Loire 70
title: "Loire 70" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["loire-aircraft", "1930s-french-military-reconnaissance-aircraft", "flying-boats", "three-engined-push-pull-aircraft", "high-wing-aircraft", "aircraft-first-flown-in-1933"] topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loire_70" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox aircraft"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Loire 70 |
| image | Loire 70.jpg |
| caption | Seaplane Loire-70 |
| type | Long-range maritime reconnaissance flying boat |
| manufacturer | Loire |
| first_flight | 28 December 1933 |
| introduction | 1937 |
| primary_user | French Navy |
| number_built | 8 |
| :: |
| name = Loire 70 | image = Loire 70.jpg | caption = Seaplane Loire-70 | type = Long-range maritime reconnaissance flying boat | manufacturer = Loire | designer = | first_flight = 28 December 1933 | introduction = 1937 | retired = | status = | primary_user = French Navy | more_users = | produced = | number_built = 8 | unit cost = | developed_from = | variants =
The Loire 70 was a 1930s French long-range maritime reconnaissance flying boat produced by Loire Aviation.
Design and development
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Loire-70_mg_7862.jpg" caption="Wind tunnel model of the Loire 70"] ::
The Loire 70 was designed to meet a 1932 French Navy requirement for a long-range flying boat for maritime reconnaissance and bombing. The prototype first flew on 28 December 1933. It was an all-metal monoplane, with a heavily braced high wing, with three radial engines mounted above the wing, two as tractors and one as a pusher. The original engines, three 500 hp (373 kW) Gnome et Rhône 9Kbr radials, were not powerful enough and were replaced with 740 hp (552 kW) Gnome-Rhône 9Kfr radials. Seven production aircraft were produced.
Operational history
The seven production aircraft and the prototype were all delivered to the French Navy, serving with Escadrille E7 at Karouba in Tunisia. During the early days of World War II, the aircraft carried out patrols in the Mediterranean. In an Italian air raid on their base on 12 June 1940, three of the four surviving aircraft were destroyed. The remaining Loire 70 was one of a number of aircraft that were requested to be scrapped on 4 October 1941.
Operator
;
Specifications
|ref= |prime units?=met General characteristics
|genhide=
|crew=8 |capacity= |length m= |length ft=63 |length in=11+3/4 |span m= |span ft=98 |span in=5+1/8 |swept m= |swept ft= |swept in= |height m= |height ft=22 |height in=1+3/4 |wing area sqm= |wing area sqft=1463.9 |wing area note= |aspect ratio= |airfoil= |empty weight kg= |empty weight lb=14330 |empty weight note= |gross weight kg= |gross weight lb=23148 |gross weight note= |max takeoff weight lb=25353 |fuel capacity= |more general= Powerplant
|eng1 number=3 |eng1 name=Gnome-Rhône 9Kfr |eng1 type=nine-cylinder radial engines |eng1 kw= |eng1 hp=740 |eng1 shp= |more power=
|prop blade number= |prop name= |prop dia m= |prop dia ft= |prop dia in= |prop note= Performance
|perfhide=
|max speed kmh= |max speed mph=146 |max speed kts= |max speed note=at sea level |cruise speed kmh= |cruise speed mph=102.5 |cruise speed kts= |never exceed speed kmh= |never exceed speed mph= |never exceed speed kts= |range km= |range miles=1865 |range nmi= |combat range km= |combat range miles= |combat range nmi= |endurance= |ceiling m= |ceiling ft=13120 |g limits= |roll rate= |climb rate ms= |climb rate ftmin= |time to altitude=
- 6 min to 3280 ft
- 26 min 6 sec to 9840 ft |lift to drag= |wing loading kg/m2= |wing loading lb/sqft= |wing loading note= |more performance= Armament -- |guns= Six 7.5mm (0.295 in) Darne machine guns |bombs= Four 330 lb bombs |rockets= |missiles= |hardpoints= |hardpoint capacity= |hardpoint rockets= |hardpoint missiles= |hardpoint bombs= |hardpoint other=
|avionics=
References
Bibliography
References
- Green, William. (1968). "Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five, Flying Boats". Macdonald.
- Bousquet May 1992, pp. 53, 55
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