Loire-Nieuport LN.401
SNCAO · France · first flew 1938 · fighter
The Loire-Nieuport LN.401 was a French single-engine carrier-based dive bomber with a distinctive inverted gull wing, developed for the Aéronavale in the late 1930s. It was intended as France's equivalent of the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Mid-mounted, tapered |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 1 × piston, nose-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | 9.75 m fuselage |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- French inverted gull-wing dive bomber
- Designed for carrier operations with Aéronavale
- Fixed undercarriage with prominent spats on inverted gull wing
Inverted gull wing with spatted fixed undercarriage, single inline engine, and a compact fuselage. The gull-wing configuration is the most distinctive recognition feature, giving it a slightly unusual silhouette compared to straight-wing contemporaries.
Specifications
- The Loire-Nieuport LN.401 has a length of 9.75 m (32 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 14 m (46 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 380 km/h (236 mph).
- Typical crew: 1.
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
Developed by Loire-Nieuport (later nationalised as part of SNCAO), the LN.401 emerged from a 1936 requirement for a naval dive bomber. It featured an inverted gull wing to provide propeller clearance and reduce undercarriage length. The type entered limited service just before the Fall of France in 1940 and saw combat action against the German invasion, with a small number operating from land bases.
Variants
The LN.401 was the carrier version; the LN.411 was a land-based variant with minor modifications. Total production was very small, around 24 aircraft combined.
Where you'll see it
Operated by Aéronavale units during the Battle of France in May-June 1940. The aircraft flew combat sorties against German armoured columns but losses were significant and numbers were insufficient to make a strategic difference.
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