Morane Saulnier L Parasol | aircraft investigation

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A Russian Morane Saulnier L

Morane Saulnier L “Parasol”

role : two-seat unarmed reconnaissance

first flight : operational : June 1914

country : France

design : Robert and Leon Morane and Raymond Saulnier

production : ca. 600 aircraft

general information :

The Morane Saulnier L was mainly used as a scout but because of his

superior flight characteristics the crews quickly started to carry light hand weapons

such as pistols and carbines to attack the German Aviatik and

Albatros two-seaters . In this primitive way, many

German planes were shot down.

Control of the Type L was done wing warping. Type LA was a version with ailerons, military designation MoS.4. It was little used by the French. 24 where delivered to the RFC serving with no.1 and no.4 squadron.

The type was so successful that the Germans decided to copy it, which resulted in the Pfalz A. I

Three two-seat Morane Type L aircraft were also the first victims of a production fighter. Leutnant Kurt Wintgens, flying the Parabellum machine gun-armed Fokker Eindecker M.5K/MG production prototype E.5/15, basically copied from the Morane-Saulnier H but constructed using the typical Fokker wire-braced welded steel tube fuselage and fitted with the Fokker Stangensteuerung synchronized gun, downed one just east of Lunéville on July 1, 1915, followed by two similar victories on July 4 and 15, with the final one being Wintgens' first confirmed aerial victory.

On 7 June 1915 one RNAS MS L , flown by Flight Sub-Lieutenant Reginald Alexander John Warneford of 1 Squadron RNAS intercepted Zeppelin LZ.37, destroying it, the first Zeppelin to be destroyed in the air. Warneford received the Victoria Cross for this achievement.

The Parasol was difficult to fly, totally not stable like the BE2c. Many pilot’s were reluctant to fly it. Cecil Lewis, flew the Parasol and remarked that there was “only one position to witch it automatically reverted and that was a vertical nosedive”. It needed constant attention from the pilot. In short very much a “Pilot’s aeroplane”, and it was no coincidence that famous French pilots often flew the Parasol solo on offensive patrol.

Autumn 1915 James McCudden being with no 3sq had an encounter with Immelman in his Fokker. McCudden fired the Lewis gun from his shoulder and so held the Fokker at bay. The observer sat behind the pilot close enough for shouted conversation and a good field of fire. Guynemer, an excellent pilot, had no problem to fly the Parasol. He mounted a machine gun on his Parasol and on 19 July he scored his first victory. He operated from Vauciennes, near Viller-Cotterets with M.S.3. and flew this day with Jean Guerder as his observer-gunner. The intercepted an Aviatik two-seater heading for Soissons at 3200m height. Shooting at the Aviatik from 50 meters it soon went down in flames crashing between the trenches.

Chord : 1.96m Vmin : 89 km/u prop : 2.44m

users : RFC (50), RNAS (25), France

crew : 2

armament : no fixed armament, handheld pistols and rifles

engine : 1 Gnome 7A Monosoupape air-cooled 7 -cylinder Monosoupape rotary engine 80 [hp](58.8 KW)

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dimensions :

wingspan : 11.2 [m], length : 6.88 [m], height : 3.93[m]

wing area : 18.3 [m^2]

weights :

max.take-off weight : 678 [kg]

empty weight operational : 393 [kg] bombload : 68 [kg]

performance :

maximum speed : 115 [km/u] op 2000 [m]

climbing speed : 125 [m/min]

service ceiling : 4000 [m]

estimated action radius : 225 [km]

description :

parasol wing with fixed landing gear and tail strut

two spar wing

engines, landing gear, fuel and bombs in or attached to the fuselage

airscrew :

fixed pitch 2 -bladed tractor airscrew with max. efficiency :0.62 [ ]

diameter airscrew 2.44 [m]

angle of attack prop : 15.53 [ ]

reduction : 1.00 [ ]

airscrew revs : 1200 [r.p.m.]

pitch at Max speed 1.60 [m]

blade-tip speed at Vmax and max revs. : 157 [m/s]

calculation : *1* (dimensions)

mean wing chord : 1.63 [m]

calculated wing chord (rounded tips): 2.02 [m]

wing aspect ratio : 6.85 []

gap : 0.00 [m]

gap/chord : 0.00 [ ]

seize (span*length*height) : 303 [m^3]

calculation : *2* (fuel consumption)

oil consumption : 6.5 [kg/hr]

fuel consumption(cruise speed) : 16.8 [kg/hr] (23.0 [litre/hr]) at 68 [%] power

distance flown for 1 kg fuel : 6.14 [km/kg]

estimated total fuel capacity : 113 [litre] (83 [kg])

calculation : *3* (weight)

weight engine(s) dry : 109.4 [kg] = 1.86 [kg/KW]

weight 39 litre oil tank : 3.3 [kg]

oil tank filled with 0.4 litre oil : 0.4 [kg]

oil in engine 0 litre oil : 0.3 [kg]

fuel in engine 0 litre fuel : 0.3 [kg]

weight 10 litre gravity patrol tank(s) : 1.5 [kg]

weight cowling 2.4 [kg]

weight airscrew(s) (wood) incl. boss & bolts : 13.5 [kg]

total weight propulsion system : 128 [kg](18.8 [%])

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fuselage skeleton (wood gauge : 5.40 [cm]): 51 [kg]

bracing : 2.5 [kg]

fuselage covering ( 8.9 [m2] doped linen fabric) : 2.9 [kg]

weight controls + indicators: 5.8 [kg]

weight seats : 6.0 [kg]

weight other details, lighting set, etc. : 5.1 [kg]

weight bomb storage : 4.8 [kg]

weight 104 [litre] main fuel tank empty : 8.3 [kg]

weight engine mounts & firewalls : 3 [kg]

total weight fuselage : 90 [kg](13.2 [%])

***************************************************************

weight wing covering (doped linen fabric) : 12 [kg]

total weight ribs (34 ribs) : 40 [kg]

load on front upper spar (clmax) per running metre : 498.8 [N]

load on rear upper spar (vmax) per running metre : 169.3 [N]

total weight 4 spars : 36 [kg]

weight wings : 88 [kg]

weight wing/square meter : 4.80 [kg]

weight cables (45 [m]) : 13.4 [kg] (= 299 [gram] per metre)

diameter cable : 7.0 [mm]

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weight fin & rudder (1.5 [m2]) : 7.2 [kg]

weight stabilizer & elevator (2.1 [m2]): 10.0 [kg]

total weight wing surfaces & bracing : 118 [kg] (17.5 [%])

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weight armament : 0 [kg]

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wheel pressure : 339.0 [kg]

weight 2 wheels (720 [mm] by 85 [mm]) : 15.8 [kg]

weight tailskid : 1.7 [kg]

weight undercarriage with axle 14.7 [kg]

total weight landing gear : 32.3 [kg] (4.8 [%]

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calculated empty weight : 368 [kg](54.3 [%])

weight oil for 5.2 hours flying : 33.8 [kg]

weight automatic pistol with spare magazines : 1.2 [kg]

*******************************************************************

calculated operational weight empty : 403 [kg] (59.5 [%])

published operational weight empty : 393 [kg] (58.0 [%])

***o***

weight crew : 162 [kg]

weight fuel for 2.0 hours flying : 34 [kg]

********************************************************************

operational weight : 599 [kg](88.3 [%])

bomb load : 68 [kg]

operational weight bombing mission : 667 [kg]

weight camera : 20 [kg]

operational weight photo mission : 619 [kg]

fuel reserve : 49 [kg] enough for 2.93 [hours] flying

possible additional useful load : 10 [kg]

operational weight fully loaded : 678 [kg] with fuel tank filled for 100 [%]

published maximum take-off weight : 678 [kg] (100.0 [%])

I||==|

calculation : * 4 * (engine power)

power loading (operational without bombload) : 10.18 [kg/kW]

total power : 58.8 [kW] at 1200 [r.p.m]

calculation : *5* (loads)

manoeuvre load : 1.2 [g] at 1000 [m]

limit load : 3.75 [g] ultimate load : 5.6 [g] load factor : 2.2 [g]

design flight time : 3.48 [hours]

design cycles : 316 sorties, design hours : 1100 [hours]

operational wing loading : 332 [N/m^2]

wing stress (3 g) during operation : 207 [N/kg] at 3g emergency manoeuvre

calculation : *6* (angles of attack)

angle of attack zero lift : -1.22 ["]

max. angle of attack (stalling angle) : 12.70 ["]

angle of attack at max. speed : 6.38 ["]

calculation : *7* (lift & drag ratios

lift coefficient at angle of attack 0° :0.10 [ ]

lift coefficient at max. angle of attack : 1.14 [ ]

lift coefficient at max. speed : 0.62 [ ]

induced drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0242 [ ]

drag coefficient at max. speed : 0.0921 [ ]

drag coefficient (zero lift) : 0.0679 [ ]

calculation : *8* (speeds

stalling speed at sea-level (OW): 77 [km/u]

landing speed at sea-level (OW without bombload): 92 [km/hr]

min. drag speed (max endurance) = minimum speed*1.1 at cruise height : 93 [km/hr] at 2000 [m] (power:55 [%])

min. power speed (max range) : 93 [km/hr] at 2000 [m] (power:55 [%])

max. rate of climb speed : 78.5 [km/hr] at sea-level

cruising speed : 104 [km/hr] op 2000 [m] (power:63 [%])

design speed prop : 109 [km/hr]

maximum speed : 115 [km/hr] op 2000 [m] (power:75 [%])

climbing speed at sea-level (without bombload) : 176 [m/min]

calculation : *9* (regarding various performances)

take-off distance at sea-level : 281 [m]

lift/drag ratio : 7.71 [ ]

max. practical ceiling : 4475 [m] with flying weight :491 [kg]

practical ceiling (operational weight): 3225 [m] with flying weight :599 [kg]

practical ceiling fully loaded (mtow- 1 hour fuel) : 2575 [m] with flying weight :661 [kg]

published ceiling (4000 [m]

climb to 1500m (without bombload) : 9.95 [min]

max. dive speed : 287.1 [km/hr] at 1575 [m] height

load factor at max. angle turn 1.55 ["g"]

turn radius at 500m: 66 [m]

time needed for 360* turn 15.0 [seconds] at 500m

calculation *10* (action radius & endurance)

operational endurance : 2.66 [hours] with 2 crew and 68 [kg] useful (bomb)load and 54.0 [%] fuel

published endurance : 4.35 [hours] with 2 crew and possible useful (bomb) load : 40 [kg] and 88.1 [%] fuel

action radius : 285 [km] with 2 crew and 20[kg] photo camera/radio transmitter or bombload

max range theoretically with additional fuel tanks for total 266 [litre] fuel : 1198 [km]

useful load with action-radius 250km : 114 [kg]

production : 11.77 [tonkm/hour]

oil and fuel consumption per tonkm : 1.98 [kg]

I °°=/

Literature :

praktisch handboek vliegtuigen deel 1 page 130,131

Jane's FAWOI page 116

jagdflugzeuge WO I page 11

Fighters 1914-19 page79,156

Wikipedia/morane-saulnier_L

Warplanes page 10, 44

They fought for the sky page 79,80

DISCLAIMER Above calculations are based on published data, they must be

regarded as indication not as facts.

Calculated performance and weight may not correspond with actual weights

and performances and are assumptions for which no responsibility can be taken.

Calculations are as accurate as possible, they can be fine-tuned when more data

is available, you are welcome to give suggestions and additional information

so we can improve our program.

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