Latécoère 298
| Latécoère 298 | |
|---|---|
 Laté 298 during torpedo release |
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| Type: | Float plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
May 8, 1936 |
The Latécoère 298 , or Laté 298 for short, is a French floatplane from the Second World War . The versatile machine served, among other things, for reconnaissance , fighting submarines , as a bomber , transporter , liaison aircraft , torpedo bomber and even as a battle and dive fighter aircraft . It remained in service on both sides throughout the war. The last three copies were taken out of service in 1950.
history
The Laté 298 was created in response to a request from the French Navy for a float torpedo bomber from 1933. The development was based on the Latécoère 290 and its successors. From a conceptual point of view, the Laté 298 was a cantilevered mid-decker in all-metal construction with a normal tail unit. The two-spar wings were tapered towards the ends and could be folded in some designs. A special feature was the elongated recess under the fuselage, which was intended to accommodate a torpedo , a 500 kg bomb or an additional fuel tank.
The two floats were stepped and keeled and each contained a fuel reserve container with a capacity of 260 liters. The drive was a 12-cylinder V-engine Hispano-Suiza 12Ycrs-1 with a three-bladed metal ratio screw.
The construction work began in 1934. The prototype Laté 298-01 flew for the first time on May 8, 1936. Successful testing prompted the Navy to commission 177 Laté 298s . The first series A production batch was delivered from October 1938 and comprised 29 machines. At the start of the war, 53 aircraft were in use in four Escadrilles. At first they were only used for coastal patrol from their bases in Cherbourg, Berre and the aircraft mother ship Commandant Teste . Later, for lack of other alternatives, they also intervened as bombers in the fighting. For example, Laté flew 298 fall attacks against German armored tanks or torpedo attacks against Italian ships.
After the capitulation of France, both the Vichy government and the government of free France used the Latécoère 298, among other things as a submarine hunter in the canal area. An aircraft was tested at the E -stelle Travemünde . It can be proven there with the registration number D-IHLD from October 21, 1940 to June 6, 1941. After the war, the last aircraft of the Escadrille 3.S were stationed on Lake Constance and used for surveillance purposes.
A further development was the Latécoère 299 with wheeled chassis from 1939, intended for use in aircraft carriers .
Versions
- Laté 298A : first series version with a modified canopy compared to the prototype. 29 pieces built.
- Laté 298B : Version with double controls and folding wings, 42 units built.
- Laté 298D : like the B version, but with rigid wings and two-blade wooden propellers, 106 units built.
- Laté 298E : D-machine fitted with an observation gondola under the fuselage for test purposes.
- Laté 298F : variant commissioned by the Vichy government, similar to the Laté 298D, but without double control.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Forges et Ateliers de Construction Latécoère |
| Conception | Catapult and seaworthy multi-purpose floatplane |
| Year of construction (s) | 1938–? |
| crew | 3-4 |
| length | 12.56 m |
| Wingspan | 15.50 m |
| height | 5.25 m |
| Wing area | 31.60 m² |
| Empty mass | 3070 kg |
| Takeoff mass | normal 4610 kg maximum 4810 kg |
| drive | a liquid-cooled 12-cylinder V-engine Hispano-Suiza 12 Ycrs-1 |
| power | 647 kW (880 hp) |
| Top speed | 290 km / h at an altitude of 2,000 m |
| Marching speed | 245 km / h |
| Rate of climb | 272 m / min |
| Service ceiling | 6520 m |
| Range | normal 920 km maximum 2535 km |
| Radius of action | 1000 km |
| Flight duration | normal 3.5 hours maximum 10 hours |
| Seaworthiness | up to swell 4 |
| Armament | two rigid 7.5 mm MG Darne in the wings and one movable 7.5 mm MG Darne in the rear |
| Bomb load | a 670 kg DA torpedo or 500 kg bombs or three depth charges or nine flare bombs |
literature
- Ulrich Israel: Floatplanes of the Second World War . In: Wolfgang Sellenthin (Ed.): German Fliegerkalender 1970 . German Military Publishing House, Berlin 1969, p. 178/179 .
