Morane-Saulnier Alcyon
| MS-733 Alcyon | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Privately owned MS-733 Alcyon wearing the markings of the Armee de l'Air at Coventry Airport in June 2003 | |
| Role | Basic trainer |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Morane-Saulnier |
| First flight | 1949 |
| Status | several flown by private owners |
| Primary user | French Air Force |
| Number built | 208 |
The Morane-Saulnier Alcyon (en: Kingfisher) is a two or three-seat basic training monoplane designed and built in France by Morane-Saulnier.
Designed as a basic trainer for the French military the prototype MS.730 first flew on the 11 August 1949. The prototype was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a fixed tailwheel landing gear and powered by a 240 hp (134 kW) Mathis 8G.20 inverted V8 engine. The engine was replaced with a German war-surplus 240 hp (179 kW) Argus As 10 and the prototype flew again in November 1949 as the MS.731. Two further prototypes were built and flown in 1951 designated MS.732, they were each powered by a Potez 6D 02 engine and the original fixed landing gear of the prototype was replaced with retractable main wheels.
The production version followed designated the MS.733, with five pre-production aircraft and 200 production aircraft. The aircraft were delivered to the French Navy (40), the French Air Force (145) and the Cambodian Air Force (15). Seventy of the French Air Force aircraft were fitted with machine guns for gunnery training and some of these were later converted for counter-insurgency operations (and re-designated MS.733A) for use in Algeria. After the war, some aircraft were sold to Morocco.
The Alcyon was a successful trainer, capable of basic aerobatic maneuvers. It was often used in replacement of pre-war vintage Stampe SV.4 biplanes. Several civilian flying schools, including Air France, used the Alcyon. For the time, it was well equipped with full IFR equipment: two VOR-ILS sets, one ADF set, two VHF radios, a radar altimeter, an attitude indicator, and a directional gyroscope. For this reason, it was often used for navigation training as it was far cheaper to operate than the twin-engine designs commonly used for that task.
Since retirement by the French military services, several Alcyons have been restored to flying condition in France by private pilot owners and groups.
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