The Loire 46 was a French single-seat fighter aircraft developed in the early 1930s by Loire Aviation, a company later absorbed into SNCAO.
It was the final evolution in a short line of gull-wing monoplane fighters that included the Loire 43 and Loire 45.
Design and Development
First flight
1 September 1934
Configuration
High-wing monoplane with a distinctive gull-wing design
Construction
Mixed metal and fabric; metal skinning around the engine and forward fuselage, fabric-covered rear fuselage and wings
Landing gear
Fixed, with large spatted main wheels
Cockpit
Open, moved further aft compared to predecessors for better visibility
Engine
Initially powered by a Gnome-Rhône 14Kcs (880 hp),
later upgraded to a Gnome-Rhône 14Kfs (930 hp)
Armament
Four 7.5 mm MAC 1934 machine guns mounted in the wings
The Loire 46 was a significant redesign over its predecessors.
It featured
A deeper gull-wing center section
Tapered outboard wing panels and semi-elliptical trailing edges
Enlarged tail surfaces
Lowered engine thrust line for improved aerodynamics
Operational History
Entered service
1936 with the French Armée de l’Air
Number built
61 units
Combat use
Supplied to the Spanish Republican Air Force during the Spanish Civil War
Retirement
Phased out by 1940, replaced by more modern monoplane fighters like the Morane-Saulnier MS.406 and Dewoitine D.520
Though praised for its handling, the Loire 46 was already becoming obsolete by the time it entered service.
Its fixed landing gear, open cockpit, and fabric skinning were outdated compared to emerging all-metal, retractable-gear fighters.
Legacy
The Loire 46 represents a transitional phase in fighter design—bridging the gap between biplanes and modern monoplanes.
While it saw limited combat and was quickly overshadowed, it remains a visually distinctive and historically significant aircraft in the evolution of French military aviation.
