Book Review of
Single No. 22
Morane Saulnier MS.406
Authors: Dariusz Karnas & Karolina Holda
MMP Books
ISBN: 978-83-65958-96-9
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $11.99
ISBN: 978-83-65958-96-9
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2020
MSRP: $11.99
HISTORY:
The Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 is a French fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. It was France's most numerous fighter during the Second World War and one of only two French designs to exceed 1,000 in number.
At the beginning of the war, it was one of only two French-built aircraft capable of 400 km/h (250 mph) – the other being the Potez 630. In response to a requirement for a fighter issued by the French Air Force in 1934, Morane-Saulnier built a prototype, designated MS.405, of mixed materials.
This 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 in early 1939 represented the first modern fighter aircraft to be adopted by the service.
Although a sturdy and highly manoeuvrable 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 invasion of France breaking out in earnest in May 1940, large numbers were lost, amounting to approximately 400 aircraft being lost, in total.
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 were 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. Out of 160 airplanes ordered by Poland, none had reached Polish territory before the outbreak of war, with the first part of delivery sent on 29 August 1939. 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).
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.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Morane-Saulnier
First flight: 8 August 1935 (M.S.405)
Introduction to service: 1938
Status: Retired
Primary users: French Air Force, Finnish Air Force, Swiss Air Force, Turkish Air Force
Number built: 1,176
THE BOOK:
MMP – Mushroom Models Publication is based in the UK. All their books are printed by their associate Stratus in Sandomierz, Poland in the English language. Stratus also does their own line of books in both English and Polish.
This book is soft cover of 24 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art wraps an above view of a Morane Saulnier MS.406 around to the back cover, against a bright orange background. It is in a camouflage of grey and green bands.
The book begins with a 5-view line-drawing of the MS.406 in 1/72nd scale, followed by a 4-view of it in 1/38th scale. Both sets of drawings show illustrations of the bulkheads inside the fuselage.
There are 23 black and white wartime photos of French and Polish Air Force MS.406’s and two side view color profiles of it in the Polish markings and a 3-view of it in French markings, which is also the one on the cover.
Inserted into the book is a single-sheet, printed in color on both sides on slick coated paper. It is a catalog for Dora Wings brand model kits.
The face side shows the box art for kit no. DW48031, a 1/48th scale Morane-Saulnier MS.406C.1.
The reverse side shows color cover arts for 6 other Dora Wings aircraft kits: Kit no. DW48033, a 1/48TH scale Miles M.9 Master, DW48029, a 1/48th scale Republic P-43 Lancer, DW48022, a 1/48th scale Lockheed Vega 5b, DW48035, a 1/48th scale Morane-Saulnier MS.230/C-23, DW48021, a 1/48th scale Marcel Bloch MB 155 C-1 and DW32001, a 1/32nd scale DeWoitine D.500.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a MS.406 and also aircraft historians.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample and also Roger Wallsgrove head-editor of MMP.
All MMP book titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
The Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 is a French fighter aircraft developed and manufactured by Morane-Saulnier starting in 1938. It was France's most numerous fighter during the Second World War and one of only two French designs to exceed 1,000 in number.
At the beginning of the war, it was one of only two French-built aircraft capable of 400 km/h (250 mph) – the other being the Potez 630. In response to a requirement for a fighter issued by the French Air Force in 1934, Morane-Saulnier built a prototype, designated MS.405, of mixed materials.
This 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 in early 1939 represented the first modern fighter aircraft to be adopted by the service.
Although a sturdy and highly manoeuvrable 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 invasion of France breaking out in earnest in May 1940, large numbers were lost, amounting to approximately 400 aircraft being lost, in total.
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 were 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. Out of 160 airplanes ordered by Poland, none had reached Polish territory before the outbreak of war, with the first part of delivery sent on 29 August 1939. 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).
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.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Fighter
Manufacturer: Morane-Saulnier
First flight: 8 August 1935 (M.S.405)
Introduction to service: 1938
Status: Retired
Primary users: French Air Force, Finnish Air Force, Swiss Air Force, Turkish Air Force
Number built: 1,176
THE BOOK:
MMP – Mushroom Models Publication is based in the UK. All their books are printed by their associate Stratus in Sandomierz, Poland in the English language. Stratus also does their own line of books in both English and Polish.
This book is soft cover of 24 pages in 8 ¼” x 11 ¾” page format.
The cover art wraps an above view of a Morane Saulnier MS.406 around to the back cover, against a bright orange background. It is in a camouflage of grey and green bands.
The book begins with a 5-view line-drawing of the MS.406 in 1/72nd scale, followed by a 4-view of it in 1/38th scale. Both sets of drawings show illustrations of the bulkheads inside the fuselage.
There are 23 black and white wartime photos of French and Polish Air Force MS.406’s and two side view color profiles of it in the Polish markings and a 3-view of it in French markings, which is also the one on the cover.
Inserted into the book is a single-sheet, printed in color on both sides on slick coated paper. It is a catalog for Dora Wings brand model kits.
The face side shows the box art for kit no. DW48031, a 1/48th scale Morane-Saulnier MS.406C.1.
The reverse side shows color cover arts for 6 other Dora Wings aircraft kits: Kit no. DW48033, a 1/48TH scale Miles M.9 Master, DW48029, a 1/48th scale Republic P-43 Lancer, DW48022, a 1/48th scale Lockheed Vega 5b, DW48035, a 1/48th scale Morane-Saulnier MS.230/C-23, DW48021, a 1/48th scale Marcel Bloch MB 155 C-1 and DW32001, a 1/32nd scale DeWoitine D.500.
This book will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a MS.406 and also aircraft historians.
I want to sincerely thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample and also Roger Wallsgrove head-editor of MMP.
All MMP book titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly recommended.