Yes, but we can't find any possible specificity of that plane by comparing with Spits and 109's. We must compare it to its previous versions, MB152/155, which were good planes but with armament problems (freezing Hispano-suiza guns !) and such a poor engine !
But that new Gnome-Rhone 14R is really much more powerful and uses a revolutionnary compressor that allows high speed at high altitude. Maybe we can find suchs innovations in Bf-109F and Spit Mk.Vb but some months later, and in facts that's not a real surpise...
Finally when we look at french air industry at that time, we find that innovations and new models were quite distant in time from those of other countries (Germany, UK), and much more for engine industry.
It's considered in France that the best "What if" (France hadn't lost) plane is Arsenal VG.33, but it's not sure at all, due to its heavy wooden fabrication and former Hispano engine and heavy and problematic hispano guns. The Dewoitine family is evocated too, but just look at the D.520, even if it's a great fighter in 1940, nothing can prove that its small size can support war innovatiopns and heavier gears...
...at least that MB157 is all the more surprising that it is the only fighter project with new Gnome-Rhone engine, and the plane's conception allows modifications easily. Quite surely, it can be compared to the Fw-190 conception, compact fighters with powerful engine and certainly heavy weapons.
But it was tested in 1942, without guns and witout 2 years of war innovations it was able to support and without its builder final improvements, so that's just a great "what if" .
A 6 months technology advance, for an army composed by 2 technology years late planes, and for a lost war...
Cheers,
Macwan.
But that new Gnome-Rhone 14R is really much more powerful and uses a revolutionnary compressor that allows high speed at high altitude. Maybe we can find suchs innovations in Bf-109F and Spit Mk.Vb but some months later, and in facts that's not a real surpise...
Finally when we look at french air industry at that time, we find that innovations and new models were quite distant in time from those of other countries (Germany, UK), and much more for engine industry.
It's considered in France that the best "What if" (France hadn't lost) plane is Arsenal VG.33, but it's not sure at all, due to its heavy wooden fabrication and former Hispano engine and heavy and problematic hispano guns. The Dewoitine family is evocated too, but just look at the D.520, even if it's a great fighter in 1940, nothing can prove that its small size can support war innovatiopns and heavier gears...
...at least that MB157 is all the more surprising that it is the only fighter project with new Gnome-Rhone engine, and the plane's conception allows modifications easily. Quite surely, it can be compared to the Fw-190 conception, compact fighters with powerful engine and certainly heavy weapons.
But it was tested in 1942, without guns and witout 2 years of war innovations it was able to support and without its builder final improvements, so that's just a great "what if" .
A 6 months technology advance, for an army composed by 2 technology years late planes, and for a lost war...
Cheers,
Macwan.
. 
)...
