In the late 1930s, just before the beginning of the World War 2, the Swiss Air Force acquired some Morane-Saulnier Ms.406H fighters which were designed specifically for export to Switzerland (hence the letter H -for "Helvétique"- in the denomination) and even produced some of them under license, called EKW D.3800 (which will be the subject of a future post).
The D.3801 was an improved version of the regular D.3800 powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 12Y-51 engine which could deliver 1.050 hp of power at take-off and was armed with four 7.5 mm machine guns placed in the wings plus a 20 mm Hispano-Suiza autocannon mounted in the engine and firing through the propeller hub. Additionally, a more simple type of fixed radiator was also employed instead of the original retractable one. As the France was defeated in June 1940 many French engineers moved on to Switzerland to finish the project.
The first prototype flew for the first time in October 1940 and by early 1941 the type was being delivered to the Swiss Air Force's fighter squadrons. The type was manufactured throughout the entire War, until 1945, making the D.3801 one of the main Swiss fighters with 207 machines being completed. Further aircraft, a total of 17, were manufactured after the war, in 1947-1948 and delivered to the Swiss Air Force, however, but that time the World War 2 was all but over and the D.3801 was seriously obsolete.
The D.3801 ended up serving as an advanced trainer for the Swiss Air Force and some were used as target tugs in 1959.
Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_M.S.406
2. https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=2062
3. https://www.valka.cz/topic/view/118311/CHE-EKW-D-3801
4. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters
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