The Loire-Nieuport LN 401

The the Loire-Nieuport LN 401 standard bomber single-seat in piqué was “the French” but sudden stuka of very heavy losses at the time of the Second world war. Having for mission the bombardment, it generally operated vis-a-vis a powerful anti-aircraft defense.

History

Accomplishing its first flight in June 1938, the first prototype of the bomber in piqué the Loire-Nieuport 401 was a monoplane with low wing in M reversed and derived from LN 140. During the official tests, one made modifications to the level of the fuselage and one removed his system of speed brakes which was replaced by the opening of the wheels in piqué. 7 specimens of preproduction were ordered by the Naval Aviation. Then one second order had placed bearing on 15 specimens. The last order was the subject of 36 apparatuses acquired in 1939 by the Aéronavale. During the same year, the Air force bought forty LN.411 which were different from the precedents only by the abandonment of the system of retraction of the wings as well as some specific equipment. After the confrontations of 1940,24 LN 401 and LN 411 were assembled starting from elements already built in Chateauroux as from March 1942. Transferred to Hyères, 12 of them were seized by the Germans in November 1942. The others, which had been sent to Bizerte-Karouba in Tunisia, there were destroyed, at the same time as other machines, at the time of the allied air raids of 1943. The aggregate output of the two models reached a hundred specimens. Dormouse-Nieuport built in only one specimen: the LN 402 and one LN 42. This last took the Toussus-the-Noble air with on August 24th 1945 but it was reinforced into 1947 being exceeded.

Characteristics

The LN 401 had been conceived especially for the Aéronavale, in order to be useful on the aircraft carrier " Béarn ". Thus it had a system of retraction of the wings. The principal legs of the train were retracted in nacelles of Intrados. At the time of the attack, the brakes Aérodynamique S were ensured by the opening of the landing gear in piqué . The bomb which this plane carried was suspended under the fuselage with a fork which allowed the dropping while avoiding running up against the propeller.

Engagement

4 LN.401 of preproduction were entrusted to the Escadrille AC1 of the Naval Aviation during the summer of 1939, the standard appliances being versed in escadrilles AB2 and AB4. The Air force yielded then its LN.411 to the Navy, flotilla AB4 being entirely transformed on this type of apparatus in April 1940. At the time of the missions carried out May 19th and 20th 1940, these two units which engaged 23 apparatuses were to lose 11 their planes, 11 others being damaged; all by Flak. The survivors were folded up on Hyères where, with some apparatuses received in complement, they achieved several exits of Reconnaissance and of Escorte of convoys vis-a-vis the Italians. In the night from June 17th to 18th, 13 machines bombarded Italian ships in the port of Imperia. The last planes were repatriated in North Africa on June 25th in order to be withdrawn from the first lines and stored.

Versions

Standard appliance

LN.401 : been driven by an engine Hispano-Suiza 12Xcrs of 12 cylinders out of V of 690 ch. (515 kw)
LN.411: even motorization that the LN. 401 but with nonfolding wings. Version for the Army.

Apparatus remained at the experimental stage

LN.402 : been driven by an engine more powerful Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31
LN.42: equipped with a shortened new aerofoil and Hispano-Suiza 12Y-51 of 1100 ch (820 kw)

See too

External bonds

here a superb site on the Loire-Nieuport LN 401 where all is exposed: photographs and characteristics. To consult.
Ici a data sheet describes the performance of the apparatus, it is rather complete.

Internal bonds

List of the military aircrafts

Random links: