The Loening M-8 was a 1910s
American fighter monoplane designed by
Grover Loening
Grover Cleveland Loening (September 12, 1888 – February 29, 1976) was an American aircraft manufacturer.
Biography
Loening was born in Bremen, in what was then Imperial Germany, on September 12, 1888, while his American-born father was statione ...
and built by his
Loening Aeronautical Engineering
Loening Aeronautical Engineering Corporation was founded 1917 by Grover Loening and Henry M. Crane produced early aircraft and amphibious aircraft beginning in 1917. When it merged with Keystone Aircraft Corporation in 1928, some of its engineer ...
Company. An order of 5000 for the
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
was canceled when the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
ended.
Development
The first design by Grover Loening after he had formed his company was a two-seat braced-wing monoplane fighter the M-8. It had a fixed tail-skid landing gear and was powered by a nose-mounted
Hispano-Suiza engine with a tractor propeller. The pilot and gunner had tandem open cockpits. The first aircraft was flown in 1918 and after testing, the United States Army Air Corps ordered 5,000 aircraft to be built.
Only two aircraft were delivered to the Army and one to the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
, with the designation M-8-0. At the end of the war the order was canceled. The Navy ordered 46 aircraft in two variants for use as observation aircraft. The Navy also ordered six M-8-S twin-float seaplane versions. A single-seat version was developed for the Army as the
Loening PW-2.
Variants
;M-8
:Production variant for the
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
, two prototypes, 5000 cancelled.
;M-8-0
:One M-8 for evaluation by the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
(A5631) and ten production aircraft (A5637-A5646).
;M-8-1
:Second production variant for the United States Navy, 36 built by the Naval Aircraft Factory (A5701-A571O; A5761-A5786).
;M-8-1S
:Seaplane variant for the United States Navy, six built (A5788-A5793).
;LS
:(LS - Loening Seaplane) Three seaplane variants ordered to test the ''Richardson pontoon'' split central float. One aircraft built, (A5606), and two cancelled.
Operators
;
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United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical r ...
*
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
Specifications (M-8-0)
See also
References
;Notes
;Bibliography
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{{Loening aircraft
1910s United States fighter aircraft
M-8
Aircraft first flown in 1918