| Morane-Saulnier MS.603 | |
|---|---|
| |
| The MS.603 at Saint-Cyr-l'École near Paris in May 1957 when operated by the Aero Club de Courbevoie | |
| Role | club aircraft |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Morane Saulnier |
| First flight | 1947 |
| Status | stored in a museum in France |
| Primary user | aero clubs |
| Number built | 3 |
| Developed from | MS.600 |
The Morane-Saulnier MS.603 was a French-built two-seat light aircraft of the late 1940s.
The MS.603 was one of three aircraft constructed in the MS.600 series which were built to compete in an officially-sponsored 1947 contest for a light two-seat side-by-side club aircraft to be powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) engine.
The initial MS.600, powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) Mathis G-4F piston engine, was a fixed gear, low-winged monoplane of mixed construction, with a single fin and the tailplane set just above the fuselage and a clear perspex canopy over a side-by-side cockpit for two persons. All three aircraft, MS.600, MS.602 and MS.603, were ready for flight in 1947 with the MS.600 flying on 4 June 1947.[1]
A parallel development, the MS.602, powered by a 75 hp (56 kW) Minie 4DA piston engine, was similar in most respects to the MS.600 and flew on 24 June 1947.[2]
A more powerful derivative emerged as the MS.603, powered by a 100 hp (75 kW) Hirth HM 504A-2 engine and fitted with a fixed tricycle undercarriage.[3] The tailplane was also moved to a high set position on the fin and supported by struts.
Initially registered F-WCZU in the experimental series, and re-registered F-PHQY in the amateur-operated series, the MS.602 was owned by Messieurs Gambi and Chanson and based at Saint-Cyr-l'École airfield to the west of Paris.[4] By 1983, the aircraft had been withdrawn from service and scrapped.
The sole MS.603, construction No. 1, was initially registered F-WCZT and later re-registered F-PHJC. It was flown for many years by the Aero Club de Courbevoie. By 1963 it was operated by M. Jean Forster, based at Guyancourt airfield,[5] but was withdrawn from use by 2006 when it was stored at the Musee de l'Aviation du Mas Palegry - (Mas Palegry Aviation Museum) near Perpignan.[6]
Data from Green, 1965
General characteristics
Performance
