Externally, the LN.401 maintained a unique appearance. She held her engine in a forward compartment providing the aircraft with a modern streamlined look. The cockpit was set just aft of the engine and atop the inverted gull monoplane wings. The pilot say under a three piece canopy offering decent views all around. The fuselage continued the streamlined appearance and was capped by a conventional empennage featuring a single vertical tail fin and a pair of horizontal planes each sporting smaller vertical fins. All tail surfaces were clipped and featured sharp edges and the main vertical fin was originally designed to split open and act as an airbrake during dives. The undercarriage was a traditional "tail-dragger" arrangement with two main landing gear legs and a diminutive tailwheel. The main legs semi-recessed under each wing assembly into contoured nacelles. Armament was limited to a pair of 7.5mm Darne machine guns and a single 20mm cannon as well as a bomb load of up to 496lbs (single bomb).
Four major variants of this aircraft appeared. The first was the base LN.40 which represented some seven pre-production aircraft. The LN.401 was the French Navy dive-bomber designation to which some fifteen examples were produced. The LN.411 was a land-based version of the LN.401 sans its navalized equipment for the French Army. Forty-five of this type were ultimately produced. The LN.402 was a single example variant fitting a more powerful Hispano-Suiza 12Y series engine. First flight was achieved on November 18th, 1939.
The LN.401 was powered by a single Hispano-Suiza 12XCrs 12-cylinder vee engine delivering up to 690 horsepower and powering a three-bladed propeller system. Maximum speed was 236 miles per hour with a range of 745 miles. The service ceiling was listed at 31,170 feet.
Once in action against the Germany in the north of France, the LN.401/LN.411 was seemingly doomed to failure. She was assigned to two escadrilles (or squadrons) - the first being AB.2 and second became AB.4 from the rejected French Army systems - at the time of the invasion. In a much-publicized attack occurring on May 19th, 1940, twenty LN.401s/LN.411s were launched against German columns with ten of these being shot down and a further seven damaged beyond repair. Surviving units were relocated to the south of France where they continued the fight against Italian forces via reconnaissance and naval escort sorties. Other aircraft made their way to North Africa and were put into storage.
As France ultimately capitulated, June 1940 signified the signing of the armistice with Germany - in effect killing any further legacy for the LN.401/LN.411.
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