Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris
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MS.760 Paris | |
---|---|
A MS.760 over La Ferté-Alais, France | |
Role | Trainer aircraft |
National origin | France |
Manufacturer | Morane-Saulnier |
First flight | 29 July 1954 |
Introduction | 9 February 1959 |
Retired | 1997 (France) 2007 (Argentina) |
Primary users | French Air Force
Argentine Air Force |
Number built | 219[1] |
Developed from | Morane-Saulnier MS.755 Fleuret |
The Morane-Saulnier MS.760 Paris is a French four-seat jet trainer and liaison aircraft designed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier.
The Paris was based upon an earlier proposed trainer aircraft, the
The primary operators of the Paris were the French air services, who used the type for liaison purposes between 1959 and 1997. During 1955, Morane-Saulnier and American aviation company
Design and development
Origins
The Paris has its origins within an earlier jet trainer aircraft developed by French aircraft manufacturer
According to aerospace publication Flight International, the adaption from the earlier Fleuret to the Paris had been largely achieved via the elimination of the former's armament, the re-design of the cabin floor to remove the downward ejection hatch arrangement, and the repositioning of the cabin's rear bulkhead slightly aft.[4] To avoid a reduction of the aircraft's available fuel tankage as a result of the latter change, the tank was re-profiled in other areas to expand it. In spite of these changes, the Paris still retained the favourable flying characteristics and did not entirely foreclose its use as a trainer aircraft.[4]
The Paris differed from the majority of liaison aircraft then in service by its use of
The all-up weight of the Paris, including a payload of four passengers and 30 kg (66 lb) of baggage, was 3,397 kg (7,470 lb) and its maximum flight speed was 650 km/h (400 mph).
On 29 July 1954, the prototype MS.760, registered F-WGVO (F-BGVO), took off on its maiden flight.[5] Various features of its design, such as its T-shaped vertical stabilizer, low wing, and two Turbomeca Marboré II 400 kg turbojets internally mounted side by side within the aft fuselage, led to the aircraft being largely characterized for its inherent stability during flight. The French military emerged as a crucial early customer for the Paris, ordering a large batch of 50 aircraft to perform liaison duties for both the French Air Force and the French Navy, replacing older types such as the Nord Noralpha and Nord Norécrin. The securing of this order allowed Morane-Saulnier to proceed with quantity production of the type.[4] On 27 February 1958, the first production aircraft performed its first flight. Early aircraft were provided with a total of four seats, two in the front and two in the back, and a retractable tricycle landing gear.[clarification needed]
Production
By the early 1960s, the main production focus of Morane-Saulnier firmly set on the Paris.[6] According to Flight International, by May 1961, 100 aircraft had been completed and the type was being manufactured at a rate of four per month. At the same time, roughly 200 aircraft were reportedly on order; while the French Air Force was still the primary customer for the type, additional export sales arrangements had been achieved with ten separate foreign countries.[6] Flight International also reported that Morane-Saulnier had come to two separate agreements to license manufacturing of the Paris to other companies.[6]
As early as 1955, even prior to the Paris having entered into production, it was known that American manufacturer
Detailed production plans were mooted by Beechcraft and Morane-Saulnier; one key difference of the projected American-built aircraft was the adoption of the US-built Teledyne CAE J69 engine, a licence-built development of the Marboré, to take the place of the French-built powerplants.[5] Beechcraft led approaches to both the United States Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force, offering the Paris to meet their requirements for a jet-propelled trainer aircraft. During January 1958, the company announced a price of $210,000 for a single US-built Paris, spare parts, maintenance tooling, and a training course to familiarise operators with tending to the needs of the relatively unfamiliar jet engine; this measure was due to relatively few private companies, let alone private operators, possessing any experience with jet propulsion.[7] However, American sales of the Paris were not forthcoming, reportedly, only two sales were made during Beechcraft's tenure as the type's distributor; by early 1961, when Beechcraft chose to abandon all distribution activities involving the type, a number of more advanced business jets, such as the Lockheed JetStar and the North American Sabreliner, had become available and gained traction in the market.[8]
During 1961, production commenced on an improved variant of the type, designated as the MS.760B Paris II, fitted with a pair of Marboré VI 480 kg engines, wingtip fuel tanks,
Operational history
On 18 July 1956, the French government requisitioned a batch of 50 aircraft, including 14 of which that were destined for the Navy, from Morane-Saulnier. The first plane was delivered on 9 February 1959 to Naval Air Station (N.A.S.)
Between September 1962 and November 1974, a fleet of six MS.760Bs were flown on training duties by the Rijksluchtvaartschool based at
The 14 MS.760 were assigned to Flight 11.S from 9 February 1959 onwards. The last plane, No. 88, was delivered on 27 July 1961. In 1965, MS.760 No. 48 was briefly assigned to Flight 3.S based at N.A.S
The MS.760s of the
During 2009, a private company, JetSet International Ltd, purchased in excess of 30 retired MS760s from the French and Argentinian governments, along with the acquisition of the
Variants
- MS.760 Paris
- MS.760B Paris II
- MS.760C Paris III
Operators
- FMA(c/n: 1A to 36A). Used between 1959 and 2007
- Brazilian Air Force - 30 assembled locally. Used between 1960 and 1974.
- French Air Force
- French Army
- French Navy
Specifications (MS.760 Paris I)
Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62[16]
General characteristics
- Crew: 2
- Capacity: 2 passengers
- Length: 10.05 m (33 ft 0 in)
- Wingspan: 10.15 m (33 ft 4 in) (over tip tanks)
- Height: 2.60 m (8 ft 6 in)
- Wing area: 18.0 m2 (194 sq ft)
- Aspect ratio: 5.12:1
- Empty weight: 1,945 kg (4,288 lb)
- Gross weight: 3,470 kg (7,650 lb)
- Fuel capacity: 245 gallons in main tank, 115 gallons in wing tanks, 125 gallons in tip tanks.
- Powerplant: 2 × Turboméca Marboré II turbojets, 3.9 kN (880 lbf) thrust each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 650 km/h (400 mph, 350 kn) at sea level
- Cruise speed: 570 km/h (350 mph, 310 kn) at 5,000 m (16,000 ft)
- Range: 1,500 km (930 mi, 810 nmi) at 7,000 m (23,000 ft)
- Service ceiling: 10,000 m (33,000 ft)
- Rate of climb: 11.50 m/s (2,264 ft/min)
- Take-off run: 750 m (2,460 ft)
Armament
- Guns: Provision for 2× machine guns in nose
- Rockets: Racks for 4× 90 mm rockets
- Bombs: 2× 50 kg (110 lb) bombs
See also
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Fouga Magister
References
Citations
- ^ a b Phillips et al 2012, p. 52.
- ^ Jerram, Mike. "Morane-Saulnier Paris: The very first Very Light Jet." General Aviation, October 2010.
- ^ Olcott, John W. (5 May 2006). "Turbine Pilot: VLJ Deja Vu". aopa.org. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Lambert, C. M. "Actualites Francaises." Flight International, 29 April 1955. p. 553.
- ^ a b c d e Phillips et al 2012, p. 26.
- ^ a b c "France's Aircraft Industry." Flight International, 25 May 1961. p. 708.
- ^ Phillips et al 2012, p. 27.
- ^ Phillips et al 2012, pp. 27, 52.
- ^ Phillips et al 2012, pp. 52-53.
- ^ Dekker 1987, pp. 94-95.
- ^ Cooper, Thomas. "Argentina, 1955-1965". ACIG.org. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ [1] Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "JetSet acquires MS760 jet type certificate." Wings Magazine, 23 October 2009.
- ^ [2] AOPA Online, 20 October 2009.
- ^ [3] Team MS760.com
- ^ Taylor 1961, p. 60.
Bibliography
- Dekker, Herman (1987). The Complete Civil Aircraft Reisters of The Netherlands. Tonbridge, Kent: Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd. ISBN 0-85130-139-8.
- Donald, David; Jon Lake (2000). The Encyclopedia of World Military Aircraft. NY, NY: Barnes & Noble. ISBN 0-7607-2208-0.
- Downey, John (1991). "First Generation". ISSN 0143-5450.
- Fernandez, José (April 1993). "Le Morane-Saulnier "Paris" I et II (2ème partie et fin)". Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (2): 22–27. ISSN 1243-8650.
- Phillips, Almarin., A. Paul Phillips and Thomas R. Phillips. "Biz Jets: Technology and Market Structure in the Corporate Jet Aircraft Industry." Springer Science & Business Media, 2012. ISBN 9-40110-812-9.
- Taylor, John W. R. (1961). Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1961–62. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. Ltd.
Further reading
- Cuny, Jean (1989). Les avions de combat français, 2: Chasse lourde, bombardement, assaut, exploration [French Combat Aircraft 2: Heavy Fighters, Bombers, Attack, Reconnaissance]. Docavia (in French). Vol. 30. Ed. Larivière. OCLC 36836833.
- Lacaze, Henri & Lherbert, Claude (2013). Morane Saulnier: ses avions, ses projets [Morane Saulnier: Their Aircraft and Projects] (in French). Outreau, France: Lela Presse. ISBN 978-2-914017-70-1.