Came back from my local plastic hobby store with this beauty. I'm a sucker for naval aircraft, the stranger the better. This one takes the cake! Should be quite striking in Vichy markings
It's a navy dive bomber, but looking at the kit instructions, I'm not sure if it had an internal bomb bay or not, and there are no visible external attachments given, anybody care to help out with reference material???

Thanks in advance
Frank

Nice one Frank!

I like the weird ones too - and that looks amazing in it's Vichy stripes! I look forward to seeing your review... hint! hint!

All the best

Rowan

Hey Frank,
Can’t help you out on the bomber question, but that is a great looking plane. What catches my eye are the colors. Sure looks to be an interesting build. If you don’t mind what did you pay for her, and just about how long is the fuselage. Looking forward to seeing some pics.

Hi Joe,

A beefy 7.5 inches..... ... sorry... here's a few more shots of the parts. Cost wise, was around $59 CDN

Frank

Thanks Frank,
when is saw the price I dam near hit the floor until I saw the rest of the parts. I didn't know that it came with resin and PE parts. The kit it self dosen't look to bad either. Which way are you going to paint it, the box art or the one on the instruction sheet you posted.

Defenitely box art, it will pale everything around it for miles!

Frank

Frank,

Nice subject!!! Is it for the Bombs away campaign?

I'm sure that when Jean-Luc sees this question, he'll be able to help you a lot more than I!!

I did a quick search, but I didn't find many references on the net. You might want to check out the links below. As I understand it, only the LN.401 was meant for the French air force and and the LN.411 for the Aeronavale. Since the LN. 401 proved too slow during the first day of the German attack against France in 1940, it was also transfered to the Aeronaval.

http://avions.legendaires.free.fr/ln401.php
http://www.vvs-regia-avions.com/AvionsHTML/aln4011.htm

Bombload: One 500 kg bomb. Since the LN.401 in most respects is compared to the Stuka, I would guess that it was carried the bomb in the same way, i.e. in a special rack device on its belly.

EDIT
One has to look at the modelling sites also!!! :-)


Those are the only guys that really have to find out how everything really was!!!

See: http://www.aircraftresourcecenter.com/Gal3/2101-2200/Gal2193_Loire-Nieuport411_Neo/gal2193.htm

Cheers!

Maybe I'll get lucky and Jean-Luc will bend the rules for me. It is a single engine bomber.... and therefore not eligible...... Maybe the fact that it's French might help alter the rules.

Frank

Edit: THATS THE BOMB LOAD????? no wonder they lost the war! I don't think that petrified potato could pierce the hood of my Toyota Matrix, never mind the hull of a ship.

TreeCat is in charge of Bombs Away. I don't know if he'll be prepared to bend the rules for a French aircraft! :-)

Not to worry though, There were some other pretty cool [French] bombers around, if you need two [or more] engines.



Cheers!

Frank,

I agree. The bomb on the picture does look tiny, even for a French one in 1/48!

In the article, the builder writes that he had used a bomb from a Spitfire. Did they ever carry larger bombs than 500lb (approx. 225kg)?!

Then again, them French maybe loaded it with garlic and smelly cheese...

:-)

Hi all!

Calm down will you! The French LN 40 wasn't a bad plane... it just wasn't good enough for combat! :-)

I must have some references around (even a build article in a magazine) but must go to work right now... I'll post some infos later.
The bombload wasn't just small! The French Navy pilots had to attack ground targets with perforating bombs meant to be used on ships... you still wonder why France lost the 1940 Battle?
Frank, I'm not in charge of the "Bombs Away" Campaign so I can't say if this one is elligible for it... I guess Treecat will give you an answer. To bad the plane hasn't teeth...

Jean-Luc

..quite a strange-looking aircraft... it's like a cross between a stuka and a hurricane....

Hi Frank!

I didn't found a lot about the LN 40 but I have a build article of the kit. It is the Azur version but it's the same kit Special Hobby reissued with new decals.
I can also give you the references of the only book that was written about this plane. Unfortunately it is in French and would cost you as much as the kit!
If you are interested, just send me a PM.

Jean-Luc