The SOCATA Rallye (English: Rally) is a light aircraft that was manufactured in France by SOCATA, beginning in the 1960s. It was originally by Morane-Saulnier as the MS.880. It was eventually replaced in production by the Socata TB series in the 1980s, but continued in production in Poland under licence by PZL as the PZL Koliber (English: Hummingbird).
The Rallye is a single-engined, low-wing monoplane of all metal construction, fitted with a fixed landing gear. Tricycle landing gear (free-castering nosewheel, main gear width of 6' 7" or 2.0 m) is standard in all variants except the 235 C, which is available with fixed tailwheel landing gear. Power was from one of a range of progressively more powerful air cooled engines, ranging from a 100 hp (75 kW) Continental O-200-A engine in the Rallye Club, to a 235 hp (175 kW) Lycoming O-540 in the Rallye 235. It has a bulbous cockpit which can accommodate two/three people in the basic lower-powered variants and four in the more powerful aircraft, some of which are designed to be used as glider tugs.
The cantilever wing incorporates nearly full-span automatic leading edge slats, wide-chord slotted ailerons, and wide-span Fowler-type trailing edgeflaps.
History
In 1958, Morane-Saulnier designed a single-engined light aircraft, the MS.880 Rallye Club,in response to a French government competition. The prototype, powered by a 90 hp (67 kW) engine, first flew on 10 June 1959. The first versions, the MS.880B and more powerful MS.885, were certified as airworthy on 21 November 1961.
Morane-Saulnier became part of Sud Aviation in 1965, and was renamed Socata in 1966, continuing to build the Rallye in large numbers through the remainder of the 1960s and through the 1970s. In 1979 Socata embarked on a new production program, and renamed the Rallye series, with each model getting an individual, "more Gallic" name. They were gradually replaced during the 1980s in French production by the Socata TB series, the last (of approximately 3,300) aircraft built by Socata, an armed R235 Guerrier, being delivered in December 1984.
This was not the end of Rallye production however, as Socata had sold a license for production of the Rallye 100ST to the Polish State aviation company PZL, the aircraft being produced in its Warsaw factory as the PZL Koliber (Humming Bird). The first PZL built aircraft flew on 18 April 1978, entering production in 1979, with ten being produced that year.
French production
MS.880
Original production version. Powered by 100 hp (75 kW) Continental O-200. Two-seat aircraft.
MS.881
105 hp (78 kW) Potez engine. 12 built. Two-seat aircraft.
MS.883
115 hp (86 kW) Lycoming engine. 77 built. Two-seat aircraft.
MS.885 Super Rallye
Two/three-seat version; first flight 1 January 1961. 145 hp (108 kW) Continental O-300 engine. 212 built.
MS.886
150 hp (110 kW) Lycoming engine. Three built.
MS.890 Rallye Commodore
The first version to incorporate four-place seating. 145 hp (108 kW) Continental engine. Eight built.
MS.892 Rallye Commodore 150
Similar to the MS.890 but with 150 hp (110 kW) Lycoming 0-320 engine. Later designated Rallye 150.
MS.893 Rallye Commodore 180
180 hp (130 kW) Lycoming O-360 engine. Later designated Rallye 180. Further redesignated SOCATA Gaillard or SOCATA Galérien (glider towing version).
MS.894 Rallye Minerva
220 hp (160 kW) Franklin 6A-350 engine. Later designated Rallye 220. Sold as Waco Minerva in United States.
Rallye 100
Powered by 100 hp (75 kW) Rolls-Royce Continental O-200. Available in two-seat trainer/sport (100-S) stressed for aerobatics, four-seat tourer (100-T) or convertible two/four-seat version (100-TS).
Rallye 125
Four-seat version of 100-T, powered by 125 hp (93 kW) Lycoming O-235.
Rallye 235
Powered by 235 hp (175 kW) Lycoming O-540. Redesignated SOCATA Gabier.
SOCATA Galopin
Version of Rallye 100 powered by 110 hp (82 kW) Lycoming O-235. Original designation Rallye 110. Can be operated as a three/four-seat aircraft if spins are prohibited. All the other variants beginning with the MS.890 are full four-seat aircraft.
SOCATA Garnement
Improved version of Rallye 150, with 155 hp (116 kW) Lycoming 0-320.
SOCATA Gaucho
Tailwheel agricultural aircraft.
SOCATA R235 Guerrier
Military version of Gabier/Rallye 235.
SOCATA Gaillard
Rallye 180 renamed
SOCATA Galérien
Glider tug or banner-towing version of the Rallye 180
SOCATA Gabier
renamed Rallye 235
Waco Minerva
Sales of the Rallye Minerva in the USA
Polish production
PZL-110 Koliber
Initial licence production version powered by PZL licensed 116 hp (87 kW) Franklin 4A-235, based on Rallye 100 ST. Production 32 aircraft.
