Morane-Saulnier MS-230

Version MS-230:
- training aircraft
- origin: France
- built: 1929
- wingspan/lengtt/height: 10,70 /6,98 / 2,73 m
- wing area: 19,70 m2
- take-off weight: 1210 kg
- range: ? km
- ceiling: ? m
- Salmson 9AB powerplant with max. output 230 HP
- airspeed maximum: 220 km/h
- armament: none

French aircraft Morane-Salunier MS-230 was successful high-wing plane for the training of pilots. It took-off for the first time in February 1929 and it exceled in very good flying characteristics. MS-230 was two-seated high-wing (parasol type) aircraft of mixed construction (wooden wings, fuselage and tails from steel tubes covered by fabric and alluminium) which was powered by Salmson 9AB engine. Robust construction allowed the acrobatics but it was also suitable as a school aircraft for the advanced training and for the passing to the fighters. Totally there were built more than 1100 machines and they served also abroad, such as in Romania, Greece, Brazil, Belgium and in Czechoslovakia too, where they were the most used as a pulling up the gliders and sailplanes. Aircraft was so successful that it survived the war and it was flying till the second half of fifties.

MS-230 in Slovakia

   One machine of MS-230 was flying also in Slovakia with the registration OK-HVR. It served in civil organization The Slovak Flying Corps. It came from German war booty and it arrived to Slovakia from NSFK at the end of 1940 or at the begin of 1941 year. Machine was located at Vajnory airfield in the glider school for pulling up the gliders. It was destroyed in March of 1945. Probably (!) another machine existed OK-HVP (it arrived at the same time as OK-HVR) but immediately was damaged (engine was seized up), it was canceled and its airframe was used as a source of spare parts for OK-HVR.
Machine was covered by unified coating of silver bronze on all surfaces. Yellow accessories were made up the stripe on the fuselage behind the engine and behind the cockpits and also on the bottom wing tips. Black letters of registration OK-HVR were also on both surfaces of the wing. Standard emblem of the Slovak Flying Corps was on the rudder.

Sources:

[1] Jiĝí Rajlich, Jiĝí Sehnal - Slovak Airmen 1939-1945
[2] Ing. Arch. Štefan Androviè - French aircraft in Slovak aviation, in HPM 9/2000

Table of delivered MS-230

Sér.numb. Version Taken-over Note
? MS-230 1940-1941 registered as OK-HVR, destroyed in March of 1945
? MS-230 1940-1941 registered as OK-HVP but due to damage it was never used

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