The Martin MS-1 was an experimental scout

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ordered by the

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and was intended to operate from a

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. It first flew in 1923 and the type was used for tests until 1926 when the project was cancelled.

Development

In 1921, representatives from the U.S. Navy Bureau of Aeronautics observed tests of the small M-1 Messenger for the

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and became interested in the use of small scouting aircraft aboard submarines. The Bureau consequently designed a tiny single seat scout airplane that could be disassembled and reassembled quickly. An innovative step was replacing the traditional wire bracing of the biplane wing with solid struts, thus avoiding tedious and time consuming rigging work during reassembly. After surfacing, this plane would be rolled out of a watertight hangar cylinder and quickly assembled. It was planned to launch the seaplane by ballasting the submarine until the deck was awash. Instead of building the aircraft itself at the

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the Bureau let two contracts to build the aircraft to two slightly different designs. One contract went to The Martin Company for the MS-1, constructed with an aluminum frame and floats but with a fabric covered fuselage. The other contract went to the Cox-Klemin Aircraft Corporation for the wood frame and fabric Cox-Klemin XS. Other than the internal framework, both aircraft were virtually identical.

Operational history

The submarine S-1 became the experimental platform for the operation of scout seaplanes late in 1923. The MS-1 and the Cox-Klemin XS were used for the trials, stored in a horizontal cylindrical hangar behind the conning tower fairwater. The first successful attempt was made on 5 November 1923. The first full cycle of surfacing, assembly, launching, retrieving, disassembly, and submergence took place on 28 July 1926, on the

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using the XS-2. A total of six Martin MS-1s were built, with all six still being listed with the U.S. Navy as late as 1926. Testing showed that it took an inordinate amount of time to conduct a launching cycle (making the submarine vulnerable to enemy attack), and the cycle could only be safely conducted in very calm seas. The limited range and capability of the aircraft itself, due to its small size, greatly restricted the tactical utility of the concept.PigBoats.COM S-1 page
/ref> After further trials during 1926, all the experimental aircraft were scrapped.

Variants

Martin MS-1 being assembled on SS-105 1923

;MS-1 :six built (BuNo A6521-A6526).

Operators

; *

Specifications

References

Bibliography

* Swanborough, Gordon, and Bowers, Peter M. ''United States Navy Aircraft Since 1911, 2nd Edition''. Naval Institute Press, 1976. *

External links

The MS-1 on USS S-1

MS-1 photos
{{USN scout aircraft MS 1920s United States military reconnaissance aircraft Floatplanes Single-engined tractor aircraft Biplanes Submarine-borne aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1923 Single-engined piston aircraft