05/15/2013. Remarks by Walter van Tilborg: "The pictured F-PCPR is fitted with an 180 hp Lycoming O-360, and was built by members of the Aéro-club de Bourg en Bresse, and first flew in January 1987. More recently the aircraft has been refinished and named Lady Coco.

The MJ-5 Sirocco was a larger tandem two-seat development of the MJ-2 Tempête. Of wood/fabric construction, the type was built in several countries with different engines, and featuring a swept vertical tail appeared with both fixed or retractable landing gear. The prototype Sirocco was built by the French designer Marcel Jurca and first flew on August 3, 1962.

In initial form this aircraft had a fixed landing gear and an 105 hp Potez 4E-20 engine. The aircraft was later tested with various engines, incl. an 150 hp Lycoming O-320, and also flown with a retractable landing gear. In the various designations the suffix '1' indicated a fixed landing gear and '2' a retractable gear, e.g. MJ-5F1 or MJ-5F2. The following versions became available, mostly differing by engine only:

MJ-5A: 90 hp Continental C90 engine.
MJ-5B: 100 hp Rolls-Royce/Continental O-200-A.
MJ-5C: 105 hp Potez 4E-20.
MJ-5D: 115 hp Potez 4E-30.
MJ-5E: 105 hp Hirth HM504.
MJ-5EA2: Designation for one aircraft with an 140 hp Walter M332 in a longer nose, built by Frenchman Yvan Rebière. This aircraft had a retractable tail wheel landing gear and was flown in 1975.
MJ-5F: 125 hp Lycoming O-290.
MJ-5G: 135 hp Régnier 4.
MJ-5H: 150 hp or 160 hp Lycoming O-320.
MJ-5K: 180 hp-200 hp Lycoming O-360.
MJ-5L: 220 hp Ranger 6-440 or 200 hp Lycoming IO-360.
MJ-50 Windy: All-metal version for engines in the 150-200 hp range. The first example was flown in 1976 and built in France with a retractable landing gear.
MJ-51 Spérocco (contraction of Sirocco Spécial): This variant was developed in association with J. Lecarne in France. The MJ-51 had a new design lengthened fuselage strengthened for engines up to some 360 hp, larger span wings, a smaller vertical tail, a raised aft seat and longer canopy and used MJ-7 Gnatsum style wings and a retractable landing gear.
Construction of a first MJ-51 (registration F-PSHB with a 200 hp Lycoming AEIO-360) was started around 1981/1982 by Frenchman Serge Brillant, but was halted upon his death in 2004.
In 1994 American Lowel Manary (who built an MJ-5 in 1971 and encouraged Marcel Jurca to design the MJ-51) started construction of an MJ-51 (registration N3LM, 285 hp Lycoming IO-540), reportedly this aircraft will fly in 2013.
Frenchman Georges Schiano Di Cola started construction of a second example (with a 260 hp Potez) in 1999, but this project was taken over by Patrick Cottereau early-2011. Cottereau redesigned the upper fuselage and cockpit, and switched to a 300 hp Lycoming AEIO-540-L1B5D. Redesignated MJ-51C and registered F-PSPE, this aircraft is expected to fly in the fall of 2014.
MJ-52 Zéphyr: The MJ-52 had a much lighter structure allowing engines in the 40-70 hp range, such as VW, Continental A65, etc. A prototype was reportedly under construction in France in 1989-1990, but was almost certainly not completed.
MJ-53 Autan: This aerobatic two-seater was derived from the MJ-5 Sirocco, but it differed in many aspects. Following the same wood/fabric construction as the Sirocco, the MJ-53 had a wider cockpit for side-by-side seating (tandem in the Sirocco) and also used the MJ-7 Gnatsum style wings with flaps. Marcel Jurca started development in the late 1980s and by 2007 two examples had been completed in France, both powered by an 180 hp Lycoming O-360 engine.
Frédéric Mélani started construction of the first MJ-53 in 1988, registered F-PRAH (c/n 01) it first flew in February 1992. A second example, built simultaneously by Gerard Richaud, followed shortly afterwards, registered F-PRCD (c/n 02). The MJ-53 was designed as a two/four seater (depending on the engine installed), but the two aircraft built were both two-seat aircraft and featured a retractable landing gear.
MJ-55 Biso: Special aerobatic single-seat version of which the prototype (F-PJJR) flew in 1996 after construction had started early-1989. The MJ-55 had a MJ-5 fuselage, fixed tail wheel landing gear and wings without anhidral/dehidral as used in the MJ-7 Gnatsum, with full-span ailerons and no flaps. The first aircraft with an 180 hp Lycoming O-360 was built by Frenchman Rémi Blondeau."