Morane-Saulnier Epervier

The Morane‑Saulnier MS 406, nicknamed “Epervier” (Sparrowhawk), was France’s first modern low‑wing monoplane fighter to enter mass production. Designed in 1935 by the Morane‑Saulnier aircraft works, the prototype flew in early 1938 and was rapidly ordered as the French Air Force sought to replace aging biplanes. Powered by a 860 hp Hispano‑Suiza 12Y‑31 liquid‑cooled V‑12 engine, the Epervier could reach 489 km/h (304 mph) at 4 500 m and featured a mixed‑construction fuselage of duralumin skin over a steel frame, retractable under‑carriage, and a single‑piece, elliptical wing. Its armament consisted of two 20 mm Hispano‑Cannon Mk II and two 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns, giving it respectable firepower for the era. Between 1938 and 1940 more than 1 200 units were built, seeing combat in the Battle of France, the Norwegian and Finnish campaigns, and later serving with Vichy, German, and British units as trainers or ground‑attack platforms. Although outclassed by newer German fighters, the MS 406 demonstrated the transition from biplane to monoplane design in French aviation and provided valuable experience that shaped later Morane‑Saulnier models such as the MS 410 and the post‑war MS.570 Mira. Its legacy lives on in museum displays and as a symbol of French resilience before the fall of 1940.