Loire 210

The Loire 210 was a French single‑seat, single‑engine fighter monoplane built by Loire Aviation in the early 1930s. Designed to meet a Navy requirement for a carrier‑based interceptor, the prototype first flew in May 1933 and entered limited service with the French Aéronavale in 1934. Powered by a 860 hp Hispano‑Suiza 12Ycrs V‑12 engine, the aircraft featured an all‑metal stressed‑skin wing, a retractable main landing gear and a tightly cowled radial‑type spinner that reduced drag. Its compact 9‑meter wingspan and a top speed of 470 km/h gave it a competitive performance envelope for the era, while the armament of two 20 mm cannon mounted in the forward fuselage provided considerable firepower for ship‑board defense. Only 55 examples were produced before the type was superseded by the more capable Dewoitine D.510 and later the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Although the Loire 210 saw no combat, it demonstrated the viability of carrier‑based monoplane fighters in France and helped accelerate the shift from biplane to all‑metal designs, influencing subsequent naval aircraft development. The aircraft’s handling characteristics were praised by pilots for its responsiveness and relatively low stall speed, which eased carrier landings under adverse sea conditions.

Loire Aviation

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