Morane-Saulnier MS.180

The Morane-Saulnier MS.180 was a single-engine parasol-wing aerobatic trainer designed and produced by Morane-Saulnier in the late 1920s. It resembled the two-seat MS.230 but had a single cockpit, was somewhat smaller and was much lower powered, and it was designed with a safety factor of 15 for use by military air services and private pilots alike. The prototype first flew in 1929 with a 40 horsepower Salmson 9Ad radial engine and performed well in testing, and the later MS.181 used a 60 horsepower Salmson 5Ac. About 17 examples of the series were built, mostly MS.181s; fifteen served with the Compagnie Francaise d'Aviation flying schools from 1930, four were acquired by the Spanish Republican air force in 1937, and examples still fly in France and are displayed in Madrid.