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French Trainer Aircraft

Moraine-Saulnier MS.230
OTL aircraft, introduced 1927. 1000+ produced by 1940.

General characteristics
Crew: 2 (one instructor, one student)
Length: 6.70 m (22 feet 10 inches)
Wingspan: 10.70 m (35 feet 1 inch)
Height: 2.80 m (9 feet 2 inches)
Empty weight: 829 kg (1,828 pounds)
Loaded weight: 1,150 kg (2,535 pounds)
Powerplant: 1× Salmson 9AB, 9-cylinder, air-cooled radial engine, 109 kW (230 hp)

Performance
Maximum speed: 205 km/h (127 mph)
Range: 579 km (360 miles)
Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,405 feet)

Armament
- None

Notes
Main trainer type used by Armee de l'Aire and Aeronavale. Over one thousand built for French service. Exported to Czechoslovakia and elsewhere. (Belgium, Germany, Greece, Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Portugal, Romania, Switzerland and Spain all purchased the type in OTL.)

Photo ©: Jean-Francois GLO (Photos at airliners.net)

Morane-Saulnier MS.315
OTL aircraft, introduced 1929. 350+ produced by 1940.

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 7.60 m (24 ft 11¼ in)
Wingspan: 12.00 m (39 ft 4½ in)
Height: 2.80 m (9 ft 2¼ in)
Wing area: 21.60 m² (232.51 ft²)
Empty weight: 548 kg (1208 lb)
Gross weight: 860 kg (1896 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Salmson 9Nc radial engine, 101 kW (135 hp)

Performance
Maximum speed: 170 km/h (106 mph)
Service ceiling: 5500 m (18,045 ft)

Morane-Saulnier M.S.470 Vanneau ("Plover") trainer aircraft
OTL aircraft under development for 1941.

Statistics
- Crew: 2 (trainee pilot + instructor)
- Length: 9.05 m (30 ft 8 in)
- Wingspan: 10.65 m (35 ft 11 in)
- Height: 3.62 m (12 ft 11 in)
- Wing area: 17.30 m² (186.22 ft²)
- Empty weight: 2,351 kg (5,183 lb)
- Max Takeoff Weight: 3,125 kg (6,889 lb)
- Powerplant: 1× Gnome et Rhône 14M radial (522kW / 700HP) OR Hispano-Suiza 12Y-45 V-12 piston engine, 641 kW (860 hp)
- Armament: 2x.30cal MG (wings) for target training, 5lb or 10lb underwing smoke bombs for training

Performance
- Maximum speed: 445 km/h (277 mph)
- Max Range: 1500 km (932 miles)
- Service ceiling: 8500 m (27,900 ft)
- Rate of climb: Not available

Armamant
- 2 x MAC 1934 7.5mm wing-mounted machine-guns
- Light bombs

Variants
- MS.470: Original variant
- MS.472: Production variant equipped with Gnome-Rhone 14M-05 radial engine.
- MS.474: MS.472 variant equipped for aircraft carrier operations.
- MS.475: Version powered by Hispano-Suiza 12Y-45 inline engine.

Notes:
- 48x MS.472s acquired for pilot training by the Indochinese Air Defense Group.

Pilatus P-2
These aircraft were acquired from Switzerland as basic and intermediate trainers.

General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 9.07 m (29 ft 9 in)
Wingspan: 11 m (36 ft 1 in)
Height: 2.70 m (8 ft 10¼ in)
Wing area: 17 m2 (182.99 ft2)
Empty weight: 1380 kg (3040 lb)
Gross weight: 1800 kg (3970 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Dietrich-Lorraine DL-410 inverted V air-cooled engine, 347 kW (465 hp)

Performance:
Maximum speed: 340 km/h (211 mph)
Cruising speed: 306 km/h (190 mph)
Range: 865 km (537 miles)
Service ceiling: 6600 m (21,654 ft)
Rate of climb: 6.5 m/s (1280 ft/min)

Morane-Saulnier MS.730 Alcyon


Specifications
Crew: 2 or 3
Length: 9.32 m (30 ft 7 in)
Wingspan: 11.28 m (37 ft 0 in)
Height: 2.42 m (7 ft 11¼ in)
Wing area: 21.90 m² (235.74 ft²)
Empty weight: 1260 kg (2778 lb)
Gross weight: 1670 kg (3682 lb)
Powerplant: 1 × Dietrich-Lorraine DL-10 (licensed Argus As-10) inverted inline piston engine, 179 kW (240 hp)

Performance
Maximum speed: 260 km/h (162 mph)
Cruising speed: 230 km/h (143 mph)
Range: 920 km (572 miles)
Endurance: 4 hours 40 min
Service ceiling: 4800 m (15,750 ft)
Rate of climb: 5.0 m/s (985 ft/min)

Loire-Nieuport LN-180
License-built Stampe SV.4b, license acquired 1940.

General characteristics
Crew: 1-2
Length: 6.80 m (22 ft 4 in)
Wingspan: 8.385 m (27 ft 6 in)
Height: 2.775 m (9 ft 1 in)
Wing area: 18.06 m² (194.4 ft²)
Empty weight: 520 kg (1146 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 770 kg (1697 lb)
Powerplant: 1× de Havilland Gipsy Major X or Blackburn Cirrus Major III, 145 hp (108 kW)

Performance
Maximum speed: 101 knots (188 km/h)
Cruise speed: 75 knots (140 km/h)
Range: 420 km (260 statute miles)
Service ceiling: 20,000 ft (6,000 m)

Notes
Also manufactured by Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique d'Alger and Atelier Industriel de l'Aéronautique d'Indochine.