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The Latécoère 300 series of aircraft were a group of civil and military flying boats. They were manufactured by French aircraft manufacturer Latécoère in the 1930s. A single Latécoère 300 was built; it was flown for the first time in 1931 and sank the same year. It was rebuilt and flown again in 1932, being named Croix du Sud ("Southern Cross").[1]

Latécoère 300
Seaplane Latécoère 300, Natal, Brazil, 31 July 1934
Role	Civil and military flying boat Type of aircraft
National origin	France
Manufacturer	Latécoère
First flight	17 December 1931
Introduction	1932
Primary users	Air France French Military
Number built	7

Description

The 300 was a monoplane of parasol wing construction. It was powered by four engines, each of which produced 650 hp,[1] arranged in two push-pull pairs. The 300 set an international aviation record for seaplanes on 31 December 1933, by flying 3,697 kilometers (2,297 mi) non-stop between Berre Lake near Marseille and Saint-Louis, Senegal.[1][2] The aircraft then entered service for Air France, transporting mail across the Atlantic Ocean from Dakar, Senegal to Natal, Brazil.[3] It completed 23 missions before being lost at sea on December 7, 1936.[1] The pilot was the famous French aviator Jean Mermoz.

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

 France

• Air France
• French Navy

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 gun in 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
• 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

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

• Latécoère 302 Specifications and photo
• Seaplanes and flying boats of the French Naval Aviation

На других языках

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[de] Latécoère 300

Die Latécoère 300 war ein französisches Flugboot, das 1931 seinen Erstflug absolvierte. Es war der Prototyp einer Serie von je drei zivilen Laté 301-Postflugzeugen und militärischen Laté 302-Fernaufklärern, die 1935 und 1936 als Weiterentwicklung des Prototyps gebaut wurden.

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- [en] Latécoère 300

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[fr] Latécoère 300

L'hydravion Latécoère 300 a été conçu par Marcel Moine et construit à un seul exemplaire, pour le transport du courrier sur la ligne Atlantique Sud, via Dakar au Sénégal, jusqu'à Natal au Brésil. Le tout premier exemplaire, immatriculé F-AKCU, effectue son premier essai de vol, le 16 décembre 1931,sur l'étang de Biscarrosse, avec Gonord et Vergès aux commandes. Mais après déjaugeage et montée en chandelle, en raison d'un problème de centrage, l'appareil plongea à pic et heurta violemment la surface de l'eau ce qui occasionna la rupture du fuselage en deux parties, l'avant coulant aussitôt. Trois exemplaires de série, légèrement différents et nommés Latécoère 301, sont ensuite livrés à Air France entre novembre 1935 et janvier 1936.

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[it] Latécoère 300

Il Latécoère 300 era un idrovolante quadrimotore a scafo centrale realizzato dall'azienda francese Forges et Ateliers de Construction Latécoère negli anni trenta.

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[ru] Latécoère Late 300

Латекоэ 300 (фр. Latécoère 300) — серия гражданских и военных летающих лодок, созданная французской фирмой Groupe Latécoère в 1930-х годах. Самолёт был первой четырёхмоторной летающей лодкой компании[1].

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