Latécoère 521

infobox Aircraft
name = Laté 521
"Lieutenant de Vaisseau Paris"
type = Civil flying boat
manufacturer = Pierre-Georges Latécoère

---

caption =
designer =
first flight = 10 January, 1935
introduction =
retired =
status =
primary user = Air France
more users =
produced =
number built = 1
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles =The Latécoère 521, "Lieutenant de Vaisseau Paris", was a French six-engined flying boat, and one of the first large trans-Atlantic passenger aircraft. Two of the engines were inboard, mounted as tandem pairs, facing backward.

Operational history

The inaugural flight took place on 10 January, 1935, followed by a demonstration flight in December 1935 via Dakar, North Africa to Natal, Brazil, then north to the French West Indies. Having reached Pensacola, Florida, it was caught in a hurricane and wrecked. The aircraft was returned to France by ship to be rebuilt, before going into service with Air France on the trans-Atlantic route. In June 1937, it flew non-stop to Natal before returning to France via the North Atlantic. Then, equipped with more powerful engines, the aircraft made four further return flights to New York, between May and July 1939.

During one of these, pilot Henri Guillaumet flew the Latécoère 521 from New York City to Biscarrosse, flying 5,875 km (3,634 miles) at an average speed of 206 km/h (127 mph), including 2,300 km (1,419 miles) with one engine out.

The aircraft could transport 72 passengers in a great comfort. On the lower level there was a salon with 20 armchairs and tables, six deluxe double cabins, each with its own bathroom, seating for a further 22 passengers, a kitchen, a bar and a baggage hold. The upper level had seating for 18 passengers, a storage compartment and an office for the three flight engineers.

On the outbreak of World War II the Laté 521 was attached to the French Navy E.6 flotilla, based in Port-Lyautey, Morocco, and was used to patrol the North Atlantic. After the armistice in June 1940 it flew to Berre, near Marseilles, where it was finally wrecked by the retreating Germans in August 1944. The Laté 521 was the basis of the single Laté 522 "Ville de Saint Pierre" civil airliner, and the three Laté 523 navalized variants.

Operators

;FRA
* Air France
* Aviation Navale

pecifications (Laté 521)

aircraft specifications
plane or copter?= plane
jet or prop?= prop
ref=Translated from fr:wikipedia [cite web
url= http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lat%C3%A9co%C3%A8re_521
title= Latécoère 521
last=
first=
date=
accessdate= 2007-05-09
work=
publisher=]
crew=
capacity= 72 passengers
length main= 31.62 m
length alt= 103 ft 8 in
span main= 49.31 m
span alt= 161 ft 9 in
height main= 9.07 m
height alt= 29 ft 9 in
area main= 330 m²
area alt= 3,551 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 20,493 kg
empty weight alt= 45,084 lb
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main= 37,993 kg
max takeoff weight alt= 83,585 lb
more general=

engine (prop)=Hispano-Suiza 12Ybrs
type of prop= water-cooled V12 engines
number of props=6
power main= 570 kW
power alt= 760 hp
power original=

max speed main= 247 km/h
max speed alt= 132 knots, 152 mph
cruise speed main=
cruise speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
range main= 3,900 km
range alt= 2,106 nm, 2,406 mi
ceiling main= 6,300 m
ceiling alt= 20,664 ft
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=
armament=
avionics=

References

External links

* [http://avia.russian.ee/air/france/latecoere_l-521.php Virtual Aircraft Museum]
* [http://video.aol.com/video-detail/latecoere-521-lieutenant-de-vaisseau-paris-flying-boat/2643149256 Latécoère 521 film]

ee also

aircontent
related=

similar aircraft=
* Boeing 314
* Dornier Do X
* Saunders-Roe Princess

sequence=

lists=
* List of seaplanes and flying boats
see also=