Did the Loire 30 reconnaissance airplane have a sound design?

[Default Setting]

The Loire 30 was intended for reconnaissance, but only one was made and it ended its career as a flying test bed for a gun turret. Its unusual design featured three engines mounted on struts above the wings, which supposedly would have allowed it to remain airborne in case of one engine failing. Do you guys think it could have worked in its intended role?

[NARSES2]

Not an aircraft I was aware of and I can't see any reason why it wouldn't have worked.

In my minds eye I see it in a sand and spinach scheme flying over Abyssinia. The airframe looks more Italian then French to me although I'm not sure where that engine arrangement would be most at home ?

[JayBee]

Well I do not know what kind of sound it was meant to have, I suspect CRUNCH as happened to the Tarrant Tabor which had similarly high mounted engines.

Jim

[jcf]

While a little unusual for a landplane, that sort of engine installation was not
uncommon on monoplane flying boats and amphibians in the between wars
period, the extreme example being the Dornier Do X.
The SARO A.17, A.19 and A.21, had similar above wing mounts. The Douglas
Dolphin, General Aviation (Fokker US) PJ-1/2 also mounted engines above the
wing, on pylons rather than struts. The list is extensive.
As Loire became known as primarily a builder of seaplanes it's not surprising
they would use that type of installation.


SARO A.21 Windhover

As to the Tabor, the high mounting of the upper engines wasn't the single cause of
the nose-over.

[Captain Canada]

Never seen either of them but I don't see why not !

[Default Setting]

While a little unusual for a landplane, that sort of engine installation was not
uncommon on monoplane flying boats and amphibians in the between wars
period, the extreme example being the Dornier Do X.
The SARO A.17, A.19 and A.21, had similar above wing mounts. The Douglas
Dolphin, General Aviation (Fokker US) PJ-1/2 also mounted engines above the
wing, on pylons rather than struts. The list is extensive.

Indeed. One may also mention several Caproni landplanes, such as the Ca.73.

The Loire 30 apparently had a low top speed, but I wasn't able to find its stall speed. If low enough it would have been a plus for its intended role as a reconnaissance plane.

[sandiego89]

A few observations:

I would be nervous piloting that with the prop/engine right above my head.   Likely a death trap in a roll over/nose over. 

A bear with trim.  With such high a thrust line, power changes would likely cause large pitch movements.

Thick wing- likely quite slow, so likely a sitting duck if it encountered fighters. 

Otherwise, nothing strikes me that it could not have worked, but like many others of the era was obsolescent nearly at roll out....