Morane-Saulnier MS 405 / 406 Fighter Aircraft (1938)
Despite its contemporary appearance, the M.S.406 was outclassed by the invading German Luftwaffe Bf 109 fighters.
Design-wise, the M.S.406 was contemporary in nature and featured low monoplane wings, a three-bladed propeller and a retractable undercarriage. The 406 came along after changes were made to the existing M.S.405 model. The M.S.406 incorporated newer and lighter wings than her predecessor and also featured a retractable radiator under the fuselage. Power was derived from a single Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 series V12 liquid-cooled engine developing up to 860 horsepower, providing some 301 miles per hour with a ceiling of nearly 31,000 feet and a range close to 500 miles. The engine was mounted in the front of the fuselage just forward of the cockpit. Vision from the canopy was adequate though it was situated aft of the wings. The canopy enclosure was divided into three sections and integrated into the base of the empennage. Armament could be considered quite subpar on the whole when compared to other aircraft of the time and centered around a 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 series cannon firing through the propeller hub along with a pair of 7.5mm MAC 1934 series machine guns, one fitted to each wing.
Once inevitable combat began in 1938, the Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 offered up hope in defense against Germany. By 1940 however, the system was wholly outclassed by the Luftwaffe Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters and were not made in the quantity required to post up greater results. Many of the French production aircraft were unfortunately doomed to production delays as their airframes waited in warehouses without engines. In retrospect, the aircraft found more favor and success fighting on with other foreign operators of the system that included Finland and Switzerland. The Fins probably faired the best with the M.S.406 against the Soviets, though this was an M.S.406 flying in a modified form. By the Fall of France, surplus M.S.406's were put into service with the German Luftwaffe as trainer aircraft while others were sold off to allied nations.
In the end, the M.S.406 was a serviceable fighter design with some factors to recommend it. On the other hand, when compared to its adversaries, the system found much more working against it in terms of performance, protection and firepower. In another time - perhaps some five years sooner - the system would have been something to be feared but the arrival of the Second World War onto French soil set the unprepared nation on a course of injustice to this aircraft. The M.S.406 appeared in just 1,176 total production examples - far below the numbers being fielded by the Luftwaffe and their Bf 109 series. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Morane-Saulnier MS 405 / 406
Fighter Aircraft
Country of Origin: France
Manufacturer: Morane-Saulnier - France
Initial Year of Service: 1938
Production: 1,176
Focus Model: Morane-Saulnier MS 406
Crew: 1
Length: 26.77ft (8.16m)
Width: 34.78ft (10.60m)
Height: 9.28ft (2.83m)
Weight (Empty): 4,189lbs (1,900kg)
Weight (MTOW): 5,445lbs (2,470kg)
Powerplant: 1 x Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 V12 liquid-cooled engine developing 860hp.
Maximum Speed: 301mph (485kmh; 262kts)
Maximum Range: 497miles (800km)
Service Ceiling: 30,840ft (9,400m; 5.8miles)
Rate-of-Climb: 2,789 feet per minute (850m/min)
Hardpoints: 0
Armament Suite:
1 x 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in propeller hub
2 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns in wings
Variants:
M.S.405 - Developmental Model; 2 prototypes and 16 pre-production models.
M.S.406 - Based on M.S.405 Development Model; decreased overall weight and redesigned wing structure; fitted with Hispano-Suiza HS 12Y-31 engines of 860 horsepower; 1 x 20mm cannon and 2 x 7.5mm machine guns.
M.S.410 - Improved M.S.406 Model Series; reinforced wing structure; 4 x machine guns; top speed increase; 5 examples completed.
M.S.411 - Single Production Example; fitted with wing system of M.S.406 model and Hispano-Suiza HS 12Y-45 series engine of 1,000 horsepower.
M.S.412 - Unfinished Model; fitted with Hispano-Suiza 12Y-51 series engine of 1,050 horsepower.
M.S.450 - Single Prototype Development; fitted with Hispano-Suiza 12Z engine of 1,300 horsepower.
M.S.430 - Two-Seat Trainer; fitted with Salmson 9 radial engine of 390 horsepower.
M.S.435 - Two-Seat Trainer; fitted with Gnome-Rhone 9K series engine of 550 horsepower.
EFW D-3800 - Swiss designation for license production M.S.406's; built from 2 received M.S.405 model series.
EFW D-3801 - Fitted with Swiss instruments, weaponry and propeller system.
Operators: France; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Finland; Nazi Germany; Italy; Lithuania; Poland; Switzerland; Turkey; Thailand; Yugoslavia
BY DECADE:
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• 2020 to 2029
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Aircraft
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
• Attack Helicopters
• Bomber Aircraft
• Medium Bombers
• Heavy Bombers
• Close-Air Support (CAS)
• Commercial Aircraft
• Dive Bombers
• Electronic Warfare Aircraft (EWA)
• Experimental / X-Planes
• Fighter Aircraft
• Floatplane Aircraft
• Flying Boat Aircraft
• Aerial Refueling Tankers
• Helicopters (ALL)
• Interceptor Aircraft
• Multi-Role Aircraft
• Navy Carrier Aircraft
• Night Fighters
• Reconnaissance / Scout
• Search & Rescue (SAR)
• Scout Helicopters
• Special Purpose
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Transport Helicopters
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
• Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs)
COLLECTIONS:
• 4th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• 5th Generation Fighter Aircraft
• US X-Planes
• Classic US Warbirds
• French Military Helicopters
• Grumman "Cats"
• Howard Hughes Aircraft
• Indian Air Force
• Israeli Air Force
• Libyan Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Aircraft
• Modern Chinese Fighters
• Modern Military Aircraft
• Modern North Korean Aircraft
• Modern Trainer Aircraft
• Modern US Aircraft
• Mikoyan Aircraft
• Sukhoi Aircraft
• Syrian Aircraft
• Top 10 Fighter Aircraft of All Time
AIRCRAFT BY CONFLICT:
• Arab-Israeli War (1948)
• Cuban Missile Crisis (1959-1962)
• Falklands War (1982)
• Indo-Pak War (1965, 1971)
• Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988)
• Lebanon War (1982)
• Operation Allied Force (1999)
• Operation Desert Storm (1991)
• Six Day War (1967)
• Spanish Civil War (1936)
• Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989)
• Yom Kippur War (1973)
MISCELLANEOUS:
• Aircraft Cockpits
• Aircraft Manufacturers List
• Aircraft Timeline
WORLD WAR 2:
• 1939 Aircraft
• 1940 Aircraft
• 1941 Aircraft
• 1942 Aircraft
• 1943 Aircraft
• 1944 Aircraft
• 1945 Aircraft
• 1946 Aircraft
• Australian Aircraft
• Battle of Britain Aircraft
• Bombers
• Four-Engine Bombers
• British Aircraft
• British Bombers
• British Transports
• Dive Bombers
• Canadian Aircraft
• Fighters
• Chinese Aircraft
• French Aircraft
• German Aircraft
• German Fighters
• German Flying Boats
• German Jets
• Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe
• Italian Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Aircraft
• Imperial Japanese Fighters
• Mitsubishi Bombers
• Navy Aircraft
• Pearl Harbor
• Polish Aircraft
• Romanian Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Navy Aircraft
• Soviet Aircraft
• Torpedo Bombers
• Trainer Aircraft
• Transport Aircraft
• Tuskegee Airmen Aircraft
• W.A.S.P. Aircraft
• WW2 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• 1914 Aircraft
• 1915 Aircraft
• 1916 Aircraft
• 1917 Aircraft
• 1918 Aircraft
• Aircraft Timeline
• Austro-Hungarian Aircraft
• Bomber Aircraft
• British Aircraft
• Fighters
• Flying Boats
• French Aircraft
• Imperial German Aircraft
• Italian Aircraft
• Scout Aircraft
• Russian Empire Aircraft
• US Aircraft
• WW1 Aircraft Ranked by Speed
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Australian Aircraft
• Korean War Aces
• Korean War Jets
• North Korean Aircraft
• US Military Aircraft
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
• Helicopters
• North Vietnam Air Force
• US Airpower
• VIEW ALL
COLD WAR:
• 1950s French Aircraft
• British V-Bombers
• Cold War Bombers
• Soviet Aircraft
• Soviet Bombers
• Soviet Interceptors
• Soviet Helicopters
• Strategic Air Command
• US Aircraft
• US Bombers
• US Interceptors
• VIEW ALL
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
