Morane-Saulnier H, part two

 

The Morane-Saulnier H was an early aircraft flown for the first time in France during the months prior to the outbreak of the World War I. It was a single-seat derivative of the Morane-Saulnier Type G with a slightly revised wing. It was used by some countries, among them the following ones:

• Portugal: The Portuguese Serviço Aeronáutico Militar (Army Military Service) acquired a single Type H in October 1916. It was a de-rated Anzani-powered machine which could only yield up to 45 hp of power. It had the serial number of MS.721 and was nicknamed as "Charge Maxima" (Maximum Charge). It was assigned to the Flying School at Vila Nova da Rainha, close to Lisbon and was used as a trainer.
• Russia: The Russian Empire's Flying Corps had some Morane-Saulnier H in service. It's hard to know an exact number as, unlike the Type G, the type wasn't manufactured locally and every Type H was imported. It's also very likely that many Type Gs were converted into single seaters, making them Type H. Anyway, some machines survived both World War I and Russian Civil War and at least one of them ended up serving with  one of the Bolsheviks' Flying Schools in Moscow in the late 1910s.
• Switzerland: At least two Type Hs served with the Swiss Fliegertruppe (Swiss Army Aviation) as trainers during World War I years.

Sources:

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

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

3. Flying Machines Press - The Imperial Russian Air Service. Famous Pilots and Aircraft of World War I

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)

Pfalz A.I/A.II - Various users

Because it's been a while since we posted about a German World War I fighter... today we felt like it was the time for it.
The Pfalz A.I was a German parasol single-seat airplane that was a licensed version of the French Morane-Saulnier L.
It was manufactured by Pfalz, that was a Bavarian company founded in 1913. With the outbreak of the World War I, the company received from the Idflieg, the German Empire's bureau for aviation, an order to develop the type L, under the denomination of A.I, as it was the first aircraft of the company.
It was phisically identical to the Type L but it had different celluliod covering on the wings that rendered them sem-transparent, giving that way, much better upwards visibility. It was powered by a single Oberursel U.0 7-cylinder radial engine that delivered 80hp of power that was also similar to that of the Gnome-Rhône as it was another licensed produced version of that engine.
The Pfalz A.II was a developed version of the A.I that featured an improved engine, it was powered by a 9-cylinder Oberursel U.1 delivering 100hp of power, and some of them were armed with machine guns, making them some improvised fighters.
They were used by the Luftstreitkräfte during the early stages of the World War I in observation and reconnaissance roles in the western front, but also in the opening stages of the Alpine front against Italy when this country entered into the war. Apparently at least one of them ended on Swiss soil and was seized by its authorities. Apparently the Ottoman Empire also used them.

sources:
1. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfalz_A-Typen (translated)
2. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfalz_A.I (translated)
3. https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1689
4. Salamander Books - The Complete book of fighters