Nieuport
Loire-Nieuport LN.401
The Loire‑Nieuport LN.401 was a French single‑engine, low‑wing monoplane fighter developed in the early 1940s for the Armée de l’Air. Designed jointly by the Loire‑Nieuport partnership, the aircraft emerged from a 1939 specification calling for a lightweight, high‑performance interceptor that could be produced quickly using existing industrial capacity. Powered by a 450 hp Hispano‑Suiza 12Y‑45 inline engine, the LN.401 featured an all‑metal stressed‑skin wing, retractable under‑carriage, and a streamlined cockpit with limited armor. Armament consisted of a single 20 mm Hispano‑Suiza cannon mounted in the nose and two 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns in the wings, providing a respectable punch for its class.
Although only a handful of prototypes flew before France’s surrender in June 1940, the LN.401 demonstrated advanced aerodynamic concepts such as a laminar‑flow wing and fully enclosed fuel tanks. Its development influenced later French designs, notably the post‑war Sud‑Planeur series, and it represented a transitional step between the earlier biplane fighters of the 1930s and the more modern monoplane jets that would dominate the 1950s. The LN.401 remains a noteworthy example of French ingenuity under the pressures of imminent war.
Although only a handful of prototypes flew before France’s surrender in June 1940, the LN.401 demonstrated advanced aerodynamic concepts such as a laminar‑flow wing and fully enclosed fuel tanks. Its development influenced later French designs, notably the post‑war Sud‑Planeur series, and it represented a transitional step between the earlier biplane fighters of the 1930s and the more modern monoplane jets that would dominate the 1950s. The LN.401 remains a noteworthy example of French ingenuity under the pressures of imminent war.
Classification
Production & History
- Units Produced
- 99
- First Flight
- 1938
Design & Classification
- Manufacturer
- Nieuport
- Developer
- Nieuport
- Operator
-
French Naval Aviation
- Wikidata ID
- Q1808980