Loire 46

The Loire 46 was a French single-seater fighter aircraft of the 1930s. A high-winged monoplane designed and built by Loire Aviation, it was purchased by the French Air Force. It was also supplied to the Spanish Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War, but was almost out of service by the outbreak of World War II.

Loire 46
General information
Type	Trainer/fighter
Manufacturer	Loire Aviation
Status	retired
Primary user	Armee de l'Air
Number built	61
History
Introduction date	1936
First flight	1 September 1934
Retired	1940

Loire 46 of the Spanish Republican Air Force

Design and development

The Loire 46 was an improved modification of two previous Loire fighters—the Loire 43 and 45. Although improved, it resembled the earlier machines retaining their gull mono-wing configuration, open cockpit, and fixed landing gear. The first of five prototype Loire 46s flew in September 1934. It demonstrated excellent handling characteristics and 60 production aircraft were ordered by the Armée de l'Air.

Operational history

The initial machines arrived at fighter Escadrilles in August 1936. In September 1936, the five prototype Loire 46s were sent to the Republican forces during the Spanish Civil War.^[1]

By the beginning of World War II, the Loire 46's gull wing configuration was recognized as obsolete and most of these fighters had been relegated to Armée de l'Air training schools, where they were used as advanced trainers. However, one fighter Escadrille was still equipped with the Loire 46 during the early weeks of the war. Their performance against modern German fighters was predictable.

Variants

Loire 46.01

First Loire 46 prototype.

Loire 46

Single-seat fighter/trainer aircraft.

Operators

 France

• Armee de l'Air

Spain

• Spanish Republican Air Force

Specifications (Loire 46)

Data from The Complete Book of Fighters^[2]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Length: 7.88 m (25 ft 10 in)
• Wingspan: 11.83 m (38 ft 10 in)
• Height: 4.13 m (13 ft 7 in)
• Wing area: 19.5 m² (210 sq ft)
• Empty weight: 1,450 kg (3,197 lb)
• Gross weight: 2,100 kg (4,630 lb)
• Powerplant: 1 × Gnome-Rhône 14Kfs 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 694 kW (931 hp)
• Propellers: 3-bladed metal variable-pitch propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 370 km/h (230 mph, 200 kn)
• Range: 750 km (470 mi, 400 nmi)
• Service ceiling: 11,750 m (38,550 ft) ^[3]
• Rate of climb: 12 m/s (2,400 ft/min)
• Time to altitude: 3,000 m (9,800 ft) in 3 minutes 18 seconds

Armament

• Guns: 4× fixed forward-firing 7.5 mm (0.295 inch) MAC 1934 machine guns mounted in the wings

See also

Comparable and similar aircraft

• PZL P.11/PZL P.24
• Dewoitine D.371/D372
• Gourdou-Leseurre GL.30
• Nieuport-Delage NiD-122
• Curtiss F13C

Related lists

• List of Interwar military aircraft
• List of aircraft of the Spanish Republican Air Force