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The Thomas Morse MB-9 was an experimental American fighter aircraft of the 1920s. It was a single-engined, single-seat parasol winged monoplane, but was unsuccessful, being quickly abandoned.
| MB-9 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Fighter aircraft |
| National origin | United States of America |
| Manufacturer | Thomas-Morse Aircraft |
| Designer | B Douglas Thomas |
| First flight | 1922 |
| Number built | 1 (MB-9) |
Design and development
In 1921, B. Douglas Thomas, chief designer of Thomas-Morse Aircraft designed two closely related parasol monoplanes, a single-seat fighter, the MB-9 and a two-seat trainer, the MB-10. They were of all-metal construction, with corrugated duralumin skinning.[1]
First to be completed was the MB-10, which had tandem cockpits and was designed to be powered by a 200 hp (150 kW) Wright or Lawrance radial engine. In the absence of the intended engine, it was fitted with a 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône 9Ja rotary engine to allow flight testing to start in late 1921. The MB-10's handling proved to be extremely poor,[1] while it also suffered severe vibration and was structurally weak.[2]
The MB-9 fighter was completed early in 1922,[3] differing principally from the MB-10 in the removal of the forward cockpit and the use of a 320 hp (240 kW) Wright Hispano H-3 V8 engine, cooled by a radiator situated (along with the oil tank) in a torpedo-shaped structure under the fuselage.[1] Planned armament was two machine guns; one .50 in (12.7 mm) and one .30 in (7.62 mm).[3]
While the MB.9 handled better than the MB.10,[1] it still suffered from the severe vibration and structural problems that plagued the trainer,[2] together with a weak undercarriage and cooling problems.[1] The development of both aircraft was quickly stopped, with the types not being sent for formal evaluation by the United States Army Air Service at McCook Field.[2]
Variants
- MB-9
- Single-seat fighter powered by 300 hp (239 kW) Wright Hispano H-3 engine. One built.
- MB-10
- Two seat primary trainer aircraft, powered by 110 hp (82 kW) Le Rhône rotary engine. One built.
Specifications (MB-9)
Data from The Complete Book of Fighters[3]
General characteristics
- Crew: 1
- Length: 19 ft 0 in (5.79 m)
- Wingspan: 29 ft 0 in (8.84 m)
- Powerplant: 1 × Wright Hispano H-3 water-cooled V8 engine, 320 hp (240 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 170 mph (270 km/h, 150 kn)
Armament
- Guns: 1 × .30 in (7.62 mm) and 1 × .50 in (12.7 mm) machine gun (planned)
See also
Related development Thomas-Morse TM-22
References
- Notes
- Wegg 1990, p. 27.
- Angelucci and Bowers 1987, p. 423.
- Green and Swanborough 1994, p. 569.
- Bibliography
- Angelucci, Enzo and Peter Bowers. The American Fighter. Yeovil, UK:Haynes Publishing, 1987. ISBN 0-85429-635-2.
- Green, William and Gordon Swanborough. The Complete Book of Fighters. New York:Smithmark, 1994. ISBN 0-8317-3939-8.
- Wegg, John. General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors. London:Putnam, 1990. ISBN 0-85177-833-X.
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