Born of nationalisation

SNCAO was created on 16 November 1936, one of six state-owned Sociétés Nationales formed when France nationalised its military aircraft industry. It took over the Breguet factory at Bouguenais near Nantes and the Loire-Nieuport plants at Saint-Nazaire and Issy-les-Moulineaux, inheriting their designs in mid-development. It also inherited a rivalry: Loire and Nieuport had recently competed against each other for the same fighter contract, which went to Morane-Saulnier with the MS.406.

Chasing the D.520

The inheritance included the Loire-Nieuport LN.40 naval dive bomber, built from 1938, and a flying-boat trainer renamed the SNCAO 30. SNCAO’s own big bid was the CAO.200 fighter, based on the rejected Loire-Nieuport 161 and aimed at the same 1937 requirement that produced the Dewoitine D.520. Its prototype flew on 31 January 1939 with a lower-powered engine than planned, and only one was built. The SNCAO 30 disappointed as well, nose-heavy and with a vibrating, overheating engine; a Navy order for 12 was placed, but only the two prototypes were built.

Absorbed

War cut the story short. At the end of 1940 the state groups were reorganised and SNCAO was absorbed into SNCASO, which in 1957 became part of Sud Aviation. SNCAO’s one production aircraft of note, the LN.40, was built in a run of only 68 between 1938 and 1942. Its factories at Bouguenais, Saint-Nazaire and Issy-les-Moulineaux passed with it into SNCASO. SNCASO itself merged into Sud Aviation in 1957. Its CAO.200 prototype remained a one-off.

المصانع

• Bouguenais works · Bouguenais, near Nantes — Former Breguet plant
• Saint-Nazaire works · Saint-Nazaire — Former Loire plant
• Issy-les-Moulineaux works · Issy-les-Moulineaux, near Paris — Former Nieuport plant