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SA des Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier was established in 1911 and had a long history of designing and
building aeroplanes. In response to a late 1950s French government competition for a light aircraft,
Morane Saulnier designed the Rallye, an all-metal side-by-side two-seat low-wing aircraft with fixed
tailwheel undercarriage. The prototype, the MS.880 F-WJDM powered by a 90 hp Continental C90-14F
engine, made its first flight on 10 June 1959. A second prototype, the MS.880A F-WJSE with swept fin
and 3-seats in a larger cockpit, was flown first on 12 February 1961. The Rallye entered production
as the MS-880B Rallye Club, after a definitive prototype, the MS-880B F-WJSF with a tricycle
undercarriage and powered by a 100 hp Continental O-200-A engine, was flown first on 24 May 1961.
Rallye production built up rapidly and next to the MS.880B Rallye Club, the MS.885 Super Rallye,
fitted with a 145 hp Continental O-300-A engine, entered full-scale production. By the end of 1962
the pressure of expansion of the successful Rallye family into high volume production had caused the
company to run into financial problems. Morane-Saulnier filed a bankruptcy petition on 19 November 1962
and on 6 January 1963 management control of the company passed into the hands of the
Etablissements Henri Potez. The company was reorganised and known as the Société d'Exploitation des
Etablissements Morane-Saulnier (S.E.E.M.S.). On 20 May 1965 the management of the company was taken
over by Sud-Aviation and the company was renamed in Gerance des Etablissements Morane-Saulnier
(G.E.M.S.). In 1966 Morane-Saulnier finally disappeared as the company became a full subsidiary of
Sud-Aviation with the new title Société de Construction d'Avions de Tourisme et d'Affaires (SOCATA).
In spite of the financial problems and management changes the Rallye design was developed further
and became Europe's most successful light aircraft. In 1964, the four-seat MS.890 Commodore with
heavier airframe was introduced and after the prototype, the MS.890A Rallye Commodore F-WJSG powered
by a 145 hp Continental O-300-B engine was flown first, this model entered, next to the MS.880B, full
scale production in 1964. Developments of the Commodore included the MS.893 Rallye Commodore 180,
which was intended as an agricultural aircraft, but was developed as a tourer instead with the 180hp
Lycoming O-360-A2A engine. The name Rallye was continued for the developments of the basic design
until 1979, when SOCATA introduced new names to the developments. More than 3500 airframes of the
Rallye design were built by Morane-Saulnier; S.E.E.M.S; G.E.M.S. and SOCATA when the production in
France ceased in 1983. The Rallye concept continued for some years in
production in Poland with PZL as the Koliber.
The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the MS.880B Rallye Club is RALL |
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The 1969-built SOCATA MS.880B Rallye Club s/n 1515 was registered F-BRYU in France. On 20 Augustus 2019,
registration F-BRYU was cancelled as exported to Germany. In October 2020, the Rallye Club was registered
D-EACW and based at Flugplatz Leer-Papenburg in Germany.
On 20 July 2023, SOCATA MS.880B Rallye Club
D-EACW was seen at Flugplatz Leer-Papenburg (EDWF). |
