Latécoère 29.0

Latécoère 29.0

Main menu

Larger image

Next postcard
Postcard menu

09/30/2008. Evolved from a series of commercial monoplanes, development of this three-seat torpedo monoplane was started by the Société Industriéllé d'Aviation Latécoère in 1930. The prototype 29.0-01 was built as a landplane at Toulouse-Montaudran and flew for the first time in early 1931. After initial trials the aircraft received its floats at St. Laurant-de-la-Salanque (as did all subsequently built 29s) and was tested at Lake de Leucate, whereupon it was delivered to the L'Aéronavale, at Fréjus NAS, Saint-Rafaël, where official trials were conducted between October 21, and December 9, 1931, resulting in an order for twenty aircraft in 1932.

The second prototype, 29.0-02, began tests at Fréjus NAS on October 18, 1932, while before the end of that year the first production aircraft was completed. An additional production order was placed on October 5, 1933, and the pictured aircraft was one of nine assigned to the 1935-formed Escadrille 1T1 at Cherbourg, while the Section d’Entrainement (Training Section) at that base also used one. On October 1, 1938, Escadrille 1T1 became Escadrille T2 and received new Latécoère 298s, subsequently the 29.0s were deregulated to training activities or stored.

Armament consisted of a fixed forward-firing 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun and two 0.303 in Lewis machine guns were fitted in the dorsal turret, while an 17.72 in (450 mm) 1,653 lb (750 kg) 1926 DA torpedo could be carried below the fuselage. A number of experimental versions were flown, one fitted with the first electrically-operated variable-pitch Ratier propeller was first tested in July 1934, while in the following November one was fitted with stainless steel floats.

Although most aircraft were powered by a 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 12 Nbr twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled V-engine, the 29.3 of 1932 was fitted with an 800 hp Gnome & Rhône 14 Krs double-row fourteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, the 29.4 of 1934 had an 830 hp Gnome & Rhône 14 Kdrs, while the 29.6 had a 840 hp Hispano-Suiza 12 Ycrs. Including the prototypes, approximately thirty-five aircraft were produced.


Main menu	Larger image	Next postcard Postcard menu
09/30/2008. Evolved from a series of commercial monoplanes, development of this three-seat torpedo monoplane was started by the Société Industriéllé d'Aviation Latécoère in 1930. The prototype 29.0-01 was built as a landplane at Toulouse-Montaudran and flew for the first time in early 1931. After initial trials the aircraft received its floats at St. Laurant-de-la-Salanque (as did all subsequently built 29s) and was tested at Lake de Leucate, whereupon it was delivered to the L'Aéronavale, at Fréjus NAS, Saint-Rafaël, where official trials were conducted between October 21, and December 9, 1931, resulting in an order for twenty aircraft in 1932. The second prototype, 29.0-02, began tests at Fréjus NAS on October 18, 1932, while before the end of that year the first production aircraft was completed. An additional production order was placed on October 5, 1933, and the pictured aircraft was one of nine assigned to the 1935-formed Escadrille 1T1 at Cherbourg, while the Section d’Entrainement (Training Section) at that base also used one. On October 1, 1938, Escadrille 1T1 became Escadrille T2 and received new Latécoère 298s, subsequently the 29.0s were deregulated to training activities or stored. Armament consisted of a fixed forward-firing 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun and two 0.303 in Lewis machine guns were fitted in the dorsal turret, while an 17.72 in (450 mm) 1,653 lb (750 kg) 1926 DA torpedo could be carried below the fuselage. A number of experimental versions were flown, one fitted with the first electrically-operated variable-pitch Ratier propeller was first tested in July 1934, while in the following November one was fitted with stainless steel floats. Although most aircraft were powered by a 650 hp Hispano-Suiza 12 Nbr twelve-cylinder liquid-cooled V-engine, the 29.3 of 1932 was fitted with an 800 hp Gnome & Rhône 14 Krs double-row fourteen-cylinder air-cooled radial, the 29.4 of 1934 had an 830 hp Gnome & Rhône 14 Kdrs, while the 29.6 had a 840 hp Hispano-Suiza 12 Ycrs. Including the prototypes, approximately thirty-five aircraft were produced.