Morane-Saulnier M.S. 406 C1 "Bretagne"

[WINGS]

[sturmkraehe]

This plane looks like being pregnant with a baby plane. But nice to see that those rare early planes are still flying. Thanks for posting.

Edited May 18, 2014 by sturmkraehe

[MiG21bisFishbedL]

French liveries are utterly gorgeous.

[Rama]

Technically, this plane isn't a MS406 but an EKW D-3801 (MS-406 build under licence in Switzerland with lots of modifications).

The biggest difference is the water radiator (retractable on MS-406 and fixed on D-3801).

 

There's no MS406 left.

[WINGS]

Technically, this plane isn't a MS406 but an EKW D-3801 (MS-406 build under licence in Switzerland with lots of modifications).

The biggest difference is the water radiator (retractable on MS-406 and fixed on D-3801).

 

There's no MS406 left.

 

[SYN_Ricky]

 

Took this picture three years ago at a local meeting, it's indeed a swiss D-3801 that has been repainted in french colors

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 I thought the retractable cooler was in MS 410 and not in 406. Might be wrong and need to check my books of FiAF planes again

[Rama]

 I thought the retractable cooler was in MS 410 and not in 406.

It's the exact opposite.

 

The changes between the 406 and 410 were the addition of:

- new wings including additionnal fuel tanks and 4 MAC belt-fed MG with electrical heating

- new exhaust pipes with "propulsive" effect

- new reflective collimator sight to replace the external visor

- a fixed thin cooler, much more aerodynamic thant the MS406 retractable one.

... and some more stuff

 

In fact the D-3801 is closer to the MS410 than to the MS406.

[LLv34_Flanker]

S!

 

 OK. I have never been that much into the French designs. Morane did fare quite OK in FiAF, but the sore lack of power made the plane obsolete quite fast. The "Mörkö-Morane" with the Klimov VK105PF engine did improve the performance though.

[Finkeren]

This plane looks like being pregnant with a baby plane. But nice to see that those rare early planes are still flying. Thanks for posting.

I wouldn't call the M.S. 406 "rare", it was the French Armée de l'air's most numerous fighter in 1940 and it was produced in similar numbers as the Bf 109E-3 and more than double the number of the E-4, which were quite high numbers for that time.