Morane-Saulnier MS.225

The Morane-Saulnier M.S.225 was a French single-seat fighter of the 1930s, built in limited numbers as a transitional type between the last biplane fighters and the first monoplane fighters. It was a parasol monoplane with a wide fixed undercarriage and a Gnome-Rhone 9K radial engine, with a circular fuselage that made it more robust than its predecessor, the M.S.224. It was first shown as a model at the Paris Air Show of 1932, and series production began at once after successful prototype tests. Seventy-five were produced, 53 delivered to the Air Force in November 1933 and 16 ordered by the Aeronavale, with three sold to China. It left front-line service between 1936 and 1937, and variants included the carrier-capable M.S.226 and the M.S.278 fitted with a diesel engine.