Loire 70

1933

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Loire 70

An eight-man long-range maritime reconnaissance and bombing flying-boat designed to a 1932 French navy requirement, the prototype Loire 70 made its maiden flight on 28 December 1933. During prolonged tests the original three 373kW Gnome-Rhone 9Kbr radials were replaced by more powerful 9Kfr engines, and other changes included supplementing the large single fin and rudder with a pair of small auxiliary fins, elimination of the bow gun position, and relocation of the bomb-aimer/ navigator in the extreme nose. Seven production aircraft were delivered to Escadrille E.7 at Karouba to join the prototype within a 12-month period from June 1937. From the beginning of hostilities, in September 1939, the Loire 70s patrolled the Mediterranean until three of four surviving machines were destroyed in an Italian air raid on their base on 12 June 1940. Nothing was heard subsequently of the surviving flying-boat.

Specification 
 ENGINE3 x Gnome-Rhone 9Kfr radial piston engines, 552kW
 WEIGHTS
  Take-off weight11500 kg25353 lb
  Loaded weight6500 kg14330 lb
 DIMENSIONS
  Wingspan30.00 m98 ft 5 in
  Length19.50 m64 ft 0 in
  Height6.75 m22 ft 2 in
  Wing area136.00 m21463.89 sq ft
 PERFORMANCE
  Max. speed235 km/h146 mph
  Ceiling4000 m13100 ft
  Range3000 km1864 miles
 ARMAMENT6 x 7.5mm machine-guns, 600kg of bombs

Comments
Dudley Allen, e-mail, 04.02.2014 16:37

I too believe this the prototype given the 2 blade propellers (500hp engs) and orignal unmodded fin. Prod models had 3 blade props(750 hp engs) and a different nose config

reply

Terrence Murphy, e-mail, 14.09.2012 18:06

There evidently were some modifications done to this craft as it evolved, as the cabin structure looks different from the Loire 70 pictures that I have. This might be the prototype?

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