| Loire 30 | |
|---|---|
| Role | Three-seat night reconnaissance monoplane |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Loire |
| First flight | 1932 |
| Number built | 1 |
The Loire 30 a.k.a.Loire 300 was a French three-seat night reconnaissance monoplane designed and built by Loire Aviation of St. Nazaire.[1]
The Loire 30 was designed to meet a French Air Force requirement for a three-seat night reconnaissance aircraft.[1] It was a cantiliver high-wing monoplane and powered by three 230 hp (172 kW) Salmson 9Ab radial engines strut-mounted above the wing.[1] The pilot had an enclosed cockpit with an open cockpit at the nose and amidships, both fitted with pivot-mounted 7.7mm (0.303 in) machine-guns.[1] Only one Loire 30 was produced in 1932 but it failed to gain an order and was relegated to experimental use.[1]
After rejection in its original role the sole Loire 30 / Loire 300 was modified with a large windowless turret fitted in the nose and re-designated Loire 301. The purpose of the turret is uncertain; the favoured theory of some references is an armoured turret housing a large calibre gun; another theory is an airborne blind flying training simulator.
Data from [1]The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft
General characteristics
Armament
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