Morane Saunier

[margaret smith]

I know this aircraft was nicknamed "the parasol" but what was this device used for?

[Ross_Moorhouse]

Observation and Bombing. And shooting down a Zeppelin over the UK.

[EricGoedkoop]

There were several Morane-Saulnier Parasols, actually.

The first was a converted G or H. From this was developed the popular Type L used by France, Britain and Russia during the early part of the war for (as Ross mentioned) observation and bombing as well as some early experiments with combat. Improvements to the design yielded the Type LA and Type P observation machines. The final MoS parasol of WW1 was the Type AI single-seat fighter, which saw very limited service before being withdrawn from the front due to trouble with the 160hp Gnome engine.

[TomVrille]

Parasol was a somewhat generic description of a number of early high-wing monoplane designs. These had the wing attached to the underslung fuselage with a central kingpost, and an array of bracing wires. In a profile view of these designs, some observers fancied they saw a resemblance to a ladies' parasol, and the nomenclature seems to have stuck!

[margaret smith]

Thanks a lot guys! It was indeed a unique looking plane!

[MikeW]

Ross,

And shooting down a Zeppelin over the UK

Who was this then?

Are you thinking of Rex Warneford VC in a Morane L who bombed an Airship out of the sky over occupied Belgium?


Mike

[Cigogne]

The Zeppelin was the LZ 37, if I recall correctly.

[Jim]

As others have pointed out, the Parasol was a specific model of plane but rather a generic term for a number of different airplane models made by Morane-Saulnier.

For example, the Type N was the first WW I aircraft fitted with a machine gun that could fire through the propeller arc. The way it did this was a metal wedge was attached to each blade of the propeller so that bullets that might have otherwise shot the propeller off were deflected. Enough non-deflected bullets made it through the spinning propeller to shoot the aircraft in front of you.

And even within the same model, there were variations. For example, the powerful Type P with its 110 HP Le Rhone engine was built in both one and two seat versions with the two seat version being used mainly as an armed reconnaissance aircraft and the single seat version being used as a fighter.

All of these were mostly early war models but they were ahead of their time in that single wing aircraft eventually went on to become the design of choice with biplanes and triplanes being relegated to history.

Here is a photo of a Type P.

[TomVrille]

Originally Posted by Jim

... the Parasol was ...a generic term for a number of different airplane models made by Morane-Saulnier.

Although Morane-Saulnier is probably the best known builder of "Parasol" designs, other manufacturers also experimented with the design concept.

Around the end of 1913, Macchi came out with a design that came to be known as the Nieuport-Macchi Parasol. Some forty-two of these aircraft were built and assigned to the Third Army. Flown from airfields in NE Italy, notably Meduzza and Pordenone, these were withdrawn from active service in August 1915.

Then there was the Sopwith Swallow, a late experimental development that may have been suggested by the Fokker E.V. The Swallow was essentially a Camel fuselage, fitted with a parasol type wing. As far as I know, only one Swallow was built, and delivered for test and evaluation at Martelsham Heath on 28 October 1918. Given the late date the aircraft became available, it is unclear how much, if any, testing was attempted.

Other French manufacturers of parasol designs include Bleriot and R.E.P. (Établissements D'aviation Robert Esnault-Peletrie).

[Rod_Filan]

Indeed, Reg Warneford bombed LZ 37 over Ghent Mike.

Arch Whitehouse wrote in The Years of the Sky Kings that Warneford had expended his ammunition on the underside/tail before he finally climbed above the Zeppelin and released five incendiary bombs. [bold mine]
Exactly how were the bombs mounted on the RFC Morane Parasol and what was the weight of each bomb? I've also read he hand-dropped six 20lb Cooper fragmentation bombs. Could this be true? I can't imagine the strength and eye-hand-foot-knee-chin co-ordination that would be required to do this over a single 518 ft run.

Warneford's gunnery seems to have had little or no effect on LZ 37. I'm assuming these were standard rounds he was firing? Was either Pomeroy or Buckingham used in 1915 at all? Also... when was Brock-Pomeroy first issued?

VBR
Rod