Morane-Saulnier MS.405 / MS.406

Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter Aircraft

France | 1938

"Despite its contemporary appearance, the M.S.406 was outclassed by the invading German Luftwaffe Bf 109 fighters."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 09/15/2021 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

The Morane-Saulnier MS.406 was a single engine, piston-powered, single-seat fighter appearing just before the outbreak of hostilities between France and Germany. Though a solid design by 1930's standards, the system did not fare well against the German Luftwaffe breed of fighters which featured better engines (and thus performance), armor protection and pilot training. Nevertheless, the M.S.406 played a critical role in the defense of France - despite the nations eventual capitulation - and is regarded as the best fighter design fielded by the country at the outbreak of the war.

Design-wise, the MS.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 MS.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 MS.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.

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Power & Performance
Those special qualities that separate one aircraft design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Morane-Saulnier MS.406 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter Aircraft.

1 x Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 V12 liquid-cooled engine developing 860hp.
Propulsion

301 mph
485 kph | 262 kts
Max Speed

30,840 ft
9,400 m | 6 miles
Service Ceiling

497 miles
800 km | 432 nm
Operational Range

2,789 ft/min
850 m/min
Rate-of-Climb

City-to-City Ranges
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).

NYC

LON

PAR

BER

MOS

TOK

SYD

LAX

NYC

Structure
The nose-to-tail, wingtip-to-wingtip physical qualities of the Morane-Saulnier MS.406 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter Aircraft.

1
(MANNED)
Crew

26.8 ft
8.16 m
O/A Length

34.8 ft
(10.60 m)
O/A Width

9.3 ft
(2.83 m)
O/A Height

4,189 lb
(1,900 kg)
Empty Weight

5,445 lb
(2,470 kg)
MTOW

Design Balance
The three qualities reflected below are altitude, speed, and range. The more full the box, the more balanced the design.

RANGE

ALT

SPEED

Armament
Available supported armament and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Morane-Saulnier MS.405 / MS.406 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter Aircraft .

STANDARD:
1 x 20mm Hispano-Suiza HS.404 cannon in propeller hub
2 x 7.5mm MAC 1934 machine guns in wings

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Morane-Saulnier MS.405 / MS.406 family line.

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
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Morane-Saulnier MS.405 / MS.406. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national aircraft listing.

Total Production: 1,176 Units
Contractor(s): Morane-Saulnier - France

[ France; Bulgaria; China; Croatia; Finland; Nazi Germany; Kingdom of Italy; Lithuania; Poland; Switzerland; Turkey; Thailand; Yugoslavia ]

Relative Max Speed

Hi: 400mph

Lo: 200mph

Aircraft Max Listed Speed (301mph).

Graph Average of 300 MPH.

Era Crossover

Showcasing Aircraft Era Crossover (if any)

Max Alt Visualization

Production Comparison

1176

36183

44000

Entry compared against Ilyushin IL-2 (military) and Cessna 172 (civilian) total production.

MACH Regime (Sonic)

Sub

Trans

Super

Hyper

HiHyper

ReEntry

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Aviation Timeline

EarlyYrs

WWI

Interwar

WWII

ColdWar

Postwar

Modern

Future

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Image of the Morane-Saulnier MS.405 / MS.406

Image from the Public Domain.

Mission Roles
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to airborne requirements.

AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon for the World War 2

Going Further...
The Morane-Saulnier MS.405 / MS.406 Single-Seat, Single-Engine Monoplane Fighter Aircraft appears in the following collections:

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