variants
- MS.7
- official French government STAe designation for the BB
- MS.8
- official French government STAe designation for the BH
- BB
- Le Rhône 9J rotary powered variant
- BH
- Hispano-Suiza 8A V-8 powered variant
- CECA-MS or CECA-Saulnier
- designations used for BB/BH built in Spain
Operators
- United Kingdom
- Royal Flying Corps[3]
- No. 1 Squadron RFC
- No. 3 Squadron RFC
- No. 12 Squadron RFC
- No. 60 Squadron RFC
- Royal Naval Air Service
Specifications (BB)
Data from Parmentier
General characteristics
- Crew: Two, pilot and observer
- Length: 7.00 m (23 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 8.65 m (28 ft 5 in)
- Height: 2.54 m (8 ft 4 in)
- Wing area: 23.0 m2 (247 sq ft)
- Gross weight: 750 kg (1,650 lb)
- Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhône 9Ja , 82 kW (110 hp)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 147 km/h (92 mph, 80 kn)
- Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)
Armament
- 1 × flexible, rearward-firing .303 Lewis gun for observer
Notes
- ^ a b Taylor 1989, 684
- ^ a b c "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft", 2538
- ^ Bruce 1982, p.306.
References
- The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft. London: Aerospace Publishing.
- Bruce, J.M. (1982). The Aeroplanes of the Royal Flying Corps (Military Wing). London: Putnam. ISBN 0-370-30084-X.
- Taylor, Michael J. H. (1989). Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation. London: Studio Editions.
- Parmentier, Bruno. "Morane-Saulnier BB". Aviafrance - Un siècle d'aviation française. Retrieved 2008-11-07.
Further reading
- Lacaze, Henri & Lherbert, Claude (2013). Morane Saulnier: ses avions, ses projets [Morane Saulnier: Their Aircraft and Projects] (in French). Outreau, France: Lela Presse. ISBN 978-2-914017-70-1.
- v
- t
- e
- MoS.1
- MoS.2
- MoS.3
- MoS.4
- MoS.5
- MoS.6
- MoS.7
- MoS.8
- MoS.9
- MoS.10
- MoS.11
- MoS.12
- MoS.13
- MoS.14
- MoS.15
- MoS.16
- MoS.17
- MoS.18
- MoS.19
- MoS.20
- MoS.21
- MoS.22
- MoS.23
- MoS.24
- MoS.25
- MoS.26
- MoS.27
- MoS.28
- MoS.29
- MoS.30
- MoS.31
- MoS.32
- MoS.33
- MoS.34
- MoS.35
- MoS.36
- MoS.37
- MoS.38
- MoS.39
- MoS.40
- MoS.41
- MoS.42
- MoS.43
- MoS.44
- MoS.45
- MoS.46
- MoS.47
- MoS.48
- MoS.49
- MoS.50
- MoS.51
- MoS.52
- MoS.53
- MoS.56
- MoS.60
- MoS.120
- MoS.121
- MoS.129
- MoS.130
- MoS.131
- MoS.132
- MoS.133
- MoS.134
- MoS.136
- MoS.137
- MoS.138
- MoS.139
- MoS.140
- MoS.141
- MoS.147
- MoS.148
- MoS.149
- MS.152
- MS.160
- MS.180
- MS.181
- MS.185
- MS.200
- MS.221
- MS.222
- MS.223
- MS.224
- MS.225
- MS.226
- MS.227
- MS.229
- MS.230
- MS.250
- MS.251
- MS.260
- MS.275
- MS.278
- MS.300
- MS.301
- MS.302
- MS.315
- MS.316
- MS.317
- MS.325
- MS.340
- MS.341
- MS.342
- MS.343
- MS.345
- MS.350
- MS.405
- MS.406
- MS.408
- MS.410
- MS.411
- MS.430
- MS.433
- MS.435
- MS.450
- MS.470
- MS.472
- MS.474
- MS.470
- MS.475
- MS.476
- MS.477
- MS.479
- MS.500
- MS.501
- MS.502
- MS.504
- MS.505
- MS.506
- MS.560
- MS.570
- MS.603
- MS.630
- MS.631
- MS.700
- MS.701
- MS.703
- MS.704
- MS.730
- MS.731
- MS.732
- MS.733
- MS.755
- MS.760
- MS.785
- MS.860
- MS.880
- MS.1001
- MS.1500
- Alcyon
- Borel
- Bullet
- Comté de Nice or Nice (project)
- Criquet
- Épervier, Épervier II and Super 1500
- Fantôme
- Fleuret
- Lévrier
- Monococque
- Paris and Super Paris
- Pétrel
- Rallye, Rallye Club, Super Rallye and Rallye Commodore
- Statodyne (project)
- Vanneau
- Versailles (project)