Morane-Saulnier MS.406 – Foto e Video

Galleria fotografica di un Morane-Saulnier MS.406, at Museum der Schweizerischen Fliegertruppe Dubendorf, The Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 was a French fighter aircraft built by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. Numerically, it was France’s most important fighter during the opening stages of World War II. Although sturdy and highly maneuverable, it was underpowered and weakly armed when compared to its contemporaries. Most critically, it was outperformed by the Messerschmitt Bf 109E during the Battle of France. The M.S.406 held its own in the early stages of the war (the so-called Phoney War), but when the war restarted in earnest in 1940, losses to all causes amounted to approximately 400 aircraft. Out of this total some 150 were lost to enemy fighters and ground fire, another 100 were destroyed on the ground in enemy air raids and the remainder was deliberately destroyed by French military personnel to prevent the fighters from falling into enemy hands intact. In return M.S.406 squadrons achieved 191 confirmed victories and another 83 probable victories. The type was more successful in the hands of Finnish and Swiss air forces who developed indigenous models.

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The Morane-Saulnier MS.406 was a French fighter aircraft that entered service in 1938. It was the most numerous fighter of the French Air Force during the Second World War, and one of the few French designs that reached more than 1,000 units. It was a low-wing monoplane with a retractable landing gear and an enclosed cockpit, powered by a 12-cylinder Hispano-Suiza engine. It was armed with one 20 mm cannon and two 7.5 mm machine guns. The MS.406 was designed in response to a 1934 requirement for a modern interceptor fighter. It was based on the MS.405 prototype, which flew for the first time in 1935. The MS.406 had improved wings and engine, and was faster and more maneuverable than its predecessor. However, it was still inferior to its main adversary, the German Messerschmitt Bf 109, in terms of speed, climb rate and armament. The MS.406 saw combat during the Battle of France in 1940, where it suffered heavy losses against the Luftwaffe. Despite its shortcomings, it proved to be a sturdy and reliable aircraft, and its pilots achieved some notable victories. The MS.406 was also exported to several countries, such as Finland, Switzerland and Turkey, where it served with distinction. Some MS.406s were modified and upgraded by their operators, such as the Finnish Mörkö-Morane, which had a more powerful engine and better armament. The MS.406 was gradually replaced by more advanced fighters during the course of the war, but some remained in service as trainers until the early 1950s. The MS.406 was a significant milestone in the history of French aviation, and a symbol of courage and resistance for many French people.