| In order to rectify the inadequate visibility from the
cockpit suffered by the Loire 45, a major redesign was
undertaken and yet another prototype was built as the
Loire 46. This retained little more than a conceptual
similarity to its predecessor. The wing centre section
was more deeply "gulled", and the untapered wing
leading and trailing edges gave place to tapered outboard
leading edges and semi-elliptical trailing edges.
The engine thrust line was lowered, the cockpit was moved farther aft, the rear fuselage was deepened and
all tail surfaces were enlarged. Powered by an 880hp
Gnome-Rhone 14Kcs engine, the Loire 46 flew on 1 September
1934. Re-engined with a 930hp Gnome-Rhone
14Kfs in February 1935, the Loire 46 demonstrated excellent
handling characteristics, and a contract for five
pre-series aircraft was followed by orders for 60 production
aircraft. Armament comprised a quartet of
wing-mounted 7.5mm MAC 1934 guns. The first production
Loire 46 C1 was flown in February 1936, deliveries
commencing in the following August to the 6e
Escadre of the Armee de l'Air. The five pre-production
examples were relinquished by the French Service and
supplied to the Spanish Republican government between
5 and 7 September 1936. The last Loire 46 was
delivered in July 1937, by which time its gull-winged
configuration was manifestly obsolescent. Only three
remained on the effective first line strength of the
Armee de l'Air at the beginning of World War II.
WEIGHTS |
Empty weight | 1450 kg | 3197 lb |
DIMENSIONS |
Wingspan | 11.83 m | 39 ft 10 in |
Length | 7.88 m | 26 ft 10 in |
Height | 4.13 m | 14 ft 7 in |
Wing area | 19.50 m2 | 209.90 sq ft |
PERFORMANCE |
Max. speed | 370 km/h | 230 mph |
Range | 750 km | 466 miles |
 | A three-view drawing (1274 x 906) |
Timo Ruoko, e-mail, 28.01.2007 21:03 Max weight was 1980 kg and ceiling was 11725 m reply |
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