Manufacturer: Beechcraft (Morane-Saulnier)

Model: 52 (MS.763)

Name: Fledgling

Type: Jet trainer

Date: 1957

Status: Service test

Country: United States of America

Service: U.S. Air Force

Designation: T-32A / L-30 / U-12 Fledgling

In 1957, the US Air Force decided to evaluate the Morane MS.760 Paris for possible use as a trainer. Three aircraft were impressed and given the YT-32A and T-32A designations (thus reusing the T-32 slot, which had once been reserved for a canceled Convair 240 navigation trainer version) and codenamed Fledgling.

The aircraft (designated MS.763 by the French manufacturer) were evaluated and proved satisfactory on the whole, but as trainers they had nothing on the Cessna T-37 or the Lockheed T-33 that were already used in great numbers. Consequently the three aircraft were redesignated as liaison aircraft as the L-30, and briefly as U-12 after 1962. They were retired early in 1964 and sold to private owners.

This is simply a modern photograph of a Morane-Saulnier M.S.760A Paris IA operated by Flight Research Inc.that was shot on the Mojave tarmac. the original image can be seen below right and was found here: [link].

I removed all markings and replaced them by what seemed to me as believable military markings for the late 1950s.

In the original, version of this picture that appeared on forums, I had omitted to remove a whole line of modern airliners stored in the background! This has now been properly dealt with.

• Great Work!!! Nice aircraft...(Morane Saulnier MS-760 París) in my country Argentina more than 100 were manufactured under license! Greetings Stephane you're a genius! (Roberdigiorge)

Cool! Didn't know about the Argentine Paris. Thanks for the info and the kudos!

However I'm far from being a genius: a genius wouldn't forge a would-be 1959 photograph and leave modern airliners in the background as I had before reworking the image for inclusion on this site!!! :(