Lioré et Olivier H-246

infobox Aircraft
name = LeO H-246
type = Transport flying boat
manufacturer = Lioré-et-Olivier
Sud-Est


caption =
designer =
first flight = 30 September 1937
introduced = 1938
retired =
status =
primary user = Air France
more users = Luftwaffe
produced =
number built = 6
unit cost =
developed from =
variants with their own articles = The Sud-Est LeO H-246 was a large four-engined flying boat from the late 1930s.

Development

The LeO H-246 was developed in 1937 by the French aircraft manufacturer Lioré-et-Olivier (which later the same year was incorporated into the nationalized aircraft manufacturing company Sud-Est). The prototype LeO H-246.01 made its maiden flight on September 30 1937. The parasol type metal-fuselage aircraft could carry a crew of 4 and 26 passengers. Air France placed an order for six H-246.1 aircraft in January 1938. After the German invasion of France in 1940, the Vichy regime intended to take some modified aircraft into their air force. The aircraft was mainly used for reconnaissance and was equipped with four 7.5 mm machine guns. Four civil H-246s were taken over by the German Luftwaffe in 1942. The German aircraft were converted into carrying up to 21 soldiers or 14 stretchers. The aircraft were used for various tasks, including transports in Finland. After the war, two H-264.1s were used by Air France for a few years.

Operators

;FRA
*Air France received 6 aircraft.;flagicon|France|vichy Vichy France
*Vichy French Air Force operated aircraft taken over from Air France.;flag|Germany|Nazi
*Luftwaffe operated 4 aircraft captured in Vichy France.

pecifications (H-246.1)

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=

crew=4-5
capacity=26 passengers "or"
21 soldiers "or"
14 stretchers
length main= 21.17 m
length alt=69.45 ft
span main= 31.72 m
span alt= 104 ft
height main= 7.15 m
height alt=23.45 ft
area main= 131 m²
area alt=429 ft²
airfoil=
empty weight main= 9,800 kg
empty weight alt= 21,605 lb
loaded weight main= 15,000 kg
loaded weight alt=33,069 lb
useful load main=
useful load alt=
max takeoff weight main=
max takeoff weight alt=
more general=
engine (prop)=Hispano-Suiza 12Xirs
type of prop=
number of props=4
power main=
power alt=
power original=

max speed main= 330 km/h
max speed alt=205 mp/h
cruise speed main= 287 km/h
cruise speed alt= 178 mp/h
stall speed main=
stall speed alt=
never exceed speed main=
never exceed speed alt=
range main= 2,000 km
range alt= 1,242 m
ceiling main= 7,000 m
ceiling alt= 22,965 ft
climb rate main= m/s
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=
power/mass alt=
more performance=

armament=
*French version: 4x 7.5 mm Darne machine guns, 600 kg bombs
*German version: 5x 7.92 mm MG 15 machine guns

avionics=

References

*Green, William. "War Planes of the Second World War: Volume Five Flying Boats". London, Macdonald, 1968. ISBN 356 01449 5.

External links

ee also

aircontent

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