Morane-Saulnier MS-733 Alcyon
The Morane-Saulnier MS.733 Alcyon was France's standard postwar basic trainer, first flown in definitive form in 1951 after prototypes tested German war-surplus and French engines before settling on a 240hp Potez inverted inline. Of 208 built, the French Navy, Air Force, and Cambodian Air Force all operated it, and some French Air Force examples carried machine guns for gunnery practice. A number were later converted for counter-insurgency use in Algeria as the MS.733A, and after that conflict several were sold on to Morocco. Air France also used Alcyons for pilot training, and a handful still fly today in private hands.
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Did you know?
A small postwar French trainer that even trained Air France pilots, with some examples still flying today.
Specifications
| Length | 9.3 m (31 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11.2 m (37 ft) |
| Height | 2.4 m (8 ft) |
| Persons on board | 3 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1.8 t |
| Range | 500 NM (926 km) |
| Service ceiling | 16,000 ft (4,877 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 13,000 ft (3,962 m) |
| Rate of climb | 985 ft/min (5 m/s) |
| Units built | 200 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
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