Unknown

The 'Unknown' was a pioneering aircraft built by the Spanish firm Talleres Loring during the early 1930s. Conceived as a response to the growing demand for versatile military trainers and light reconnaissance platforms, the design combined a low‑wing monoplane layout with a mixed wood‑and‑metal structure. Powered by a 450 hp Hispano‑Suiza 12Ybr engine, the Unknown could reach a maximum speed of 280 km/h and featured a modest 900 km range, sufficient for short‑range missions over the Iberian Peninsula. Its cockpit accommodated two crew members in tandem, offering excellent forward visibility and a simple, robust control system that eased pilot transition from basic trainers to frontline fighters. Although only a handful of prototypes were built before the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War halted production, the aircraft introduced several aerodynamic refinements—such as a NACA‑style airfoil and retractable landing gear—that later appeared in Loring’s more successful models. The Unknown’s brief existence demonstrated the capability of Spanish industry to produce modern, low‑cost aircraft and laid the groundwork for post‑war developments in indigenous aeronautical engineering. Today, aviation historians regard the Unknown as a testament to Spanish ingenuity, and its design concepts are studied in museums and academic programs as a precursor to later European light aircraft.

Talleres Loring

Design & Classification