Latécoère 299
| Latécoère 299 | |
|---|---|
| Type: | Bomb plane |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
July 27, 1939 |
| Number of pieces: |
2 prototypes |
The Latécoère 299 , also Laté 299 , was a French light bomber aircraft of the Second World War . There were two copies.
history
Due to the good flight characteristics of the Laté 298 floatplane , it was decided to develop a version of this type with a retractable wheel landing gear. It was intended to replace the outdated PL 7 and PL 101 multi-purpose biplanes of the aircraft carrier Béarn .
Like its original model, the Latécoère 299 was a cantilever low- wing aircraft in all-metal construction with fabric-covered oars. The fuselage was taken over from the Latécoère 298 , only the pilot's cabin was extended by 0.53 meters. Instead of the floating mechanism, the model got a retractable rear wheel landing gear, with the main wheels entering streamlined panels on the lower wing. The wings could be folded because of the intended use of the carrier.
The prototype Latécoère 299.01 flew for the first time in Cazaux on July 27, 1939. It then went to Lanevéoc-Poulmic for testing, where deck landings were also simulated. Further tests took place at the Biarritz-Parme naval base , where the second prototype flew for the first time on October 8, 1939.
The plan was to build 25 Laté 299s for use on the Béarn . However, due to the occupation of France by the German Wehrmacht , this did not happen.
The Laté 299.01 was converted to a single-seater under German supervision and was used for tests with two Hispano-Suiza 12Y-31 (641 kW (872 PS)) motors with counter-rotating propellers under the name Laté 299A . Equipped in this way, it reached a maximum speed of 468 km / h. On April 30, 1944, the aircraft was destroyed in an air raid.
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Forges et Ateliers de Construction Latécoère |
| Conception | Bomb, reconnaissance and torpedo bomb aircraft for carrier use |
| Year of construction (s) | 1939 |
| crew | 3-4 |
| length | 12.28 m |
| Wingspan | 15.64 m |
| Wing area | 34.60 m² |
| Empty mass | 3170 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 4650 kg |
| drive | a water-cooled twelve-cylinder - V-engine Hispano-Suiza 12 Y-43 |
| power | 933 hp (686 kW) |
| Top speed | 355 km / h at an altitude of 1500 m |
| Marching speed | 240 km / h at an altitude of 4000 m |
| Service ceiling | 6000 m |
| Range | 1000 km with 600 kg payload |
| Armament | two rigid 7.5 mm MG Darne in the wings |
| Bomb load | a 670 kg DA torpedo or 600 kg bombs |