Morane Sauliner A-1... what is this?

[JoeDxMB]

I just started my Special Hobby Morane Sauliner A-1 and I have a question . What  is this on either side of the fuselage with remove before flight flags?
They are  represented  in the kit by low relief circles and I  was  wondering   what they are. 

[uncletony]

I guess it is the intake for the carburetor, no? Plugged to keep squirrels and small children out while on the ground...

[JoeDxMB]

That is what I suspected also but,  I can't  get any definate info on it.

I guess I will  drill out the holes and insert  a small length of tube to represent the intake if that's indeed what it is.
Thanks.

[GAJouette]

  Joe,
That's the carburetor intake my friend. As you guessed you could drill it out and replace tubing or drill it out with a smaller bit leaving the molded  intake in place. Always wanted to build a MS A-1 just never got around to it. I
looking forward to following your build thread.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

[JoeDxMB]

  Joe,
That's the carburetor intake my friend. As you guessed you could drill it out and replace tubing or drill it out with a smaller bit leaving the molded  intake in place. Always wanted to build a MS A-1 just never got around to it. I
looking forward to following your build thread.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

Actually, upon closer inspection, the moulded "hole" is actually somewhat oblong with no intake pipe represented .......just the "hole" in the fuselage that needs to be drilled out  is.

As luck would have it, I just  found another  pic of the actual aircraft  I am representing.... the Rhinebeck Aerodrome's A-1.
This  pic cleary showed the intake pipe protruding  through the hole obliquely and this is why the hole needs to be slightly  oblong.
So, now I know exactly what I need to do.

BTW, I also  just found a great  color  pic of an A-1 cockpit.   

 

[Chris Johnson]

Whoa! That strut arrangement looks challenging. I'm looking forward to watching this build unfold.

Cheers,

Chris

[JoeDxMB]

Whoa! That strut arrangement looks challenging. I'm looking forward to watching this build unfold.

Cheers,

Chris

Yes it does.  Although I suspect/hope, that  once I get that cabane struts into place with the wing attatched and lined up , everything  else will fall into place
At least the rest of the aircraft wiil be a fairly  simple build.

BTW, this is the aircraft I wiil be representing .....the Rinebeck Aerodrome's A-1.  Fortunately, the kit supplies all  the decals nessary for it. I will start a basic build thread when I get the cockpit done .

[Jim52]

Looking at your photo, Joe; I can't help but wonder how often
the fabric on that Elevator needed replacing under service use?

Jim

[JoeDxMB]

BTW, I noticed a mistake in the rudder stripes painting on the Rheinbeck's A-1.
The color stripes from  front  to back should be blue- white- red....... not red - white - blue .
This must have happened during the original restoration .

[JoeDxMB]

Here's the pic clearly  showing  the intake.

I now  have another question. What  would the slot  at the top of the cowl about 11 o'clock be for?
The instruction for the kit also indicate it as an optional detail  that woud have to cut into the cowl.

I noticed that not all A-1s have it so, I  wiil no be cutting  the cowl as I d not want to risk ruining  it .
However,  I am  curious about it. 

[GAJouette]

  Joe,
I would imagine the 11 o'clock slot is for cooling purposes as were the lower circular slots. I would suppose the shape of the slot is different from the lower one to avoid weakening the cowl too much.
Highest Regards,
Gregory Jouette

[uncletony]

Hmm it is a bit curious that it is asymmetric...

Does this slot appear on period photos? Could it have something to do with the hollywood machine gun? (don't they use propane or acetylene or something?)

[JoeDxMB]

Actually, I've  found that period photos of the A-1 are very rare.
 
There  does  seem to be variations in the cowls that I  have seen.
Not  all had the bottom circular holes for example.   

Perhaps  the upper  slot was cut into some cowls just as a means to inspect or  adjust something more easily with the cowls still on?

[uncletony]

Found some period photos on the aerodrome -- scroll down:

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/aircraft/43197-morane-saulnier-i-type-30-a-2.html

I seemed to get better search results searching on Morane Saulnier A-I vs. A-1 -- I read somewhere the former is "correct", for whatever it's worth.

[JoeDxMB]

That's  one I did not find. Thanks. At least it shows it with covered wheels .
 
As the Poster said, " .........Second, I've never seen the series of small holes halfway back on the cowl on an other AI. Are they a field modification? And what for? "

Lke I said, there appears to be some variations of it  and I also wonder what mods were done in the field  when it went into training service as its cobat service was short lived .

 BTW, I always search for Morane Saulnier A-1.