Aircraft/Loadouts Mörkö-Morane, the Finnish Frankenplane

[Rautaa 5,801]

The Mörkö-Morane (Ogre-Morane) was one of the most unique fighters of the Second World War. It was the merge of a French airframe with a Soviet engine and a German cannon to get more life out of the obsolete MS.406 in the later stages of the War. Only Finns could ever come up with such a scheme.

 

Swastika warning: [spoiler]The blue and white swastika of the Finnish military was used by the Air Force from January 1918, when they received their first aircraft, a Thulin typ D as a gift from Swedish count Eric von Rosen. His symbol of good luck was a blue swastika on a white background, and he had it painted on the gift aircraft. The Finnish Air Force adopted the symbol as their insignia. The use of the symbol predates the National Socialist party by years, and is in no way affiliated with the Nazis.[/spoiler]

 

Mörkö-Morane MSv-633 in March 1945. Mörkö-Morane converted MS.406's were identified by the lower case v added to the fuselage number.

 

MS.406, nice but obsolete

 

The Morane-Saulnier MS.406 was a French fighter originally introduced in 1938 with over 1000 units built. During the Winter War in 1939 between the Soviet Union and Finland, the French government donated 30 MS.406's to Finland. After France was occupied, Finland acquired 57 more MS.406's and improved MS.410's from both the Germans and the French. Some of the MS.406's sent to Finland had been originally captured by the Germans.

 

During the Continuation War, the MS.406's were considered obsolete, and had been reduced to turn fighters that advanced Soviet designs could BnZ at will, and disengage without any difficulties. An ambitious prototype was ordered in October 1942 to improve the old French birds. The Hispano 12Y engines were to be replaced by Klimov 105P engines captured from the Soviets. Because the Klimov was based on the Hispano engine, it was thought to fit the airframe. The 105P had almost 250 more horsepower than the 12Y, and would greatly increase the performance of the aircraft.

 

Comparison schematic between the MS.410 and the Mörkö-Morane (below). External differences can be seen in engine intakes, propeller hub, exhausts, longer-barreled cannon, and the mountings of the wing machine guns, as well as the replacement of the external OPL 1931 sights with Baille-Lemaire GH-38 reflector sights. The Mörkö-Morane was also slightly longer than the MS.406.

 

Flight of the Ogre-Morane: February 1943

 

The new design was called the Mörkö-Morane, and judging by the name, the designers knew they had created a monster. The first conversion was made on fuselage number MS-631, which became MSv-631. The Mörkö-Morane first flew on 4.2.1943.

 

Initially, the Mörkö-Morane had engine heat issues, but this was eventually fixed by replacing the oil cooler with one from the Bf 109 G's. The propeller used was a Wisch -61 P.

 

The Finns considered the 20mm Hispano HS 404 cannon unreliable, so it was replaced with a German Mauser MG 151/20 cannon mounted in the engine. The wing machine guns were standardized to one 7,5mm MAC 1934 in each wing, while some regular Moranes had carried 2 in each wing.

 

The prototype MSv-631 around the time of the first flight in February 1943 in Tampere.

 

Greatly improved performance

 

The Klimov engine dramatically increased the performance of the Morane. Top speed at sea level went from 377km/h to 445km/h. Climb rate and service ceiling were also increased: while the MS.406 took 10 minutes to reach 5km with a ceiling of 8500m, the Mörkö-Morane climbed to 5km in 8 minutes and had a ceiling of 10300m.

 

Some sources state that the climb rate of the Mörkö-Morane was as high as 17-20m/s.

 

The Mörkö-Morane retained the agility of the MS.406 and lowish wing loading, but now with a much better power-to-weight ratio. However, the modifications increased the weight of the aircraft significantly.

 

Specifications:

 

Crew: 1

Length (MS.406): 8,17m

Wingspan: 10,62m

Height: 3,62m

Wing area: 17,2m2

Empty weight: 2210kg

Loaded weight: 2787kg

Powerplant: Klimov M-105P liquid-cooled V12, 820kW (1100 hp)

 

Performance:

 

Maximum speed: 445 km/h at sea level, 510 km/h at altitude (4000m)

Range: Unknown

Rate of climb: 15-17 m/s

Wing loading (MS.406): 141.9kg/m2

Power/mass: 0.29 kW/kg (0.39 hp/kg)

 

Armament:

 

Guns:

1x 20mm Mauser MG 151/20 cannon mounted in the engine

2x 7,5mm MAC 1934 machine guns in the wings

 

Speed at altitude chart from the Finnish journal of Aviation History. Graph number 3 is for the Mörkö-Morane. The line on the left is speed with the radiator 100% open, and the line on the right is speed with the radiator 1/3-1/2 open.

 

The prototype MSv-631 became the first operational Mörkö-Morane. The camo is from July 1944, with the single kill marker scored by sergeant Hattinen on the tail.

 

First combat July 1944

 

While the prototype flew in February 1943, the first Mörkö-Morane was delivered to combat units as late as July 7th 1944. The first Mörkö-Morane to be baptised in fire was the original prototype MSv-631, when sergeant Lars Hattinen intercepted four Yak-1's and six IL-2's alone on the 16th of July. Hattinen shot down a single enemy fighter in the Mörkö-Morane, which according to one source was a La-5.

 

On the 30th of July, staff sergeant Hattinen engaged around 30 Soviet fighters in the MSv-617. He managed to shoot down 2 Airacobras before he was overwhelmed by the sheer number of enemies. Hattinen managed to bail out of his Mörkö-Morane, but he was burnt severely, and didn't recover to return to combat before the war was over.

 

Staff sergeant Hattinen had a total of 6 kills in the MS.406 and Mörkö-Morane and worked as a civilian pilot after the war. He lost his life in the worst civilian plane crash in Finnish history, when the DC-3 he was piloting intoxicated crashed claiming 25 lives.

 

The light construction of the MS.406 had advantages. Captain Reino Turkki was uninjured when his fighter took shells from an Airacobra on 25.5.1944.

 

Lapland and post-war

 

While the Mörkö-Moranes claimed several air kills, they arrived too late to have a significant impact in the Continuation War. From September 1944, the Mörkö-Moranes took part in the Lapland War to drive the Germans out of the country. During the offensive they mostly performed reconnaissance and bomber escort missions, as interceptors were mostly not required during the German retreat.

 

A total of 41 MS.406's were converted to Mörkö-Moranes. 24 of them remained in active service after the war, until they were removed from operational status in 1948. Initially the Moranes were stored, and eventually scrapped in 1952.

 

MSv-636 in 1946 with roundels painted on. I suggest that all Finnish camos receive the blue and white roundels instead of the blue and white swastika to avoid all misunderstandings.

 

Who wants the Frankenplane?

 

A French plane, captured by the Germans, modified by the Finns with captured Soviet parts and a German cannon and eventually used against the Germans in Lapland: What do you guys think, is there a place for the Ogre-Morane ingame? I put together a poll to see where you think the Frankenplane belongs.

 

Key sources books by Kalevi Keskinen and Kari Stenman, in particular "Suomen ilmavoimien historia osa 4: Morane-Saulnier M.S. 406", as well as images. Some images originally from SA-kuva and the Finnish Defence Forces.

[Jhaamdath 6,156]

I would love to see it in Finish tree. Later on in game when we have 5 first trees filled good Devs can start working on another countries.

Even better with ERA system we don`t have this stigmate of filling 0-20 tiers with planes. No more nation level grind, just work for plane. So all in for this being normal or premium in fin tree.

[TheShaolinMonk 4,705]

That Frakenplane looks awesome >.>

[BratwurstBob 3,855]

Problem is performance data. The devs will need that to build a FM for it.

[KuroFelidae 260]

Very cool indeed. Could be a lot of fun to fly that thing around :P

[BiggestBunny 99]

Pretty neat little thing.

 

Voted for adding it as a German premium, since I doubt we'll be seeing any kind of Finnish/international tree anytime soon (a Finnish tree would be a pretty interesting mishmash of planes :Ps).

[Querulous1 3,276]

Finnish Line or Tree on German Tree would be great

I assume that one day, there will be many German and possibly allied sub trees for nations ?

[Rautaa 5,801]

Problem is performance data. The devs will need that to build a FM for it.

 

Knowing my countrymen, all data will have been meticulously recorded. I'll just have to find it...

 

I have a trace of a further article on the Mörkö-Morane, hopefully with performance data. I'll just need to get my hands on it.

[I_MIKE_I 7,651]

I don't really want it as a German premium... for it's Date, it was a bad plane. If it would be a T1, I'd buy it as a German Premium, tough...

 

But I'd say it should be Finnish, if France and Italy get a tree, why not Finns?

[Botan 7,952]

Would be a great plane.

 

In my opinion, International tech tree is the best way to introduce it, however it will take a long time before such tree will be added, so for now it can be a premium in German tree, later regular in International.

 

PS. My tribute to Finnish mechanics, they had to have skill for doing that, and maintain all that captured/imported staff  from whole world in good condition.

 

[spoiler]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNl9M5TxGC8[/spoiler]

Edited December 16, 2013 by Botan

[Caudron_C_460 924]

It should be in finnish tree as premium for me or on regular tree if some option are needed. Might be 4 or 5 or 6 rank.

 

Not in German tree...

[Rautaa 5,801]

It should be in finnish tree as premium for me or on regular tree if some option are needed. Might be 4 or 5 or 6 rank.

 

Not in German tree...

 

Using the current rank system, the Yak-1B is level 6. The Mörkö-Morane should outperform it in a lot of ways, though the Yak-1B should be a bit faster. However, the Mörkö-Morane should outclimb the Yak, outturn it, the Mörkö-Morane has a better power to weight ration, and I'd say even armament is better.

 

Of course one option would be to make it a German premium initially, and then move it according to future trees once they are implemented. Or it could be implemented Wargaming style as a French premium ahead of the French tree, so that RP flown with the Mörkö-Morane would be immediately available to use in the French tree once the tree itself is added.

[Lactose_the_into 110]

I would find that silly if it was in the german tree as a premium. When germans laid their hands on it they didnt want it and gave it away to Finland, they just passed the plane around.

 

Germany didnt want it, didn't fly it. France made the base of it but didnt fly that version. So just no, give it to Finland for their own tree, I believe it to be the air symbol of finland's 2nd world war struggle for survival.

Edited December 16, 2013 by Lactose_the_into

[Rautaa 5,801]

Germany didnt want it, didn't fly it. France made the base of it but didnt fly that version. So just no, give it to Finland for their own tree, I believe it to be the air symbol of finland's 2nd world war struggle for survival.

 

As a Finn, that's obviously the last option I want to see. I feel like I'll be married and have 7 children sooner than a Finnish sub-tree makes it into some kind of international tree. It's unlikely to happen during this decade.

[I_MIKE_I 7,651]

As a Finn, that's obviously the last option I want to see. I feel like I'll be married and have 7 children sooner than a Finnish sub-tree makes it into some kind of international tree. It's unlikely to happen during this decade.

If even french get a own one which either gets a buttload of prototypes/paper/captured/leased or stops somewhere, I see no reason for the Finns to not get one as well.

[Rautaa 5,801]

If even french get a own one which either gets a buttload of prototypes/paper/captured/leased or stops somewhere, I see no reason for the Finns to not get one as well.

It's not that it wouldn't be doable if foreign designs are allowed. I just don't think it will realitically happen.

[SubRyan 5,556]

Well, considering I put up the suggestion for Finnish events, I'm going to have to go for placing this in a Finnish tree

 

And how can you mention the Morko-Morane without talking about the B-239?

Edited December 17, 2013 by SubRyan

[Rautaa 5,801]

Well, considering I put up the suggestion for Finnish events, I'm going to have to go for placing this in a Finnish tree

 

And how can you mention the Morko-Morane without talking about the B-239?

 

Two different planes, I suppose? From a technological point of view, the Mörkö-Morane is 10 times more fascinating.

 

But I'll be back with something on the B-239 eventually...

[Waroch 2,008]

voted non-premium :Ds

 

but since the Morko-Morane fought both soviets and germans, it's presence in both french and german trees could be justified as well (Fr for the vs Germany, De for the vs USSR scenarii).

It's more than likely that they will model the whole Morane family in a row anyway, so it probably won't appear before Fr tree itself.

 

 

For the historical stuff :

can you please check the performance figures again? The short english summary at the end of the book you quote give different numbers. Since the translated summary of those bilingual books are sometimes a bit quick, i'd like to know if it's concordant with the main development and can be trusted...

 

purely for the historical interest, it wasn't the first time that a french fighter had it's engine swapped for a soviet-built hispano! During the Spanish civil war, a couple of D.510 were sent to the Republican spanish (leftovers of a canceled turkish order), under cover of a screen arab order and received the designation D.510TH. But the cover was blown by pro-fascist journalists, who raised such a scandal that following deliveries were suspended and the engines and weapons of the two fighters taken back. About a year later, the two D.510TH received M100 engines from the Tupolev SB2 bomber, as well as soviet machine-guns, and used for coastal patrols.

[Smin1080p 60,444]

Moved to further discussion  :salute:

[ThorinGR 415]

Several countries fought with both sides during the war, so a special tree with all the smaller nations each with its own branch, and some planes that can be MMed with either side depending on map would be very cool indeed

[Rautaa 5,801]

For the historical stuff :

can you please check the performance figures again? The short english summary at the end of the book you quote give different numbers. Since the translated summary of those bilingual books are sometimes a bit quick, i'd like to know if it's concordant with the main development and can be trusted...

 

Sure, but my figures seem to match with the translated English ones I've got. I've got the 2nd edition of the book. Which figures aren't matching up? Anyways, I'll be double-checking them from another source soon.

 

The D.510 story is a very interesting one indeed!

[QuarterNinjaCM 16,882]

I think Mörkö-Morane should be in the game. Very unique plane with interesting history.

[_Solty_ 3,167]

For Germans with Finnish camo.

 

French should have their own, normal version.

[Smin1080p 60,444]

Locked and Documented  :salute: