Patrouille Morane Marine

A new aerobatic team will join the lineup at the upcoming Carcassonne Air Show. Introducing the Morane Marine team, operating under the banner of the Cocardes Marine. They will perform a demonstration in coordination with the Bréguet Alizé. A thrilling spectacle awaits.

Based at Courbessac airfield in Nîmes, the Morane Marine association, founded in 2015, brings together around sixty members passionate about aviation history. Its mission is to preserve and showcase aviation heritage, maintain its aircraft in perfect flying condition, and present and promote them during airshows and historical aircraft gatherings (including associated instructional and aerial work methods).

The association was founded by two professional pilots and instructors, Marc Descarpentries and Damien Dufour, along with a retired aviation professional, Bernard Descarpentries, who is the project treasurer and Marc’s father.

The association operates two Morane-Saulnier 733s, a 100% French trainer aircraft with only 200 units produced, primarily for the needs of the French Air Force and Naval Aviation. An armed version was used in Cambodia and Algeria for counter-guerrilla missions, equipped with machine guns, rocket pods, and anti-personnel bombs. Later, the Aeronautical Training Service (SFA) and the airline Air France also acquired Morane-Saulnier 733s, which were used to train hundreds of airline pilot trainees.

The Morane-Saulnier 733 featured comprehensive instrumentation, making it an excellent training aircraft. Only about fifty remain in flying condition worldwide, making it a rare machine. Most are based in France, but you can also find some in England, Germany, Belgium…

The development of the Morane-Saulnier MS.733 Alcyon dates back to 1949, when the company responded to a government tender for a trainer aircraft to meet the needs of the Air Force and Navy. The prototype made its first flight on August 11, 1949, under the designation MS.730-01. As the 180 hp engine did not meet military requirements, a new prototype, designated MS.731, was built with a 240 hp Argus engine. In 1951, a third prototype with a Potez 6D 240 hp engine and retractable landing gear, the MS.732, was tested. On April 16, 1951, the MS.733, inspired by the MS.732, made its first flight. In 1952, the Air Force and Navy ordered 155 and 40 units respectively. About fifteen were exported to Cambodia, thanks to the low purchase cost of the aircraft…

In the front, the student pilot and instructor sat side by side with access to all controls. The central rear seat was for a passive passenger but also had a radio headset. Originally equipped with a two-blade propeller, the SFA had it fitted with a Hartzell three-blade propeller. The landing gear is retractable into the wing tips.