Loire 30
title: "Loire 30" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1930s-french-military-reconnaissance-aircraft", "loire-aircraft", "trimotors", "high-wing-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1932"] topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loire_30" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Loire 30 |
| image | Loire 30 Annuaire de L'Aéronautique 1931.jpg |
| aircraft_type | Night reconnaissance monoplane |
| national_origin | France |
| manufacturer | Loire |
| number_built | 1 |
| first_flight | 1932 |
| :: |
| name = Loire 30 | logo = | logo_size = | image = Loire 30 Annuaire de L'Aéronautique 1931.jpg | alt = | caption = | long_caption = | other_names = | aircraft_type = Night reconnaissance monoplane | aim = | outcome = | related = | national_origin = France | manufacturer = Loire | design_group = | designer = | builder = | issuer = | status = | owners = | primary_user = | more_users = | service = | major_applications = | proposals = | prototypes = | number_built = 1 | construction_number = | civil_registration = | military_serial = | radio_code = | requirement = | aircraft_carried = | flights = | total_hours = | total_distance = | construction_date = | introduction = | retired = | first_flight = 1932 | initiated = | in_service = | last_flight = | expected = | developed_from = | variants = | developed_into = | preservation = | fate = | predecessors = | successors = | concluded =
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.
Design and development
The Loire 30 was designed to meet a French Air Force requirement for a three-seat night reconnaissance aircraft. It was a cantilever high-wing monoplane and powered by three 230 hp Salmson 9Ab radial engines strut-mounted above the wing. The pilot had an enclosed cockpit with an open cockpit at the nose and amidships, both fitted with pivot-mounted 7.7 mm (0.303 in) machine-guns. Only one Loire 30 was produced in 1932, but it failed to gain an order and was relegated to experimental use.
Loire 301
After rejection in its original role, the sole Loire 30 / Loire 300 was modified with a very large windowless drum-shaped turret fitted in the nose and re-designated Loire 301. The purpose of the turret is uncertain; the favored theory of some references is an armored turret housing a large caliber gun; another theory is an airborne blind flying training simulator. To compensate the additional weight of the turret the central engine was moved backwards and inverted to drive a pusher propeller. This led to the unusual propulsion with two tractor and one pusher engines above the wings. Due to the turret resembling a type of copper laundry kettle commonly used at the time, the airplane was nicknamed la lessiveuse.
Specifications (Loire 30)
|ref=The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Aircraft, Aviafrance:Loire 30 |prime units?=met General characteristics
|crew=3 |length m=13.7 |span m=22.15 |height m=4.96 |wing area sqm=64 |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg=2510 |gross weight kg=3760 |max takeoff weight kg= |max takeoff weight lb= |max takeoff weight note= |fuel capacity= |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=3 |eng1 name=Salmson 9Ab |eng1 type=9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines |eng1 hp=230
|prop blade number=2 |prop name=metal variable-pitch airscrews |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop dia note= Performance
|max speed kmh=200 |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph= |cruise speed kts= |cruise speed note= |stall speed kmh= |stall speed mph= |stall speed kts= |stall speed note= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |never exceed speed note= |minimum control speed kmh= |minimum control speed mph= |minimum control speed kts= |minimum control speed note= |range km= |range miles= |range nmi= |range note= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |combat range note= |ferry range km= |ferry range miles= |ferry range nmi= |ferry range note= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft= |ceiling note= |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |climb rate note= |time to altitude= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |fuel consumption kg/km= |fuel consumption lb/mi= |power/mass=
|more performance= Armament
|guns=2 × 7.7 mm pivot-mounted machine guns |bombs=
Notes
Bibliography
References
- "Loire 301, avion de reconnaissance par Aviafrance".
- "Loire 30, avion de reconnaissance par Aviafrance".
- Orbis 1985, p. 2377
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