Morane-Saulnier MS.230
The MS.230 was designed to meet French Air Ministry requirements. It was a parasol wing monoplane with a metal structure covered with fabric except for the forward fuselage, which was metal covered. The instructor and pupil occupied tandem cockpits. It had a wide-track fixed landing gear that made it very stable in takeoff and landing. The MS.230 differed from other trainers of the time, which were mostly biplanes.
It first flew in February 1929 and proved to be an excellent and stable machine which was very easy to fly. It saw service with military flight schools throughout France and was exported to the air forces of numerous other countries. It also became a popular aircraft for sporting aviation. An example won the Michelin Cup in 1929.
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 Aerodrome, Ireland. Examples are preserved on display in museums in Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Spain and the United States of America.
Country: France
First flight: 1929
Production: 1000 planes
Length: 6.942 m (22 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 10.7 m (35 ft 1 in)
Height: 2.73 m (8 ft 11 in)
Crew: 2
Engine: Salmson 9
Power: 230 HP (170 kW)
Max speed: 207 km/h (129 mph, 112 kn)
Range: 579 km (360 mi, 313 nmi)
Ceiling: 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
Weight: 834 kg (1,839 lb)
Cuatro Vientos museum (Madrid, Spain) and le Bourget Museum (Paris, France)
