[WWII] Loire-Nieuport LN.401

[Phaelen Bleux]

Just to get in on the dive-bomber action. . . :)

Loire-Nieuport LN.401
Originally based on the LN.140, a two-seat dive bomber, the LN.40 was a single-seat refinement of the design that received government backing in 1937. Seven pre-production aircraft were built and tested on the aircraft carrier Bearn, and the Armee de L'Air became interested in the design as well (as the LN.41). While the plane was declared fit for carrier service, the dive brakes were found to be ineffective (resulting in their removal--lowered landing gear substituting for that function) and the LN.40 could not dive-bomb with full fuel tanks. A faster version was to be developed for the air force as the LN.42.
Despite these limitations, the LN.40 was put into production as the LN.401 (naval) and LN.411 (land-based) dive-bombers. Aircraft of both types were delivered between 1939 and 1940, and suffered heavily in the Battle of France, with nearly a total loss of all available aircraft while attacking German armored columns. An additional 24 aircraft of both types were assembled from available parts in 1942, with half of these planes being subsequently seized by Axis forces. The rest were lost to Allied bombing attacks.
The LN.401 burns 25.8 gallons of aviation fuel per hour at routine usage. Historical range was 745 miles. A full load of fuel and ammo costs $68.

Subassemblies: Medium Fighter chassis +3; Medium Fighter wings with STOL and Folding options +2; 3 retractable wheels +0.
Powertrain: 515-kW aerial supercharged HP gasoline engine with 515-kW prop and 90-gallon self-sealing fuel tank [Wings], 4,000-kWs battery.
Occ.: 1 CS Body
Cargo: 0 Body

Armor
All: 2/3

Weaponry:
Long Aircraft AC/20mm [Body:F] (240 rounds).*
2xAircraft LMGs/7.5mm Darne [Wings:F] (500 rounds each).**
1x 496-lb. bomb [Body:U].
*Link fires all three. **Linked to fire in pairs.

Equipment:
Body: Autopilot, navigation instruments, medium radio transmitter and receiver, arrestor hook, 496-lb. hardpoint.

Statistics:
Size: 32'x46'x12' Payload: 0.76 tons Lwt.: 3.11 tons
Volume: 100 Maint.: 41 hours Cost: $23,602
HT: 12. HPs: 240 Body, 105 each Wing, 12 each Wheel.
aSpeed: 236 aAccel: 5 aDecel: 24 aMR: 6 aSR: 2
Stall Speed: 56 mph. -4 aSpeed with loaded hardpoint.
Take-Off Run: 313 yards (274 yards with catapult). Landing Run: 313 yards (0 yards with arrestor hook).
gSpeed: 206 gAccel: 10 gDecel: 10 gMR: 0.5 gSR: 2
Ground Pressure: Very High. 1/8 Off-Road Speed.

Design Notes:
Historical wing area was 266 sf. Chassis weight, cost and HPs were doubled. Design loaded weight was increased 4% to the historical. Fuel capacity and ammo loadouts are a guess based on historical payload. Design payload is a bit light at 1,401 lbs. Design aSpeed was 309 mph; design Stall Speed was 54 mph. Historical values have been substituted. Performance calculations were based on historical values for wing area and loaded weight.

Variants:
The LN.40 (1938) were seven pre-production aircraft. The LN.41 was an unbuilt land-based proposal.
The LN.411 (1939) were 45 land-based versions of the .401 which deleted the folding wings, arrestor gear, and emergency floating mechanisms.
The LN.402 was a single example fitted with a more powerful 750-kW engine. The LN.42 featured an 820-kW engine. It could not make proper trials before the German invasion and was hidden until 1945. It made its first flight after the war, only to be scrapped in 1947.