Morane-Saulnier WR

 

Apparently, there it seems to have been two (or even three) airplanes which received the WR denomination. The first was a modification of the Type G (though some sources claim it was the Type H) which, was a regular machine fitted with floatplanes. 

It was supposedly designed for the Imperial Russian Navy, but that's not entirely supported as it was most likely a Russian variant with a greenhouse fitted on the sides of the fuselage, ahead of the wing and it wasn't a seaplane. For more information about this one, check our previous post about the Russian Type Gs here. 

Anyway, the type took part in the 1913 Schneider Trophy for seaplane race in Monaco. This WR incorporated wing-warping for lateral control and had balanced all-flying elevators and balanced rudder without the fin. It was powered by an 80 hp Le-Rhône engine. It seems that the Swedish Thulin B also received this modification.

The second Type WR was an armoured airplane designed to meet a 1913 requirement for a two-seat armoured reconnaissance airplane. It was stated that it had to be powered by an 80 hp Gnome engine and the machine should cost at maximum 37.000 French Francs (that's 5,640.00 € - $6414,96). It's not known if any of these machines went beyond the drawing board.

Sources:

1. Flying Machines Press - French Aircraft of the First World War

2. http://www.andonio.it/model/morane_wr/MS-WR.pdf

Morane-Saulnier G. Part Three. More users

 

The Morane-Saulnier G was a French two-seat racing and sport aircraft that was produced before the outbreak of World War I. It was employed by various countries, among them, the following ones:

• Ottoman Empire: The Ottoman Empire ordered 40 Type G just before the beginning of the war. They were never delivered. However, that wasn't an impediment for us to draw an hypothetical-looking airplane.
• Switzerland: One Type G was obtained by the Sweizerische Fliegertruppe (Swiss Army Air Corps) in 1914. It was given the serial number 24 and was employed to train pilots in aerial combat. It served in that role until 1919 and was eventually scrapped in the 1930s.
• Spain: Three Type G were bought by the Spanish Count of Artal in 1913. He donated the machines to the Aeronáutica Militar (Military Aeronautics) where they were found to be lighter and more maneuverable than the Nieuport IV which was in service before. Two Type Gs were assigned to Escuadrilla de Tetuán (Tetuán Squadron) which were used to support the Spanish military presence in Northern Morocco. They were later assigned to Escuela Nacional de Aviación (National Aviation School) in Getafe, close to Madrid, where they served until September 1919.
• Sweden: Thulins Aeroplansfabrik produced a total of three copies of the Type G under license in Stockholm. Two were made for the Danish Army Air Service and a third one was delivered to the Flygkompaniet (Swedish Army Aviation Service) where it was given the serial 5, though it was later changed to 405.

Sources:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morane-Saulnier_G

2. Flying Machines Press -  French Aircraft of the First World War

3. https://aeropinakes.com/wordpress/1913/02/10/el-regalo-del-conde-de-artal/ (translated)

Thulin D

Today it's the turn for a Swedish version of the Morane-Saulnier L.
The Thulin D was made by the Thulins Aeroplanfabrik, at Landskröna. It was a parasol monoplane with a mast that held the wing in its place with ropes. The first aircraft was manufactured in autumn 1914 and was presented to the public in May 1915 at Stockholm. Later, in 1918, it was tried to replace the two-bladed propeller with a four-bladed one. Only five airplanes were manufactured and the first one was donated to the Swedish Army by the Skane country women association on 20th August 1915. The next year, in 1916 they donated another airplane. All of them were withdrawn from the active service in 1918 as they were deemed obsolete. The other three were employed by the Thulins airline at Ljungbyhed and another one, that belonged to Eric von Rossen, who donated it to Finnish whites to use it in the Finnish Civil War of 1918. In fact, that airplane, is considered to be the first one in the Finnish Army Corps of Aviation. It was delivered in a flight piloted by Nils Kindberg and von Rossen himself as a passenger on 6th March 1918, which is regarded as the founding day of the Finnish Army Corps of Aviation. For that action, Eric von Rossen was charged with violations of the Swedish neutrality act for the World War I and was sentenced for it.
In Finnish hands, still wearing von Rossen's personal emblems, it performed up to 30 missions, mainly for Finnish General Mannerheim's headquarters, mainly scouting and light-bombing. It operated mainly from improvised airfields in Tavastland, but it crashed in Tampere on 16th April 1918 killing the Swedish volunteer Westman who was the pilot and Nylund the mechanic-observer who was in the second seat.
Finland bought a second Thulin D but it was destroyed by a fire when it was storaged at the base of Orivesi on 28th March 1918.
Nowadays a full-sized replica is being hold at the Finnish Air Force's museum

Sources:
1. https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thulin_Typ_D (translated)
2. http://flyingmachines.ru/Site2/Crafts/Craft29888.htm