Morane-Saulnier BB

Type BB, Type BH
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RFC Morane-Saulnier BB
Role	Observation aircraft
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Morane-Saulnier
First flight	1915
Primary user	Royal Flying Corps
Number built	94

File:Morane-Saulnier BB French First World War reconnaissance aircraft captured by Germany.jpg

Captured Morane-Saulnier BB

The Morane-Saulnier BB was a military observation aircraft produced in France during World War I for use by Britain's Royal Flying Corps. It was a conventional single-bay biplane design with seating for the pilot and observer in tandem, open cockpits. The original order called for 150 aircraft powered by 110-hp Le Rhône 9J rotary engines, but shortages meant that most of the 94 aircraft eventually built were delivered with 80 hp Le Rhône 9C rotaries instead. A water-cooled Hispano-Suiza engine was trialled as an alternative in the Type BH, but this remained experimental only.

The type equipped a number of RFC and RNAS squadrons both in its original observation role and, equipped with a forward-firing Lewis gun mounted on the top wing, as a fighter.

Operators

United Kingdom

• Royal Flying Corps
  • No. 1 Squadron RFC
  • No. 3 Squadron RFC
  • No. 12 Squadron RFC
  • No. 60 Squadron RFC
• Royal Naval Air Service
  • No. 1 Squadron RNAS
  • No. 3 Squadron RNAS
  • No. 4 Squadron RNAS

Spain

• Spanish Air Force

Russia

• Imperial Russian Air Service

Specifications (BB)

Data from Parmentier

General characteristics

• Crew: Two, pilot and observer
• Length: 7.00 m (23 ft 0 in)
• Wingspan: 8.65 m (28 ft 5 in)
• Height: 2.54 m (8 ft 4 in)
• Wing area: 23.0 m² (247 ft²)
• Gross weight: 750 kg (1,650 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Le Rhône 9Ja, 82 kW (110 hp)

Performance

• Maximum speed: 147 km/h (92 mph)
• Service ceiling: 4,000 m (13,000 ft)

Armament

• 1 × flexible, rearward-firing .303 Lewis gun for observer