Morane-Saulnier MS-406

M.S.406
Morane-Saulnier D-3801 (GC LaFayette)
Role	Fighter
Manufacturer	Morane-Saulnier
First flight	8 August 1935 (M.S.405)
Introduction	1938
Status	Out of production, out of service
Primary users	French Air Force Finnish Air Force Swiss Air Force Turkish Air Force
Number built	1,176

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 was a French fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. Numerically, it was France's most important fighter during the opening stages of the Second World War; it was one of only two French-built aircraft (the other being the Potez 630) of which more than one thousand machines were constructed.

The M.S.406 was developed in response to a requirement issued by the French Air Force during 1934. Morane-Saulnier developed an initial version of the design, designated the MS.405, which was a low-wing monoplane of mixed construction. It had the distinction of being the company's first low-wing monoplane, as well as the first to feature an enclosed cockpit, and the first design with a retracting undercarriage. The entry to service of the M.S.406 to the French Air Force during early 1939 represented the first modern fighter aircraft to be adopted by the service. Although a sturdy and highly maneuverable fighter aircraft, it was considered underpowered and weakly armed when compared to its contemporaries. Most critically, the M.S.406 was outperformed by the Messerschmitt Bf 109E during the Battle of France.

During the early stages of the Second World War, the type was capable of holding its own during the so-called Phoney War. However, upon the war breaking out in earnest during 1940, large numbers were lost, amounting approximately 400 aircraft being lost according to all causes. Out of this total, around 150 were lost to enemy fighters and ground fire, while another 100 aircraft were destroyed on the ground during enemy air raids; the remainder was deliberately destroyed by French military personnel to prevent the fighters from falling into enemy hands intact. In return, French M.S.406 squadrons had achieved 191 confirmed victories along with another 83 probable victories. Limited production of the type continued in France for sometime after the 1940 Armistice under German supervision.

In addition to its service with the French Air Force, the M.S.406 was also exported to a range of customers. Of particular note was its service in the hands of Finnish and Swiss air forces; both operators chose to develop their own indigenous models, such as the Finnish Mörkö-Morane (Finnish for Bogey, Boogyman or Bugbear (a type of ogre) Morane). By the end of the war, the majority of M.S.406s and its derivatives were out of service, having been rendered obsolete in comparison to rapid advances in fighter aircraft technology. Its final use was as an advanced trainer aircraft in Finland prior to the last examples of the type being scrapped during 1952.

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Wikipedia