Latécoère 631

Latécoère 631
Latécoère 631 - Wharf of Biscarrosse Lake
Role	flying boat
Manufacturer	Latécoère
Designer	Pierre-Georges Latécoère
First flight	November 4, 1942
Number built	10 (plus the prototype)

The Latécoère 631 was a civil transatlantic flying boat built by Latécoère, the largest ever built up to its time. The last Latécoère 631 was withdrawn from service in 1955 after the losses of aircraft no.7 (owned by Latécoère, lost at sea), 6 (Air France, lost in the Atlantic), 3 (SEMAF, off Cap Ferret) and 8 (France-Hydro, in Cameroon).

Design and development

The prototype was captured by Germany during their occupation of France in World War II, and subsequently bombed by the Allies.

Variants

• Late 631.01 : First prototype.

Specifications (Laté 631)

Data from World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft

General characteristics

• Crew: 5
• Capacity: 46
• Length: 43.46 m (142 ft 6⅝ in)
• Wingspan: 57.43 m (188 ft 4½ in)
• Height: 10.1 m (33 ft 1½ in)
• Wing area: 349.4 m² (3,760 ft² )
• Empty weight: 32,400 kg (71,280 lb)
• Loaded weight: 71,350 kg (137,300 lb)
• Powerplant: 6 × Wright R-2600-A5B Cyclone 14-cylinder air cooled radial engine, 1,194 kW (1,600 hp) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 394 km/h (213 knots, 245 mph)
• Cruise speed: 297 km/h (161 knots, 185 mph)
• Range: 6,035 km (3,281 nm, 3,750 mi)
• Wing loading: 92.7 kg/m² (19.0 lb/ft²)
• Power/mass: 0.10 kW/kg (0.070 hp/lb)

Air France Accident

On the night of July 31, 1948 Latécoère 631 number 06 ("Lionel de Marnier" reg. F-BDRC) owned by Air France was flying from Fort-de-France to Port-Etienne in Mauritania when it disappeared in the Atlantic Ocean with the loss of all 52 on board. It is believed to have gone down around 1200 miles from Dakar in Senegal. The U.S. Coast Guard ship Campbell reported finding debris on August 4 but no sign of survivors.

See also

• Saunders Roe Princess

References

• Angelucci, Enzo. World Encyclopedia of Civil Aircraft. London:Willow Books, 1986. ISBN 0-00-218148-7.
• Stroud, John. "Post War Propliners: Latécoère 631". Aeroplane Monthly, January 1993. London:IPC. pp58–62.

External links

• Virtual Aircraft Museum
• LAté-631 on Geneva lake (1948)