Latécoère 300
| Latécoère 300 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Seaplane Latécoère 300, Natal, Brazil, 31 July 1934 | |
| Role | Civil and military flying boat |
| National origin | France |
| Manufacturer | Latécoère |
| First flight | 17 December 1931 |
| Introduction | 1932 |
| Primary users | Air France French Military |
| Number built | 7 |
The Latécoère 300 series of aircraft were a group of civil and military
Description
The 300 was a
The civilian Laté 301, and military Laté 302 were based on the 300, with some design improvements. A total of three aircraft of each type were built between 1935 and 1936.[1] The first of the 301s was lost, the remaining two were used in South Atlantic service until 1939. In 1939 the last remaining 301 was converted to military service, joining the 302s in patrol duties in West Africa.[1]
Original Laté 302 aircraft had 930-hp engines, bow, beam, and engine nacelle machine gun ports, and a bomb load of 300 kilograms (660 lb). The aircraft supported a crew of four and included sleeping accommodations. Fuel and payload were stored inside the hull.[1] The 302s and converted 301 were in service at the start of World War II, and continued in military service, flying patrols from Dakar until retired due to lack of spare parts, the last aircraft being grounded at the end of 1941.[1][2]
Variants
- Laté 300
- Mailplane with Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr engines, one built.
- Laté 301
- Mailplane with Hispano-Suiza 12Nbr engines, three built.
- Laté 302
- Maritime reconnaissance aircraft with Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs engines, three built.
Operators
Specifications (Laté 302)
Data from Warplanes of the Second World War, Volume Five, Flying Boats[2]
General characteristics
- Crew: 8
- Length: 26.149 m (85 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
- Wingspan: 43.999 m (144 ft 4+1⁄4 in)
- Height: 7.979 m (26 ft 2+1⁄8 in)
- Wing area: 256.0 m2 (2,756 sq ft)
- Empty weight: 14,310 kg (31,548 lb)
- Gross weight: 24,000 kg (52,911 lb)
- Powerplant: 4 × Hispano-Suiza 12Ydrs2 liquid-cooled V12 engines, 690 kW (930 hp) each
Performance
- Maximum speed: 240 km/h (149 mph, 129 kn) at 2,000 m (6,560 ft)
- Cruise speed: 185 km/h (115 mph, 100 kn) at 810 m (2,650 ft)
- Range: 3,300 km (2,050 mi, 1,780 nmi)
- Endurance: 23 hr at 150 km/h (93 mph)
- Service ceiling: 5,000 m (16,400 ft)
- Time to altitude: 12.5 min to 1,000 m (3,280 ft)
Armament
- Guns: 1× 7.5 mm (0.3 in) Darne machine gunin bow, 2 firing through beam windows
- Bombs: 4 x 75 kg (165 lb) bombs
See also
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Blackburn Sydney
- Consolidated P2Y
- Consolidated PBY Catalina
- Dornier Do 24
- Dornier Do 26
- Kawanishi H6K
- Potez-CAMS 141
Related lists
- List of aircraft of World War II
- List of Interwar military aircraft
- List of flying boats and floatplanes
References
- ^ ISBN 0 517 10316 8.
- ^ ISBN 0-356-01449-5.
- ISBN 0-9548896-0-6.
Bibliography
- Borget, Michel (May 1971). "Premier des Latécoère géants (1): La "Croix du Sud"". Le album de fanatique de l'Aviation (in French). No. 22. pp. 20–25.
- Borget, Michel (June 1971). "Premier des Latécoère géants (2): La "Croix du Sud"". Le album de fanatique de l'Aviation (in French). No. 23. pp. 18–21.
- Borget, Michel (July 1971). "La "Croix du Sud" et les Laté 301" [The "Southern Cross" and the Laté 301]. Le album de fanatique de l'Aviation (in French). No. 24. pp. 20–24. ISSN 0757-4169.
- Borget, Michel (September 1971). ""Croix du Sud" et les Laté 301, le drame (4)". Le album de fanatique de l'Aviation (in French). No. 25. pp. 22–26.
- Bousquet, Gérard (2013). French Flying Boats of WW II. Sandomierz, Poland: Stratus. ISBN 978-83-63678-06-7.
External links
