Morane Saulnier AI Olld Pegasus

[Spad VII]

Meeting Ferte Alais 2006 France ( Personal Picture)

I approached gently but not whitout emotion to photograph this old war "Pegasus" Morane Saulnier AI that still flies more than a hundred years !

[Hedeby]

Wow... that is a great photo

[malachi]

[Jager]

Great photo. Thanks for taking and sharing it.
Karl

[zenlizard]

Another great one, Bruno. You seem to be rivalling Barry for the 'Drome's aircraft photo archiver.

[Teaticket]

Beautiful. Escadrille 160. Now I know what to paint my Shapeways AIs.

[camelbeagle]

Neat! That is awesome!

[gully_raker]

Great pic & video Bruno.
Most impressive array of struts on the A1

[flash]

Great looking machine, shame it was overshadowed by the SPAD XIII.

[Stumptonian]

Great pic & video Bruno.
Most impressive array of struts on the A1

I have to agree.
Wonder what climb rate Ares would assign to that one?

[Jager]

I have to agree.
Wonder what climb rate Ares would assign to that one?

The unofficial committee gave it a 1 for the AI/27 and a 2 for the AI/28.
Karl

[Mike George]

Great video I didn't know they put to guns on that plane.

[Naharaht]

Great photograph and video, Bruno. It is good to see such an old aircraft is still flying.

[mikeemagnus]

Great photo and video. Wonderful painting guide

[Spad VII]

Thank you all I’m glad you like my picture

Some details on :

The Morane Saulnier AI entered service in the first months of 1918 with Squadrons 156, 158, 160, 161. His operational career was short-lived. Indeed, despite his real qualities as a fighter (most of the pilots appreciated his good handling), he suffered from structural problems in his wing, its engine was difficult to manage in a combat situation and it did not have the capability to fly at very high speeds like the SPAD. In March 1918, the plane was withdrawn from the front and relegated to advanced training. 1200 AI were built and 51 were used by the American expeditionary force as fighter training aircraft. The one-gun version was MS 27 CI 19 and the two-gun version was designated MS 29 CI. The training model was called MS 30 EI.

The 1927 Flying Virtuosity Competition in Zurich (Switzerland) is considered to be the first unofficial world championship in this new discipline: " Voltige " or " Aerobatic "
Its winner is a French pilot Alfred Fronval , driving a Morane-Saulnier AI.
Bearing number 2283, the single-plane hunting apparatus modified for the competition designed in 1917.

Sources : M.A.E

[Teaticket]

Escadrile 156 American pilot Sgt. Walter J. Shafer, "The Moranes, am sorry to say, have been given up, owing to their weak construction, which could not stand the strain 'chasse' work entails. I say sorry because not only was it fast, but so small that as one polit said, it could be maneuvered around a clothes pin, which is some quick turning you will admit, and what was more to the point, had the Boches scared with its enormous racket and quickness. But as they continued to break in the air, we are finally forbidden to fly them".

[monse]

One of the most beautiful Parasol monoplane.

It could be a wonderful miniature for the game, even if its frontline use was quite short, but longer than the Fokker E.V which has a WOG miniature, despite it had few operational sorties flown (from August 5 to 19 1918) before being grounded during more than one month, with no concrete proof it saw combat in the last weeks of the war.


The Morane AI seemed to have an operational use during one or two months, with victory, shot down and accident.

D.E. Putnam flew with MS156 (which was known previously as N 156 and afterwards as SPA 156) from mid January, 1918 to through to June 1. It is believed that MS 156 first received the Morane-Saulnier AI on February 4 and had a full compliment by February 9, having been equipped with the Nieuport 27, and began to replace the aircraft with the SPAD XIII in March. In that period of time Putnam made, at least, two claims; an Albatros on March 14 which was unconfirmed, a Rumpler C type on March 15 which was confirmed.
It is to be assumed that both claims were made by Putnam while flying a Morane-Saulnier AI.
The French Air Service War Chronology 1914-1918, by Bailey and Cony, includes the following entries relating to MS 156 :
26 February - Lt Jean Tourtay killed in an accident while flying a Morane
8 March - Cpl Wallace Winter killed in action while flying Morane-Saulnier No 1512
14 March - Sgt Putnam recorded an unconfirmed victory over an Albatros
15 March - Sgt Putnam recorded a confirmed victory over a Rumpler C
12 April - Sgt Putnam recorded two unconfirmed victories over Scouts
23 April - Sgt Putnam recorded three unconfirmed victories over Enemy Aircraft
Claims by Putnam and Cpl Guy on May 15 are under the unit designation SPA 156, so, it may be assumed that, in total, MS 156 suffered two casualties (one in an accident, one in combat) and claimed seven victories (six unconfirmed and one confirmed). The designation of such units was, apparently, applied as a bureaucratic convention so it may have been that the formation had been flying Nieuports or SPADs while known as MS 156. According to W.J. Shaffer, SPAD XIIIs had been delivered by May 20 (as well as the Morane-Saulnier AI equipped with two guns, the Morane Saulnier 29), so, perhpas, the claims of May 15 were made by Putnam and Guy while flying the Morane-Saulnier AI as well.
http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=36541


According to some more recent french sources, D. Putnam of MS 156 didn’t fly the Morane AI :

Although the N 156 received the Parasol Morane AI fighter on an experimental basis, Putnam did not use it in combat and left for the Groupement des Divisions d'Entrainement (GDE) on February 1, 1918 to convert to the SPAD fighter, aboard which he would take up the fight again and claim no less than 10 victories from February to June 2, of which only 3 would be awarded to him.
http://www.as14-18.net/Putnam

Two losses recorded on Morane AI on February and March 1918 at MS 156 :
http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escad...adrille156.htm