Morane-Saulnier MS.410

Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter [ 1939 ]

The Morane-Saulnier MS.410 was a short-lived, improved extension of the pre-World War 2 MS.406 series.

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 03/26/2020 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site.

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There was much going on behind the scenes during France's battle for its very existence under the pressure of the German war machine in May-June 1940. In the years leading up to the war, a plethora of programs were undertaken to shore up French military strength in the region and abroad and one product of the period became the "MS.406" - an all-modern single-seat, single-engine monoplane fighter put forth by long-time airplane-maker Morane-Saulnier. The type recorded its first-flight on August 8th, 1935 (as the prototype "MS.405") and series introduction occurred in 1938 - just in time for war.

The aircraft showcased a sleek design consistent with the period: the nose contained a spinner which contoured nicely with the smooth edges of the cowling and fuselage. The cockpit was seated at midships with the pilot under a framed canopy. The mainplanes were near midships as well and of straight-lined design with rounded tips. The tail unit incorporated a tapering vertical fin to go along with low-mounted horizontal planes. The undercarriage, of tail-dragger form, was retractable.

Further development evolved the MS.406 into the upgraded "MS.410", this as the MS.406 series was just reaching French fighter squadrons during 1939. Proposed changes to the original aircraft included a much stronger wing with more internal volume so as to add another pair of 7.5mm MAC 1934 drum-fed machine guns - bringing the armament to 1 x 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 autocannon firing through the propeller hub with 4 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns in the wings. The retracting radiator feature of the original MS.406 was deleted in favor of a simpler, fixed arrangement. Exhaust "ejectors" were also added to transfer some of the engine's byproduct to become additional thrust to aid straight line performance.

Better armed, stronger and faster than its progenitor, the MS.410 looked to be the next logical step in the evolution of the promising MS.406 as a whole.

However, fortunes for the new fighter changed when the Battle of France turned against the defenders. About 150 of the new wings had been completed at the time of the French surrender in June of 1940 and only five MS.410s had been completed at all. With the Germans now in control, many aero-projects suffered cancellation but some were allowed to continue under their new masters - mainly to shore up ongoing needs covering newly-conquered territories or in support of German allies.

As such, the MS.410 modernization program got underway and a batch of existing MS.406 fighters were fitted with the new four-gun wings. To simplify matters, the exhaust ejection feature was altogether dropped and only some of the lot were fitted with the simpler radiator arrangement.

What MS.410s managed to see completion were either held locally or shipped off to allied Finland (eleven total examples in this case) in 1941 to be used against the Soviets. Croatia became the only other known recipient of this particular variant fighter design.©MilitaryFactory.com

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Specifications

Service Year

1939

Origin

France

Status

RETIRED
Not in Service.

Crew

1

Production

74
UNITS

Morane-Saulnier - France

(View other Aviaton-Related Manufacturers)

Croatia; Finland; France; Nazi Germany

(OPERATORS list includes past, present, and future operators when applicable)

✓ Air-to-Air Combat, Fighter
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.

Length

26.7 ft
(8.15 m)

Width/Span

34.9 ft
(10.65 m)

Height

8.9 ft
(2.70 m)

Empty Wgt

4,189 lb
(1,900 kg)

MTOW

5,512 lb
(2,500 kg)

Wgt Diff

+1,323 lb
(+600 kg)

(Showcased structural values pertain to the base Morane-Saulnier MS.410 production variant)

Installed: 1 x Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 liquid-cooled inline-piston engine developing 860 horsepower while driving a three-bladed propeller unit at the nose.

Max Speed

316 mph
(509 kph | 275 kts)

Range

621 mi
(1,000 km | 1,852 nm)

Rate-of-Climb

2,550 ft/min
(777 m/min)

♦ MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

♦

(Showcased performance specifications pertain to the base Morane-Saulnier MS.410 production variant. Performance specifications showcased above are subject to environmental factors as well as aircraft configuration. Estimates are made when Real Data not available. Compare this aircraft entry against any other in our database or View aircraft by powerplant type)

1 x 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 autocannon in firing through the propeller hub.
4 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns in wings (drum-fed).

Supported Types

Graphical image of an aircraft medium machine gun

Graphical image of an aircraft automatic cannon

(Not all ordnance types may be represented in the showcase above)

Hardpoint Mountings: 0

MS.410 - Base Series Designation; 74 conversions from existing MS.406 series fighters.

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