Morane-Saulnier Type G (1915)

The Morane-Saulnier Type G (1915) was a somewhat mysterious design that appears to have been an attempt to revive the pre-war Type G but as a single-seat fighter aircraft.

The original Type G had been developed as a two-seat shoulder-winged sports aircraft in 1912 and had been successful in that role. It had a brief military career after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, but was soon relegated to training duties by both the French and the British. Morane-Saulnier moved onto newer designs, including the Type L parasol winged observation aircraft and the Type N shoulder-winged fighter.

A new aircraft with the Type G designation appeared in 1915. This aircraft had a faired fuselage, using formers and stringers to shape the fabric skin. This may have been built over the older Type G fuselage. The 1915 Type G was armed with a fixed forward firing 8mm Hotchkiss machine gun with deflector gear on the propellers, and was powered by a 80hp Le Rhône rotary engine with a large spinner. It was a single-seat aircraft, designed for use as a fighter. It isn't at all clear why it was built or how closely related it was to the earlier Type G. Only a very small number were built and it wasn't ordered into production.

Engine: Le Rhône 9C
Horsepower: 80hp
Crew: 1
Wing Span: 29ft 11in
Length: 21ft 8 2/3in
Height: 8ft 4in
Armament: Fixed forward firing 8mm Hotchkiss machine gun

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How to cite this article: Rickard, J (18 September 2014), Morane-Saulnier Type G (1915) , http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/weapons_morane_saulnier_Type_G_1915.html

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